Anupam Das

• MD Dermatology (Gold Medalist)
• Professor (Assistant) at KPC Medical College and Hospital

Background: Linear lesions are fairly common in our day to day practice. However, the appearances can be deceptive which puts dermatologists in a diagnostic dilemma. Aims: To study the various clinical presentations, demographic profile of patients and clinico-pathological correlations of dermatoses presenting with a linear distribution. Method...

Obese and overweight individuals may have a wide gamut of cutaneous features and can have more severe manifestations of multiple dermatological conditions. There have been multiple expert opinions on the favorable effects of weight reduction in improving skin conditions. Over the past decade, there have been few studies evaluating the response of e...

Tofacitinib has revolutionized the treatment of numerous dermatological conditions, in different age groups. However, the evidence of effectiveness, safety and tolerability in the pediatric population is limited. Literature search shows that oral tofacitinib is a reliable option in refractory juvenile dermatomyositis, severe alopecia areata, atopic...

Skin being the largest organ of the body, is equipped with numerous functional properties. Over the past few years, intricate research into the biology of skin has led to a gamut of discoveries. Skin is now regarded as one of the most vital endocrine organs. The skin contains equivalents of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis, hypothalamo-pituit...

Cyclosporine (CSA) has been used by dermatologists for decades, and this remains one of the most preferred options for treating a wide gamut of dermatological conditions. Although it is US- Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for limited number of disorders, it is prescribed as an off-label drug for numerous conditions. Psoriasis, urticaria...

Obesity is usually associated with a multitude of systemic effects such as increased risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance. Insulin resistance and latent chronic inflammation can lead to cutaneous and systemic effects. We performed a comprehensive English language literature search across multiple databases for keywords (alone...

Background Tacrolimus, a topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI) with immunomodulatory effects, is considered a viable treatment option for vitiligo. A consensus building exercise was undertaken to determine the role and clinical utility of topical tacrolimus in the management of vitiligo using input from experts in the field of dermatology. Methods S...

Crisaborole might emerge as a potential long-term therapeutic option in not only paediatric patients, but also adult patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. Our pilot study, carried out on a cohort of Indian patients, emphasizes the safety, reliability and efficacy of this novel molecule on atopic dermatitis.

Background: Acne vulgaris is a prevalent chronic dermatological condition affecting adolescents and young adults, with significant consequences on quality of life if left untreated. Effective management strategies are crucial to prevent scarring and psychological distress associated with acne. This study investigated the role of cleansers in acne m...

Background: This study evaluated physicians' and patients' beliefs about biosimilars in Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Research design and methods: An online survey administered to physicians (dermatologists, n = 119; gastroenterologists, n = 148; rheumatologists, n = 161) between 22 October 2021 and 7 January 2022,...

Many clinical trials have been conducted for the purpose of searching better drugs, both in terms of effectiveness and safety to help treat this menace. Luliconazole cream stands out as one of the most preferred treatment options. However, because of chances of development of resistance to azoles; allylamines are being tried as one of the alternati...

Acne vulgaris, a prevalent inflammatory skin condition, significantly impacts individuals worldwide, particularly adolescents and adults. Its chronic nature, associated sequelae, and psychosocial impact underscore the substantial burden it poses. Current treatment guidelines primarily address facial acne, with limited guidance on managing truncal a...

Probiotics are viable microorganisms that confer health benefits when administered to the host in adequate amounts. Over the past decade, there has been a growing demand for the use of oral and topical probiotics in several inflammatory conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, etc., although their role in a few areas still re...

Background There has been a significant increase in the incidence of recurrent, resistant, and extensive dermatophyte infections worldwide recently. This menace has spurred the need for more well-designed randomized controlled trials to optimize the treatment of dermatophyte skin infections. One of the limitations in designing such studies is the l...

Itraconazole (ITZ) has been the mainstay of oral antifungal treatment for the current epidemic of recalcitrant dermatophytosis (RD) in India. Recently, a newer formulation of ITZ, super bioavailable itraconazole (SUBA-ITZ), is made available in the market by many pharmaceutical companies. It is important for dermatologists to understand the pharmac...

With the advent of newer drugs and formulations, the armamentarium to combat dermatophytosis is ever-expanding. However, we must be rational and scientific when choosing the drugs. This review is an attempt to summarise the recently approved and upcoming therapeutic options for dermatophytosis.

Introduction Melasma is an acquired disorder, which presents with well-demarcated, brown-colored hyperpigmented macules, commonly involving the sun-exposed areas such as the face. It is a chronic and distressing condition, affecting the patients' quality of life, and has been conventionally treated with “first-line” agents including hydroquinone (H...

Background Obesity is considered one of the risk factors for dermatophytosis and warrants systemic therapy. Itraconazole is the most commonly used antifungal, but owing to pharmacokinetic challenges, super-bioavailable itraconazole (SITZ) was approved globally, recently. For the management of dermatophytosis in obese patients, there are mixed opini...

Introduction Itraconazole follows non-linear pharmacokinetics and hence is recommended once daily, but in real-world practice, is commonly prescribed as twice daily. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of super-bioavailable-itraconazole-130 mg (SB-130) and conventional-itraconazole-200 mg (CITZ-200) once daily compared with...

Dermatophytosis has acquired an epidemic-like proportion, fuelling a wide gamut of irrational, unethical and unscientific prescriptions. The menace can be attributed to poorly regulated legislative laws controlling the approval of molecules, unscientific marketing gimmicks by the pharmaceutical industry, over-the-counter availability of drugs and l...

Background Impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been immense. An innocent casualty of this disaster is medical education and training. Dermatology, which primarily deals with out-patient services, medical and surgical interventions, and in-patient services, was one of the worst hit. The National Medical Commission of India has implemented competency-bas...

Objective This article explores disorders of trichotillomania, delusions of parasitosis, dysmorphophobia or body dysmorphic disorder, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa, obsessive compulsive disorder, dermatitis artefacta, and specific phobia. Method Research data of case series and observational studies review their clinical manifestation as pr...

Angioma serpiginosum (AS) is a rare, benign, nevoid vascular anomaly that usually starts in childhood or early adolescence with a predilection for extremities and spares mucosal areas. The blaschkolinear variant of this condition has rarely been described in the literature. We report a case of AS in a unique blaschkolinear configuration and discuss...

Introduction There is ambiguity regarding usage of tranexamic acid for melasma in India, be it in its pre-administration evaluation, administration route, dosing or monitoring. Hence, we conducted this study to understand various tranexamic-acid prescribing patterns and provide practical guidelines. Materials and methods A Google-form-based questi...

Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, suppurative condition of the pilosebaceous unit. The typical HS patient is characterized as obese, smoker, manifesting nodules, abscesses and/or draining tunnels predominantly distributed in intertriginous skin. It is established that lifestyle and genetic factors are the main pathophysiological drivers o...

The cutaneous microflora consists of various microorganisms which interact with host epithelial cells and innate and acquired immunity. This microbial milieu and its interaction with host cells prevent the growth of pathogenic organisms and educate host immunity to fight against harmful microorganisms. The microbial composition depends on various i...

Blue light has garnered attention, because of its ability to penetrate deeper into the skin layers, induce cellular dysfunction, and DNA damage. Photoaging, hyperpigmentation and melasma are some of the cutaneous changes, developing on exposure to blue light. Till date, the therapeutic role of blue light have been evaluated in dermatological condit...

Dermatophytosis is one of the leading causes of visits to the Dermatology department, especially in India, where the hot and humid climate favours fungal acquisition and perpetuation. Usual modalities of treatment include the use of either oral or topical antifungals or a combination of both, depending upon the severity and extent of infection as w...

Dermatophytosis is one of the leading causes of visits to the Dermatology department, especially in India, where the hot and humid climate favours fungal acquisition and perpetuation. Usual modalities of treatment include the use of either oral or topical antifungals or a combination of both, depending upon the severity and extent of infection as w...

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) target the signal transduction pathways of protein kinases by several modes of inhibition. Adverse effects are generally dose-dependent, with certain side effects unique to each drug. However, due to similarities in target sites, different classes of TKIs may have identical or overlapping side effect profiles. This...

Over the past 2 years, a plethora of mucocutaneous manifestations have been described to be associated with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Nail changes attributed to COVID-19 have rarely been documented in the literature. We describe here a unique nail finding ‘transverse erythronychia’ due to COVID-19 and review the literature on the diver...

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing day by day, owing to the sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, genetic factors, environmental influences and many other conspicuous variables. Skin, aptly considered to be a mirror of internal organs, often manifests with certain signs and symptoms, suggestive of a diagnosis of metabolic synd...

Background: Rising number of the nonresponding dermatophytic infections raises deep concerns among the dermatologists across the nation. Variations in the quality of itraconazole may be a contributing factor to nonresponse in certain dermatophytic infections. This article will address this issue in a simple way of analyzing things in an OPD and ma...

Antimicrobial stewardship refers to a well-coordinated program which promotes the scientific and rational use of antimicrobials, reduces the chances of drug resistance and improves patient outcomes. A comprehensive English language literature search was done across multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane) for the period 1990-2022,...

Psoriasis is a multisystem disorder with a significant impact on the quality of life (QoL) of the patient. QoL in psoriasis is influenced by epidemiological factors, the type and extent of the disease, and underlying comorbidities. Various tools have been developed to assess the QoL in patients with psoriasis, namely psoriasis specific, skin specif...

This case report describes multiple symmetric, skin-colored papulonodules overlying the scapulae and posterior shoulders that gave the appearance of pebbled skin.

Background: With the COVID-19 vaccination taking stride all across the globe, there are multiple reports of vaccine-induced adverse reactions (cutaneous and systemic). Objectives: To study the frequency and characteristics of mucocutaneous reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. Methods: An online questionnaire-based study was performed among the reci...

Apremilast has recently garnered attention in the management of multiple dermatological conditions including psoriasis. The comparable effectiveness with immunosuppressive drugs and a favorable side effect profile makes the drug, a prudent alternative for managing a gamut of dermatoses. In this article, we have reviewed the literature on apremilast...

Traditionally, India holds the unenviable position of the origin of leprosy. The disease is thought to have spread, via trade and war, to China, Egypt, and the Middle East, and later to Europe and the Americas. From antiquity to modernity, Indian society treated leprosy singularly for custom and law, a response shaped by both scientific knowledge a...

The diverse world of dermatology is famed for their protracted and at times tenuous names encompassing diseased conditions, characteristic clinical descriptions, and signs amongst others. Many dermatological entities are identified by toponyms or place names. While some sound irrelevant and archaic (with only historical importance reminding us of t...

Objectives To compare the perspectives of dermatologists and pediatricians regarding cutaneous manifestations of covid-19 in the pediatric age group. Material and methods An online semi-structured English questionnaire was circulated among the doctors (snowball sampling). Items of the questionnaire with a content validity ratio ≥0.49 were retained...

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS‐A) is an inflammatory condition affecting multiple extrapulmonary organ systems (cardiac, gastrointestinal tract, dermatological and/or neurological), attributed to a post‐infectious and atypical complication occurring weeks to months after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus...

Erythroderma is usually attributed to some of the commoner causes such as eczematous disorders, psoriasis, malignancies, idiopathic situations and drug‐induced scenarios. Rarely, erythroderma has been found to result from dermatophytic infections. Erythrodermic dermatophytosis may be a direct sequel of extensive tinea corporis (with or without a ba...

There is a dearth of data regarding the safety and timing of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) vaccination of patients on immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory therapies. However, data from other vaccine trials may be extrapolated to get an idea regarding the recommendation of SARS-COV-2 vaccines. All the novel SARS-C...

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) constitute a major share of diseases, encountered by physicians. Although science has made considerable progress in terms of diagnosing and treating such infections, development of effective and safe vaccines is the need of the hour. Syphilis, viral warts, gonorrhea, herpes genitalis, chlamydia and trichomonias...