Showing posts with label symptoms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label symptoms. Show all posts

Sunday, July 26

Paronychia symptoms - Paronychia treatment

  ›     ›     ›   Paronychia symptoms and treatment

Paronychia signs and symptoms

Paronychia affected nail fold may present reddening (erythema), tenderness, pain and edema (swelling). Acute paronychia may manifesting over hours to days.
Pus may develop along the nail margin. In severe acute conditions pus is also formed below the nail plate.

In case of chronic condition the cuticle and proximal nail fold may get retracted and separated from the nail plate. The paronychia infection may spread into deeper tissues of pulp space in the palm side of the finger causing felon which requires aggressive treatment. Severe acute infection can cause chills and fever.

In patients with acute form of paronychia, typically only one nail is involved. In chronic form, usually the thumb and second or third fingers of the dominant hand are involved. The diagnosis is usually by visual observations. Chronic or acute conditions not responding to treatment may require differential diagnosis to rule out squamous cell carcinoma, malignant tumors, eczema and psoriasis.
Popular topics in natural skin care:
Herpetic whitlow must be ruled out as the treatments are drastically different and mistreatment may do more harm than good.

Paronychia treatment

Nail fold infection, especially the chronic form, is prevalent in laundry workers, agricultural laborers, food handlers, dishwashers, fishermen, fishmongers, fish farm workers, dairy workers, watersports personals and swimmers. Treatment of paronychia is determined by the degree of inflammation and infection and also whether it is acute or chronic.

Warm water soak treatment for paronychia

Mild, acute cases of paronychia without abscess only require soaking the affected finger or toe in warm water to which antibacterial soap/epsom salt/vinegar is added. At a time about 15-20 minutes of soaking is required and it may be repeated four or five times a day. The warm water increases the circulation to the soaked area, inducing the immune cells to do their job of clearing the infection. The added ingredients will function as mild antibiotic.

Topical applications

treatment is typically different from acute treatment.For acute nail fold infection where there appears to be only cellulitis, topical application of antibacterial preparations may be applied apart from warm water soaking to totally remove the infection. If chronic infection with cellulitis is seen antifungal preparations and also steroids may be applied. A combination of antifungal and steroid had been found to be very effective.

Oral antibiotics

with abscess and pus formation requires apart from draining the pus, use of oral antibacterial like clindamycin, cefadroxil or amoxicillin to clear the infection. Chronic fungal paronychia may require a long course of systemic antifungal medication. There is always a possibility a concurrent bacterial infection requiring the use of antibacterial medication.
Image of paronychia
Paronychia of finger

Surgical intervention in paronychia

Abscess formation and pus collection in acute paronychia requires surgical intervention to drain the pus. This may be done in several different ways. Normally the cuticle at the abscess is raised making passage for the pus to drain out. If neglected, acute or chronic condition may worsen affecting the deeper tissues it may cause ascending lymphangitis or sepsis.

In cases of paronychia where the abscess is further away from the cuticle, a small incision can be made directly over the abscess to drain the pus followed by eponychial marsupialization. The procedure is usually pain free and in exceptional cases local anesthetic can be used. The wound may be packed for two days with a piece of plain gauze packing soaked in antibiotic cream. After removal of the packing, the patient may be advised warm water soak treatment till the acute reddening and inflammation subsides.

In chronic paronychia where the nail plate and nail bed are damaged partial or total removal of the nail become necessary. This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia and the wound will take several days to heal. The patient should also try to find and avoid the root cause of the chronic condition whenever possible, or chronic paronychia may recur.
Advertisements
Related topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
References on paronychia:
1.Rigopoulos D, Larios G, Gregoriou S, Alevizos A. Acute and chronic paronychia. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Feb 1;77(3):339-46.
2.Shafritz AB, Coppage JM. Acute and chronic paronychia of the hand. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014 Mar;22(3):165-74.
3.Duhard É. Paronychia. Presse Med. 2014 Nov;43(11):1216-22.
Interesting topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Current topic in natural skin care: Paronychia symptoms and treatment

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Thursday, July 23

Ingrown hair causes - Ingrown hair symptoms

  ›     ›   Ingrown hair causes and symptoms
What is ingrown hair?
Ingrown hair occurs when the sharp, cut-end of thick hair grows sideways, at an abnormal angle, penetrating into the dermal skin.
Quite often the condition resolves by itself without any clinical symptoms. In some persons ingrown hair may cause small pimple-like bumps with symptoms like reddening, inflammation, pain and pus formation. Though in most of the cases, the ingrowth involves the skin areas which are shaved, tweezed or waxed, it can occur in any hairy part on the body.

Ingrown hair causes

Pseudofolliculitis barbae

Pseudofolliculitis barbae, a type of extensive ingrowth, occurs in persons with thick, coarse hair. It is a common chronic inflammatory disorder in men of African ancestry, occurring most often in regions of thick hair growth after shaving. The condition causes erythematous papules with symptoms of pain and pus formation. A common polymorphism in a keratin gene (K6hf) may be a genetic risk factor for pseudofolliculitis barbae type of ingrowth.

Ingrown hair symptoms

In most of the conditions, the symptoms may be limited to small reddish bumps. The symptoms like rash, tenderness and itching skin may also appear. Infected ingrowth may present symptoms such as pimple like inflammation, raised large bumps, abscesses and pruritic erythematous pustules. Certain other medical conditions like folliculitis, keratosis pilaris and furuncle may mimic the symptoms and are to differentially diagnosed.
image of ingrown hair
Ingrown hair
Common signs and symptoms include:
  • inflammation,
  • papules,
  • pustules,
  • hyperpigmentation,
  • rash,
  • pain,
  • pruritus and
  • embedded hairs in the site.

Ingrown hair treatment

Avoiding shaving for two to three weeks may causes the existing bumps to resolve. Extrafollicular ingrowths can usually be tweezed gently and cut above the skin level. Transfollicular ingrowths as well as ingrowths with symptoms of pus and severe inflammation may require medical treatment. Chemical depilatories, topical creams, laser therapy or surgical removal are the other treatment options available.

Ingrown hair prevention

The best way to prevent the ingrowth is to refrain from shaving or using a beard trimmer. If shaving is necessary, wetting the skin with warm water and using a shaving gel may prevent the hair strand from getting pulled and getting cut close to the root. Avoiding shaving close to skin will enable the cut ends to grow out of the follicle smoothly. Shaving against the direction of the growth of strand must be avoided to prevent ingrown hair.
Advertisements
Related topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
References on ingrown hair:
1.Ribera M, Fernández-Chico N, Casals M. [Pseudofolliculitis barbae]. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2010 Nov;101(9):749-57.
2.Alexis A, Heath CR, Halder RM. Folliculitis keloidalis nuchae and pseudofolliculitis barbae: are prevention and effective treatment within reach? Dermatol Clin. 2014 Apr;32(2):183-91.
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eingewachsenes_Haar_2010.jpg
Image author: LBPics | Image license: CC BY-SA 3.0
Interesting topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Current topic in natural skin care: Ingrown hair causes and symptoms

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: , ,

Wednesday, June 10

Ingrown toenail symptoms

  ›     ›     ›   Symptoms of ingrown toenails
An ingrown toenail, or onychocryptosis, is a common painful condition that most often affects the outer edge of the big toe.
However, ingrown toenail can occur on any toe and also on both sides of the toe. The initial symptoms of ingrown toenail are mild pain, reddened skin and swelling at the corner of the toenail.

The symptoms of onychocryptosis develop as a reaction to a foreign body, when the toenail pierces and enters the flesh (the ungual labia folds) surrounding it. Considering the progress of symptoms, Jonathan D. Mozena (Podiatr Med Assoc. 2002 Mar;92(3):131-5) had classified onychocryptosis into stages I, IIa, IIb and III. Martínez-Nova A et al. added a new stage IV.

Symptoms in early stage of ingrown toenail

Early stage is an inflammatory stage with the following symptoms:

Abscess stage of ingrown toenail

  • There is increase in erythema, swelling and pain. Hyperesthesia (increased sensitivity) is experienced by the patient.
  • The patient may experience continuous throbbing, stabbing pain.
  • There is hypertrophy of toenail fold. It extends over the ungual plate, but measures less than 3 mm.
  • Clear, thin, watery serous drainage may begin.
  • Next, it may progress into serosanguineous exudate, which is thin, watery, and pale red to pink in color. The pink tinge is due red blood cells leaking from damaged capillaries.
  • In this stage, infection may set in, causing seropurulent exudate of thin, watery, cloudy, and yellow to tan in color.
image of wounded infected toenail
Infected ingrown toenail

Advanced abscess stage of ingrown toenail

  • There is further increase in erythema, swelling, excruciating pain and hyperesthesia.
  • The hypertrophy of toenail fold extends over the ungual plate and measures more than 3 mm.
  • Paronychia, an infection of the paronychium (soft tissue surrounding the border of the toenail), caused by Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Candida or superficial dermatophytes occurs.
  • Thick, opaque, purulent, foul smelling exudate of tan, yellow, green, or brown in color may discharge from the infected wound.
  • The affected area may feel hot to touch.

Symptoms in hypertrophic stage of ingrown toenail

  • In hypertrophic stage, the earlier symptoms like erythema, swelling, excruciating pain, hyperesthesia and pus discharge continue.
  • The hypertrophy becomes chronic with the increase in the volume of lateral fold tissue due to the enlargement of its component cells.
  • The hypertrophic fold tissue widely covers the lateral ungual plate.
  • Granulation tissue composed of new connective tissue and tiny blood vessels forms on the surfaces of the wound.

Symptoms in distal hypertrophic stage of ingrown toenail

  • The hypertrophic tissue completely covers the lateral, medial and distal ungual plate.
  • The toenail and the lateral and distal skin folds undergo chronic deformity.
  • If untreated cellulitis and osteomyelitis can occur.
Advertisements
Related topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
References on symptoms of ingrown toenails:
1.Heidelbaugh JJ, Lee H. Management of the ingrown toenail. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Feb 15;79(4):303-8.
2.Reyzelman AM, Trombello KA, Vayser DJ, Armstrong DG, Harkless LB. Are antibiotics necessary in the treatment of locally infected ingrown toenails? Arch Fam Med. 2000;9(9):930–932.
Interesting topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Current topic in natural skin care: Ingrown toenails symptoms.

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, January 13

Hypertrichosis symptoms

   ›      ›   Hypertrichosis symptoms.
The primary symptom of hypertrichosis is excessive growth of hair. There are several forms of hypertrichosis with characteristic symptoms. Hypertrichosis may be present at birth or acquired at a later stage of life.
Hypertrichosis may be localized to a few spots or extensively cover a major portion of body. Hypertrichosis may involve one of the three types of hairs, viz., terminal, vellus and lanugo hairs. The symptoms are specific to each form of excessive growth of hair.

Hypertrichosis symptoms

Congenital hypertrichosis (CH) forms are present at birth and are caused due genetic mutations. CH may be hereditary, passed on by the parents. There are instances wherein spontaneous mutation during embryonic growth causes the excessive growth. The parents and family members may be symptom-free.

Congenital hypertrichosis lanuginosa

CH lanuginosa is present at the time of birth. The characteristic symptom is the presence of lanugo hair. The newborn is covered with excessive growth of hair. In normal circumstances, the lanugo is shed by the fetus at about eighth month of pregnancy to be gradually replaced by vellus hair. The persisting lanugo hair may somewhat get thinner as the child grows.

Generalized congenital hypertrichosis

In generalized CH, the affected patient present excessive hair growth all over the body. Only the palms, soles and mucous membranes are spared.
Popular topics:
Congenital hypertrichosis universalis is a type of generalized CH. It is a rare familial disorder. The hairiness increased progressively. The patient's face, trunk and limbs get covered with long hair. In one case the patient's father and paternal grandfather were also noted to have the typical symptoms.

Ambras syndrome

Ambras syndrome is a type of generalized CH. The typical symptom of Ambras syndrome are silky, long, light-colored hair, prominent on face, ears and shoulders. The vellus hair uniformly covers the eyelids, nose, cheeks, ears and shoulder. Only the palms, soles and mucous membranes are spared.

In Congenital hypertrichosis universalis the differentiating symptoms from Ambras syndrome are the presence of dense hair on the nose, preauricular regions, external ears and external auditory canal. In congenital terminal hypertrichosis also, the entire body is covered with hair. The differentiating symptoms are the growth of terminal type of hair as well as the occurrence of gingival hyperplasia. The patients appear like "werewolf".

Circumscribed (localized) congenital hypertrichosis

Circumscribed CH is the characteristic symptoms of congenital melanocytic nevus, congenital Becker nevus, Hypertrichosis cubiti, smooth muscle hamartoma and nevoid hypertrichosis. Congenital melanocytic nevus is found in some newborns. The melanin filled lesions are quite often have thick black terminal hair growth. Becker's nevus is present at birth in some cases and is characterized by an overgrowth of the epidermis, melanocytes and hair follicles.

Congenital smooth muscle hamartoma is due to bundling of smooth muscles within the dermis with associated excessive growth of vellus hair at the lesion. Nevoid Hypertrichosis is a solitary patch of terminal hair. In most cases it is symptom-free. If the patch of excess hair is present in lumbosacral area it has to be diagnosed to rule out faun tail deformity and associated spina bifida occulta and diastematomyelia disorders.

In hairy elbow syndrome, both the elbows of the patient have long vellus hair. The condition may be associated with physical abnormalities such as dysmorphic facial features, microcephaly, joint hyperlaxity and mental retardation. In rare cases patients may have congenital, symmetric patches of vellus hypertrichosis on the palms or soles of the feet. Anterior cervical hypertrichosis is an autosomal recessive or X-linked chromosomal mutation with characteristic symptom of excessive hair growth on the neck.

Acquired hypertrichosis (AH) appears after birth. It is associated with side effects of drugs, porphyria cutanea tarda, cancers and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa). Some of the culprit medications are, iodine, psoralens, acetazolamide, minoxidil, phenytoin and cyclosporin. AH lanuginosa is characterized by rapid growth of lanugo hair. Generalized AH usually affects the cheeks, upper lip, and chin. Oral minoxidil treatments for hypertension is known to cause this condition. One of the symptoms of internal malignancy is the appearance of patterned hypertrichosis.
Advertisements

Related topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Reference:
1.Trüeb RM. Causes and management of hypertrichosis. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(9):617-27.
2.Goel N, Rajaram S, Gupta B, Gupta K. Familial congenital generalized hypertrichosis. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2013;79:849.
Interesting topics in natural skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Current topic: Hypertrichosis symptoms.

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: ,

Saturday, December 13

Herpes zoster symptoms

   ›      ›   Herpes zoster signs and symptoms.
Herpes zoster (shingles) is a contagious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Herpes zoster manifests with typical symptoms.
It is characterized by a group of small inflammatory blisters with neuralgic pain. The primary infection by varicella zoster virus manifests as varicella (smallpox) with the symptoms of widespread vesicular rash and fever.

Though the patient recovers from the chickenpox after 10-15 days, the virus is not completely eliminated from the body. The herpes zoster virus enters the nervous system and lodges itself in the cerebral ganglia or dorsal root ganglia. It attains dormancy, without causing any symptoms, lasting for a few months to several years or even a lifetime.

The varicella zoster virus, due to unknown reasons, reemerges as shingles in some individuals. About 20% of those who had chickenpox in their childhood develop zoster. Zoster blisters erupt unilaterally along the path of innervation by the affected ganglia, affecting one side of the body, most often affecting the torso, neck, arms, and legs.

diagram showing the progression of symptoms of herpes zoster infection
Herpes zoster symptoms
The above diagram shows the stages in the progression of herpes zoster symptoms.
1. Itching and burning sensation followed by inflamed patches of bumps.
2. The bumps turn into blisters.
3. The blisters fill with fluid and burst.
4. healing phase starts and the blisters crust and disappear.
5. Persisting postherpetic neuralgia for a few days to several months.
Zoster with its symptoms can develop in varicella affected children as well as adults.
shingles on neck
herpes zoster infection on neck
However individuals above fifty years of age are more prone for , probably due to their decreasing immunity. With increase in age there may be recurrent episodes. Individuals with weakened immune system, under immunosuppressive medications and newborn are under high risk.

Herpes zoster symptoms

The reactivated virus particles move along the nerve and reach the skin dermatome causing a stripe of blisters and pain. The usual sequence of events and symptom progression in herpes zoster are as follows.
  • Pain, inflammation near the region of affected nerve roots. Some individuals may develop fever.
  • Within a few hours the nerve supplying to the skin from the nerve root gets inflamed with symptoms of pain and burning sensation along its length.
Popular topics:
  • After two or three hours the patch of skin where the bumps and blisters will emerge becomes itchy with slight burning sensation. This area of skin is most likely to be the most affected area during the earlier varicella episode.
  • If the itchy skin is left alone without scratching bumps may appear within two or three hours. If the itchy skin is scratched, bumps will appear immediately.
  • Symptoms like severe burning pain (due to nerve damage) and itching are followed by the bumps turning into blisters.
  • Getting filled up with lymph, the blisters grow, become hard and then burst, spilling the contents.
  • The VZV virus can travel along the nerves and cause similar symptoms in the adjacent area of skin.
  • The burst blisters form crust and the crust may fall off in a week.
  • After the herpes zoster episode the symptoms like neuralgic pain along the nerve and the blister area may continue for sometime.
Advertisements

Related topics in dynamic skin care:
Reference:
1.Zostavax (Herpes Zoster Vaccine) Questions and Answers (FDA)
Interesting topics in dynamic skin care:

1.Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_Course_of_Shingles_diagram.png
Author: FDA | License: public domain.
2.Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Herpes_zoster_neck.png
Author: John Pozniak | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in natural skin care: Herpes zoster symptoms.

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, November 25

Epidermoid cyst causes - Symptoms of epidermoid cyst

   ›      ›   What causes epidermoid cyst - Symptoms of epidermoid cyst.

What is epidermoid cyst?

An epidermoid cyst is a benign, slow-growing intradermal or subcutaneous tumor, appearing as a closed capsule or sac-like structure underneath the skin.
These cysts contain semi solid, cheese-like material. They are usually caused by the trapped epidermal cells and keratin protein below the skin due to damage of skin or hair follicle. Normally they do not cause any symptoms and occur usually on face, trunk, neck, extremities, scrotum and scalp.

Though these lesions are benign and harmless, rare cases of transformation to malignancy have been reported. Basal cell carcinoma, Bowens disease and melanoma in Situ have developed from epidermoid cysts. These harmless lesions do not require treatment. If they cause a serious cosmetic problem to the patient or develop symptoms of inflammation, they can be removed surgically.

The epidermoid cysts are also known as epidermal inclusion cysts. They are sometimes wrongly called as as sebaceous cysts. True sebaceous cysts arise from sebaceous glands which secrete sebum to lubricate and moisturize the skin.
epidermal nodule on the ear lobe
epidermoid cyst
Rather we can consider these sebaceous lesions as a type of epidermal nodules.
Popular topics:
It is noteworthy that epidermal capsules may also appear on body parts devoid of sebaceous glands like lips and buccal mucosa. Milia (milk spots) with symptoms of very small superficial lesions is of exclusive epidermal origin.

What causes epidermoid cyst?

Epidermal nodules may arise due several causes. Basically they are caused by the presence of epidermal cells and their growth in dermal layer of the skin or other organs of the body. This may happen during the embryonic growth or caused by the trapped epidermal cells and keratin protein in the dermal layer of skin due to damage, surgery or piercing of skin . The source of downward incursion of the epidermis into the underlying dermis is mostly infundibulum of the hair follicle.
Popular topics:

Crushing injuries, needle piercing and certain surgical procedures such as skin grafts, rhinoplasty, breast augmentation and liposuction have been found to cause epidermoid cysts. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is found to be a factor in the development of these cysts in palms and soles. In some cases HPV presence has been detected in these lesions from other areas of the body.

Congenital epidermal lesions of the anterior fontanelle, oral region and genital location are presumably caused during embryonic development. Certain familial syndromes like Gardner syndrome pachyonychia congenita and basal cell nevus syndrome are also found associated with these epidermal nodules. Favre-Racouchot syndrome is an offshoot of sun damage in elderly people characterized by symptoms of nodular cutaneous elastosis with cysts and comedones.

Symptoms of epidermoid cyst

These firm round nodules appear flesh-colored or yellowish.
Popular topics:
Normally these lesions do not cause any symptoms. They are more common in men than women. Except for congenital or hereditary lesions, these nodules are found to arise in the middle age or later. Sometimes they may get infected and give rise to symptoms like inflammation and pain. Infected nodules may discharge foul-smelling pus and other contents. In some cases these lesions become inflamed without any infection, showing symptoms like tenderness and pain.

Treatment becomes necessary when when these nodules cause cosmetic problems, get infected, rupture, present in the area for constant friction or painful. Surgical excision of the entire epidermoid cyst including its wall will cure the condition.
Advertisements

Related topics in dynamic skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Reference:
1.Information from your family doctor. Minimal excision technique for removal of an epidermoid cyst. Am Fam Physician. 2002 Apr 1;65(7):1423-4.
2.2.G.Siva Prasad Reddy, N.V.S.Sekhar Reddy, G.V Reddy, Sriharsha K. Gaint Epidermoid Cyst of External Ear– A Rare Case Report. J Clin Diagn Res. Feb 2014; 8(2): 167–168.

Interesting topics in dynamic skin care:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Image source:
1.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Epidermal_Cyst_ear.JPG
Author: JonathanRR | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in natural skin care: Causes and symptoms of epidermoid cyst.

Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
by No comments:
Labels: , , ,

Monday, March 24

What is piebaldism? - Piebaldism treatment

› › Piebaldism causes and symptoms - Piebaldism treatment

What is piebaldism?

Piebaldism is a rare medical condition characterized by a white forelock and hypopigmented patches of skin.
Piebaldism is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder of pigment producing cells (melanocytes). In this congenital disorder skin and hair are involved. Autologous cultured epidermis grafting is the best treatment for piebaldism.

Nearly 90% of the piebaldism affected individuals have white forelocks. Apart from forelocks, eyebrows, eyelashes and the skin beneath the forelock may also lack pigmentation. In some individuals irregularly shaped white patches have been observed on the face, trunk and extremities. These hypopigmentation patches are mostly found to have symmetrical distribution. Some piebaldism affected individuals may not develop white forelocks and in some persons white forelocks are the only signs of piebaldism.

Signs and symptoms of piebaldism

Some of the signs and symptoms are:
  • presence of non pigmented patches of skin at birth
  • hypopigmented patches are non-progressive and do not increase in size or number
  • White forelock
  • unpigmented skin beneath the forelock
  • white eyebrows and eyelashes
  • symmetrical non pigmented patches on the face and body
  • narrow border of hyperpigmented skin surrounding the patches
  • islands of normal or hyperpigmented skin inside the hypopigmented patches

What are the causes of piebaldism?

    • Piebaldism is caused by mutations in the KIT and SNAI2 genes. The mutations may be as deletions, nucleotide splice mutations or insertions. Individuals affected by Waardenburg syndrome may also develop the symptoms of piebaldism. The effects of mutations lead to defective melanoblasts proliferation, decreased survival and defective migration from the neural crest during development.
    KIT gene (v-kit Hardy-Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog)
    The KIT gene is responsible for the synthesis of KIT proteins required for cell signaling. KIT protein signaling is important for cell proliferation, cell migration and development of hematopoietic stem cells, mast cells, interstitial cells of Cajal and reproductive cells.

    KIT protein signaling is also essential for melanocyte development. Mutations in KIT gene lead to nonfunctional KIT protein affecting the proliferation and migration of the precursor cells (melanoblasts) of the melanocytes. The location of mutation within the KIT gene correlates with phenotypic expression in piebaldism. More than 69 KIT gene mutations have been identified.
    SNAI2 gene (snail family zinc finger 2)
  • ?
    • The SNAI2 gene is involved in the production of snail 2 protein. The precursor cells of melanocytes are formed from neural crest cells during embryonic development. The development of neural crest cells and their migration and transformation is signaled by snail 2 protein. The formation melanoblasts and their transformation into melanocytes is probably brought about snail 2 protein. Any mutation in SNAI2 gene may affect the melanocyte formation and cause patches of unpigmented skin and piebaldism.

    Difference between piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome

    • Piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome involve mutations of genes giving rise to white patches of skin and hair. Individuals affected by piebaldism may be perfectly normal. Waardenburg syndrome is a group of genetic disorders causing hearing loss and changes in the pigmentation of hair, skin and eyes.

    A few of the piebaldism affected individuals may have normal hearing. Sometimes the eyes may be differently colored. White patches of skin and hair may be present. Waardenburg syndrome is caused by mutations in EDN3, EDNRB, MITF, PAX3, SNAI2, and SOX10 genes. There are four types of this disorder, and type II Waardenburg syndrome is caused by mutations in the MITF and SNAI2 genes.

    Differences between piebaldism, vitiligo and albinism

    • Vitiligo and piebaldism are characterized by white hypomelanosis patches of skin totally lacking skin pigment. In albinism there is total inability of skin to produce skin melanin.
    • Vitiligo is an acquired medical condition in which depigmented patches arise on normal colored skin. Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease wherein the body's immune mechanism destroys the melanocytes. Piebaldism and albinism are congenital disorders and are present at birth.
    • In albinism hair and skin are completely without skin pigment. In piebaldism, the patches are static and do not increase in size or number. Vitiligo can spreads progressively all over the body.
    • In 80-90% of cases of piebaldism, there is white forelock and triangular hypopigmentation of the skin beneath it. In vitiligo there may facial pigment loss and it may appear on the forelock also. But the typical triangular hypopigmentation is absent.
    • Albinos lack pigment in their eyes and have visual impairment. The nature and degree of their visual impairment may vary significantly. Persons with piebaldism or vitiligo usually have normal vision.

    Piebaldism treatment and management

    The unpigmented skin is unresponsive to medical treatment and light therapy. Long exposure to sunlight or UV light may cause inflammation, sunburn or cutaneous malignancy. Piebaldism affected persons are advised to use sun protective measures. If the patches are small, cosmetic camouflage makeup may be applied.

    Piebaldism treatments include dermabrasion and split-skin grafting. The split-skin grafting treatment followed by minigrafting treatment gives appreciable results. Autologous cultured epidermis graft treatment has been found to induce permanent repigmentation of large achromic lesions. In this non-invasive surgical treatment nearly 95% repigmentation is achieved. Before the treatment the non pigmented epidermis is removed with erbium:YAG laser.
    Advertisements

    Related topics in the natural skin care:
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Interesting topics in the natural skin care:
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .

    Reference:
    Genetics Home Reference, National Institutes of Health
    1.http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/piebaldism
    2.http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/SNAI2
    3.http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/KIT
    4.Piebaldism treatment: Guerra, L., Primavera, G., Raskovic, D., Pellegrini, G., Golisano, O., Bondanza, S., Kuhn, S., Piazza, P., Luci, A., Atzori, F. and De Luca, M. (2004), Permanent repigmentation of piebaldism by erbium:YAG laser and autologous cultured epidermis. British Journal of Dermatology, 150: 715–721.

    Current topic on natural skin care:
    Piebaldism causes, symptoms and treatment.

    Get glowing skin complexion. Remove acne scars and blemishes from face.
    by No comments:
    Labels: , , ,
    Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
    Disclaimer: This blog is for information only. Consult medical expert for treatment of diseases.