Articles: rosacea.
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The hair follicle mites Demodex folliculorum and Demodex brevis and their role in the pathogenesis of rosacea have been the subject of much debate in the past. We studied the prevalence of Demodex mites in facial skin biopsies obtained from 80 patients with rosacea, 40 with facial eczematous eruption and 40 with lupus erythematosus discoides. The mite prevalence in the rosacea group (51%) was significantly higher than in the rest of the study population (eczema 28% and lupus discoides 31%). ⋯ We did not find any significant difference in mite counts of infested follicles between rosacea and the control group. A lympho-histiocytic cell infiltration was seen around the infested hair follicles. Our results suggest that Demodex mites may play a role in the inflammatory reaction in acne rosacea.
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Demodex folliculorum has been reported in rosacea in a number of clinical studies. As the Demodex mite is also present in many healthy individuals, it has been suggested that the mite may have a pathogenic role only when it is present in high densities. Moreover, some authors have proposed that a mite density above 5/cm2 may be a criterion for the diagnosis of inflammatory rosacea. In this study, the possible role of D. folliculorum and the importance of mite density in rosacea were investigated using a skin surface biopsy technique. ⋯ Rosacea is a disease of multifactorial origin, and individual properties may modify the severity of the inflammatory response to Demodex. We suggest that a certain mite density is not an appropriate criterion in the diagnosis of the disease; nevertheless, large numbers of D. folliculorum may have an important role in the pathogenesis of rosacea, together with other triggering factors.
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Biography Historical Article
[Ghirlandajo's painting "Grandfather and Grandchild" from the viewpoint of the dermatologist].
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Biography Historical Article
Rhinophyma. A master's depiction, a patron's affliction.