2/
Onychomycosis is more common in adults than kids.
Trauma, diabetes, immunosuppression, tinea pedis, psoriasis, and family history are some risk factors
Pro tip- check the feet for tinea pedis if you suspect onychomycosis!
5/
Fungus can cause melanonychia (black nail color), which may mimic nail melanoma
Tip: Brown color caused by fungus is often wider at the tip and skinnier as it spreads up the nail.
When in doubt…refer to a specialist to obtain a nail biopsy!
6/
Not all nail thickening is fungus! This is why it’s important to confirm diagnosis before treating.
Mimickers can include psoriasis (top) or just trauma to the nail (bottom)!
7/ Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (A) is the most common subtype
Proximal subungual onychomycosis (B) may be associated with immunosuppression and warrants an HIV test.
Check out our previous post on nail findings in systemic diseases to learn more!
8/ Onychomycosis can be caused by dermatophytes (60-70%), non-dermatophyte molds (like Aspergillus pictured!) (20%), and yeasts including Candida (10-20%) @microbioSoc @microbetweets
9/ Not all organisms will respond to the same antifungals so taking a culture or doing PCR is IMPORTANT!
Microscopic examination with KOH can be performed quickly in the office setting…but doesn’t tell you what type or if it’s alive
10/ To take a fungal culture…
1.) Clean nail with both 70% isopropyl alcohol and soap and water to remove colonizing organisms
2.) Clip nail and scrape debris from under the nail for culture (debris is where the money is!)
11/ You got the diagnosis! Yay! Now what?
Antifungal pills can be most effective. Alternatively, there are rx topicals or alternative tx – tea tree oil and Vick’s Vaporub around the nails have decent data!
12/ Once confirmed…terbinafine is the first-line therapy for dermatophyte infections and azoles work for NDMs and yeasts.
What laboratory test should be obtained prior to starting terbinafine?
13/ Some say LFTs should be obtained at baseline to identify patients with liver disease, but LFT monitoring while on terbinafine therapy has fallen out of favor
👀👇 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamad…
Counsel pts to watch for symptoms of liver disease such as pruritus, abd pain, jaundice
Hi #medtwitter and #dermtwitter! Since I'm giving a talk at the upcoming @SocietyHospMed Converge meeting, I thought I'd put together a brief #tweetorial on:
DIFFERENTIATING PEMPHIGUS AND PEMPHIGOID!
Follow along for a reminder on how to tell them apart! 1/
Reminder that Pemphigus is from an antibody targeting the Desmosome - which holds skin cells (keratinocytes) together.
Pemphigoid is from an antibody targeting the Hemidesmosome, which holds keratinocytes to the basement membrane.
pc: 2/ bookdown.org/jcog196013/BS2…
So to remember:
pemphiguS (S for Superficial/higher up)
pemphigoiD (D for Deep/lower down)
This also means the clinical exam is different. Since Pemphigoid is deeper, these bullae stand tall and proud and don't droop over (see pic)! We call these TENSE bullae. 3/
If everyone could just humor me for a little, here's a #dermtwitter/#medtwitter/#pharmtwitter #tweetorial on...
AZATHIOPRINE
Did you know that dermatologists use this medication too? Read on to see all the ins and outs of safety and dosing, from a #dermatology point of view! 1/
Did you notice those two rings above? That's how it works.
Azathioprine is a purine (see figure) analogue, so it gets in the way of RNA/DNA synthesis (making transcription and replication and all that downstream goodness more difficult). 2/
And as you might imagine, cells that are rapidly dividing (like your immune cells) would be affected more by this purine disruption.
But it's not azathioprine itself that does all the work. It has to be broken down into active metabolites and that's where it gets interesting. 3/
The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is the most common cause. It is transmitted via tick bite, and so, certain areas of the country have higher rates based on endemicity of the organism.
What tick classically transmits lyme?
2/
Ixodes tick is the classic vector for B burgdorferi. But remember:
The tick usually has to be attached to the patient for >36 hours to transmit and cause Lyme disease.
Can you identify all these types of ticks and pick out which one is Ixodes?
We're seeing more consult questions for this, and it's also garnering national attention, so let's take a brief moment in #tweetorial format to talk about:
What is Xylazine? It was created in the 70s as a veterinary anesthetic. As an analog of clonidine, it has similar effects as an alpha-2 agonist, leading to sedation, anesthesia, and euphoria in the CNS. 2/
Recently, Xylazine has entered the drug supply, moreso in certain cities, but increasingly everywhere. It is often mixed with fentanyl as a cutting agent, and can also be used on its own. It may be called Tranq, Zombie Drug, or anestesia de caballo (horse anesthetic).
3/
Let's go back to the basics. Syphilis is from an infection by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Usually spread by sexual means, syphilis has three main stages of disease.
Primary infection usually presents as a papule that turns into a painless ulcer called a chancre. 2/
Time from inoculation to chancre usually is 10-90 days (21 days is most typical).
There is a rare variant where the patient can get many smaller ulcerations, which is called Follman balanitis. 3/
Let’s spend some time in this #tweetorial on the dermatologic manifestations of this potentially paraneoplastic disease!
First, a question: What is necessary to make a diagnosis of DM?
1/
None of the above! DM is a clinical diagnosis, which is why getting the exam right is super important! That said a biopsy CAN help with getting to a diagnosis, but it’s not necessary.
So let’s start! Heliotrope rash! This poikilodermatous erythema occurs around the eyes. 2/
Remember though that exams are different across skin tone. Heliotrope can look a lot more subtle in someone with more melanated skin. That rash can also include the rest of the face! 3/