TY - JOUR
T1 - Localized erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp at the site of a cochlear implant
T2 - Successful treatment with topical tacrolimus
AU - Marzano, A. V.
AU - Ghislanzoni, M.
AU - Zaghis, A.
AU - Spinelli, D.
AU - Crosti, C.
PY - 2009/7
Y1 - 2009/7
N2 - Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is a rare form of nonmicrobial pustulosis mainly occurring in elderly patients with long-term sun damage to the skin. Clinically, it is characterized by pustular lesions that progressively merge into erosive and crusted areas over the scalp. The histology of EPDS is nonspecific, and its pathophysiology remains undetermined, with various types of local trauma possibly acting as the triggering factor. We describe a 24-year-old woman who developed EPDS after cochlear implant surgery for profound sensorineural hearing loss. We speculate that either the cutaneous surgery during cochlear implantation or the skin inflammation that commonly occurs near the magnet might have triggered the disorder. It is of note that the patient's skin lesions healed completely after treatment with topical tacrolimus, a relatively novel immunosuppressive molecule. Thus, topical tacrolimus may be indicated as a therapeutic alternative to the widely used steroids for this disease, mainly to avoid steroid-related cutaneous atrophy.
AB - Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is a rare form of nonmicrobial pustulosis mainly occurring in elderly patients with long-term sun damage to the skin. Clinically, it is characterized by pustular lesions that progressively merge into erosive and crusted areas over the scalp. The histology of EPDS is nonspecific, and its pathophysiology remains undetermined, with various types of local trauma possibly acting as the triggering factor. We describe a 24-year-old woman who developed EPDS after cochlear implant surgery for profound sensorineural hearing loss. We speculate that either the cutaneous surgery during cochlear implantation or the skin inflammation that commonly occurs near the magnet might have triggered the disorder. It is of note that the patient's skin lesions healed completely after treatment with topical tacrolimus, a relatively novel immunosuppressive molecule. Thus, topical tacrolimus may be indicated as a therapeutic alternative to the widely used steroids for this disease, mainly to avoid steroid-related cutaneous atrophy.
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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2008.03054.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2230.2008.03054.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 19094119
AN - SCOPUS:66449127893
VL - 34
JO - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
JF - Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
SN - 0307-6938
IS - 5
ER -