Rashmi Sarkar

• MD,FAMS
• Director Professor at Lady Hardinge Medical College

Objectives Melasma is a recalcitrant hyperpigmentary disorder requiring innovative treatment options for its management. The objectives of the study are to compare the efficacy of microneedling with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) versus microneedling with tranexamic acid (TXA) in melasma in terms of Modified Melasma Area and Severity Index Score (mMASI...

Background Melasma is a common disorder of pigmentation. Traditional treatments often come with limitations, prompting the need for alternative newer therapies. Cysteamine cream, a new topical depigmenting drug, has shown potential in treating melasma while maintaining a good safety profile. Aim This case series aims to evaluate the efficacy and s...

Objectives The study aims to determine the efficacy of Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser using physician and patient self-assessment and study the safety profile of Q-switched Nd:YAG for treatment of freckles in patients of the skin of color. Material and Methods A hospital-based prospective interventional study was...

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.

Skin colour usually depends upon melanin, haemoglobin, and carotenoids. Pigmentary disorders indicate an increased amount of melanin, leading to a darker colour of the skin, called hypermelanosis. Addison’s disease is a rare endocrinal disorder with severe oral and systemic manifestations. Any form of diffuse skin hyper-pigmentation which is more p...

Hyperpigmentary disorders, including melasma, are challenging to treat. Glutathione has anti-melanogenic and antioxidant properties, which led to its use as a skin-lightening agent. Our objective was to review the published evidence and literature on the efficacy and safety of glutathione as a skin-lightening agent and in the treatment of melasma....

Dermatological disorders constitute a significant proportion of primary health care (PHC) setups. The pattern of dermatological disorders varies among different countries and different parts of the same country owing to climatic and geographical variations, level of education, access to health care, etc. To study the clinical spectrum of patients p...

Rash and fever are some of the most common chief complaints present in paediatric dermatology emergencies. The spectrum of differential diagnosis is broad, including many different infectious and some non-infectious agents. A systematic approach involving detailed history taking, careful clinical examination along with particular attention to epide...

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...

Reticulate acropigmentation of Kitamura (RAK) and Dowling-Degos disease (DDD) belong to the rare heterogeneous group of reticulate pigmentary disorders. They are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with variable penetrance and are characterized by the presence of hyperpigmented macules coalescing in a reticular fashion. We hereby describe a 29...

Background Fever with rash is common among children and is seen by both dermatologists and pediatricians. The various causes of fever with rash in children include viral infections, bacterial infections, rickettsial species, collagen vascular diseases, and drug hypersensitivity rash. Viral exanthems are by far the most common cause of fever with ra...

Background Mentorship programs for dermatologists have been in vogue in the West for many years, but have been on a hiatus in India. Recently, there is renewed interest, and mentorship programs are gaining momentum across the country to guide and nurture young dermatologists to attain their full potential. However, what constitutes an ideal mentors...

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 The current trend in the declining rates of new COVID-19 case detection may be attributed to better awareness and more robust screening and testing programs all across the country. Although there have been many studies on the impact of COVID-19 in India and its management, there are no studies currently regarding the knowledge, attitudes...

Background: Facial acanthosis nigricans (AN) is usually a misdiagnosed facial melanosis, most commonly seen in obese individuals. Though it is also associated with metabolic syndrome, malignancy, drug intake, or syndromes. The randomized controlled trials for treatment options are lacking. Aims: This review aims to focus on the clinical presentatio...

Introduction Acanthosis Nigricans (AN) is an acquired disorder of keratinization. It presents as hyperpigmentation, velvety texture of skin that can involve any part of the body including the face. Different topical, systemic therapies, or physical therapies including laser have been explored. However, there are not many randomized controlled studi...

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...

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is an uncommon disorder characterized clinically by recurrent episodes of nonitchy subcutaneous and/or submucosal swellings. The estimated prevalence of HAE is ~ 1: 10,000 to 1: 50,000. There are no prevalence data from India, however, estimates suggest that there are 27,000 to 135,000 patients with HAE in India at prese...

JAK refers to a family of tyrosine kinases that are involved in production of pro-inflammatory mediators in response to various extracellular signals. JAK/STAT pathway is an appealing target in many inflammatory illnesses since this pathway modulates immune cell activation and T-cell-mediated inflammation in response to several cytokines. The pract...

Melasma, a chronic pigmentary skin condition mainly affecting the face, remains a challenge despite the availability of several options for treatment. Many melasma patients are not satisfied with treatment outcomes. Tranexamic acid (TXA), an anti-fibrinolytic drug has shown promising results in patients with melasma. Evidence from several clinical...

Introduction/Background: Acitretin is a second-generation systemic retinoid. Its clinical applications are virtually exclusively limited to dermatology. It has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antikeratinizing effects. However, there is a lack of articles summarizing the relevant literature in a systemic way. Methods: A PubMed search was p...

Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists is actively involved in providing its members diverse opportunities for academic growth. The residents during post graduation can avail post graduate thesis grants and scholarships. IADVL observerships and trainings are more suitable immediately after completing post graduation....

Introduction: Scarring is a common but difficult to manage consequence of acne vulgaris. The intricate balance between the degradation of collagen and its inhibition is disturbed during the formation of acne scars. We mostly rely on invasive, non-topical modalities for the treatment of acne scars which may not be indicated in all patients. There i...

Cutaneous mastocytosis is a neoplasm characterized by the proliferation and accumulation of mast cells in the skin. There can be involvement of other organ systems as well. Cutaneous manifestations can vary from mastocytoma to maculopapular lesions to diffuse cutaneous form. There can be symptoms associated with mast cell mediators release like itc...

Background: Acne scars are a permanent disfiguring sequel of acne. Objective: To compare the efficacy of microneedling with 15% trichloroacetic acid (TCA) peel versus microneedling with 25% pyruvic acid peel in the management of postacne scars. Material and methods: Thirty patients with atrophic acne scars were randomized into 2 groups receivi...

Since time immemorial, hair has been considered a “crowning glory” for human beings the world over. However, there are a plethora of hair disorders, including both excess hair and sparse hair which are frequently confronted by dermatologists. Hence, an elaborate knowledge about the disorders of hair in females is almost mandatory.

Lasers have increasingly become popular in dermatology recently because of good efficacy in treating the disease and better cosmetic results. They are used for treatment of various diseases in females like rosacea, melasma, connective tissue diseases, nevus of Ota, lichen sclerosus, hirsutism, syringomas, etc. In this chapter, we will be reviewing...

Women dermatologists are a special cohort of doctors. The struggles are beyond just work–life balance and equipping oneself to best manage the patients. Women are now the flag bearer of many prominent dermatology institutions around the world signifying a major wind of change. Mentoring and reaching out to each other has become more relevant and po...

Chemical peeling is a “lunch-time”, or office based, clinical, cutaneous resurfacing procedure which is chiefly used for the management of pigmentary conditions, photoaging and acne scars. Thorough knowledge of gender-based differences in cutaneous morphology goes a long way in planning chemical peels. Preliminary evidence suggests that commonly us...

Disorders of pigmentation can significantly compromise the quality of life of those affected and hence demand timely and appropriate management. The most commonly encountered afflictions include melasma, vitiligo, periocular hyperpigmentation, pigmented contact dermatitis and lichen planus pigmentosus. Psychosocial implications of these disorders a...

p class="abstract">Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and acne are multi-factorial skin conditions that involve microbial invasion of the skin and underlying soft tissues; though, both have different pathogenesis. Most of these infections are caused by bacteria, affecting all age groups. Early diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy re...

Borderline lepromatous leprosy is one of the unstable variants of leprosy with a myriad of clinical cutaneous lesions. As most of the time, it occurs as a result of downgrading from an upper pole with numerous skin lesions, but not so well-defined and slightly infiltrated macules with coppery hue, round, or oval of about 2–3 cm in diameter are not...

As we were on the road to recovery from the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the world is waking up to yet another potential adversary. Monkeypox (or human monkeypox) caused by monkeypox virus (an orthopox virus) is fast emerging in more than 80 countries worldwide, where it has never been historically reported. We in India, have already...

Introduction Public health awareness on sun-protection practices especially sunscreen use is established in developed countries compared with some other tropical African countries. Open-market traders in Nigeria, who typically have black skin, spend up to 8 hours in daylight with unprotected sun exposure. Aim To determine prevalence of the knowled...

Background Although well known in clinical practice, research in lichen planus pigmentosus and related dermal pigmentary diseases is restricted due to lack of consensus on nomenclature and disease definition. Aims and Objectives Delphi exercise to define and categorise acquired dermal pigmentary diseases. Methods Core areas were identified includ...

p>Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is a common cause of hair loss and is associated with a reduction in quality of life and psychological morbidity. It is characterised by nonscarring progressive thinning of hair with gradual reduction in the number of hairs, with prevalence increasing with advancing age. A differential diagnosis of FPHL includes co...

Background: The management of melasma is an ongoing challenge. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy has been reported to be beneficial, but there is paucity of studies on PRP therapy in melasma. Objective: To compare the efficacy of PRP therapy and hydroquinone versus hydroquinone alone in melasma. Materials and methods: Thirty patients were ran...

A scar is an undesirable outcome of wound healing. Whenever tissue is injured by trauma, inflammation or surgery, various cells and mediators get activated and try to repair this wound. When only the epidermal layer of the skin is injured, it heals with mild or no scar. When the dermal layer is injured, the tissues cannot reproduce back the initial...

Background: Significant progress has been made in the representation of women at various fronts in dermatology. Nonetheless, women fall far behind their male counterparts when it comes to leadership roles as indicated by recent research data. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study amongst 180 dermatologists. Anonymous surveys were...

Mentoring albeit is a recently described and popular phenomenon in medicine, is not a new one. All medical specialties have a complex, intertwined relationship between their physicians and trainees who are in different stages of their careers. How a specialty evolves depends on the thread woven by these relationships. This article outlines the conc...

Dermatologists often come across cases of skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) which have diverse clinical presentations. Various local, systemic, and environmental risk factors predispose an individual to develop SSTIs. Topical antimicrobial agents are frequently used in superficial uncomplicated SSTIs, whereas systemic therapy is generally res...

Background: Melasma is a common relapsing hyperpigmentation disorder, which is often difficult to treat. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a novel modality often used to treat acne scars, androgenic alopecia, chronic wounds, and skin rejuvenation. Recently, it has had a promising role in the treatment of melasma. Objective: To review the published e...

Hand dermatitis (HD) is a chronic, relapsing, and remitting inflammatory condition that adversely affects the quality of life of the individual and gravely impacts the mental and socioeconomic well-being by causing professional hindrance and often leading to loss of wages. Despite being one of the most common skin conditions seen by dermatologists,...

Chronic dermatoses, such as atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, and psoriasis, can affect children. Apart from impacting the pediatric patient's quality of life, these disorders can also have a profound impact on the quality of life of their parents or closest caregivers and other family members. In an effort to better understand the relationship between...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and relapsing, pruritic inflammatory disorder characterized by a disruption in the skin barrier. This barrier defect is now considered to be a primary phenomenon and leads to an increased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), decreased skin hydration, penetration by allergens and organisms which in conjunction with...

A crisp book covering all the important aspects of Atopic dermatitis, should serve as a ready reckoner for both physicians and residents.

Pigmented transverse nasal band/groove is an asymptomatic benign condition, characterized by the development of erythematous to hyperpigmented, well-demarcated, transverse groove at the junction of middle and lower two-third of the nasal dorsum. Although the pathogenesis is unclear, embryologic origin seems to be the most plausible hypothesis. This...

Severe Acute Respiratory Virus Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has got its name Corona from Latin meaning “crown.” It has crown-like spikes present on the surface, which encloses the RNA, genetic material of this deadly virus. The virus attacks pneumocytes after binding with the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) of the cell surface, which ultimate...

Introduction Melasma is a relatively common hypermelanotic disorder characterized by symmetrical light to gray-brown macules and patches involving photoexposed areas. Multiple factors have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis, including genetic factors, UV radiation, pregnancy, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), thyroid dysfunction, and cosmetics....

Humanity has been obsessed with the partiality towards fair skin since time immemorial leading to unhealthy practices. The recent manifestation of this obsession is the huge number of fairness creams which has flooded the Indian cosmetic market. Some corticosteroid creams are also used as fairness creams because of the side-effect of hypopigmentati...

As the comprehensive textbooks of Dermatology grow longer and more specialized, there is a need for a text to cut the subject back to the essentials a medical professional needs to know. This concise text from an internationally respected editor presents the most important points about the most significant topics in disease of the skin, hair, and n...

Context: There are several modalities of treating acne scars. The combination of microneedling and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a synergistic approach to treat acne scars. Aims: The aim was to compare the efficacy of microneedling alone versus microneedling with PRP in acne scars. Materials and methods: This was a split face study conducted o...

Rosacea is a relatively common inflammatory dermatosis in persons with fair skin. It is uncommonly reported in people with skin of color (darker skin tone; Fitzpatrick skin types IV, V or VI). Apart from reduced incidence, underreporting due to decreased awareness might also be a probable explanation. Rosacea commonly presents with telangiectasias...

Background: Many factors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) and recently the role of oxidative damage has been postulated. Objectives: To study the levels of oxidants and antioxidants including melatonin in the blood of children with AD and their association with the severity of AD. Methods: Thirty patients with...

Background: Hyaluronic fillers have been used for filling in folds and contour the face according to global aesthetic standards to achieve a smooth ogee curve on the face. But sometimes these result in a bulkier look to the face thus preventing more people from opting for these procedures. Although M.D codes have now been given to guide the inject...

Background There is a sparsity of data regarding the mental health status of dermatologists during COVID‐19 pandemic. Objectives Evaluate the effects of pandemic on mental health of dermatologists on a large scale and identify risk factors for mental distress. Methods 733 dermatologists were included in this cross‐sectional, web‐based survey. Re...

Skin lightening for cosmetic reasons is associated with profound negative impacts on well-being, and adverse effects on the skin, resulting in immense challenges for dermatologists. Despite current regulations, lightening agents continue to dominate the cosmetic industry. In this review, our international team of dermatologists tackles the topic of...