A to Z Category Archives:

What is it? Also known as … Spider Veins, Angioectasias, Broken Blood Vessels or Capillaries What are telangiectases? Telangiectases are superficial blood vessels, which are visible with the naked eye. The majority can be improved with laser treatment or sclerotherapy. Nasal telangiectases treated with pulse dye laser – images reproduced with permission of Dr Davin […]

Also known as … Viral Exanthems: Roseola, Sixth Disease, Roseola Infantum or Exanthema Subitum. Roseola is a viral disease that commonly affects infants and toddlers. More

Also known as … Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis, Lewandowsky-Lutz syndrome, Lewandowsky-Lutz dysplasia. Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare inherited skin condition that predisposes a person to infections caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).   Download pdf

Also known as … Acute Generalised Exanthematous Pustulosis, Pustular Eruption. Acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare skin condition triggered predominantly by medications (incidence 3 to 5:1,000,000 per year), mainly in adults. AGEP is rarely fatal.  For more Information

What is thalidomide? Thalidomide is notoriously well-known for its severe birth defects and associated temporary market withdrawal in 1961. However, its medical benefits in treating multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer) have brought it back to the market in 1998. How exactly thalidomide works is unknown. It may work on the part of your […]

What is it? The term tinea generally refers to fungal infection of the skin and its appendages. Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails. It is more common in adults and accounts for 50-60% of abnormal looking nails. Onychomyosis often results from untreated or unrecognised tinea pedis (fungal infection of the feet). What causes […]

Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) What is TSC? TSC is a genetic disorder that can affect multiple organs including the skin, brain, kidneys, heart and lungs. The incidence is reported to be between 1 in 5800 and 1 in 10000. What causes TSC? TSC is caused by a mutation in either the TSC1 gene on chromosome […]

Topical Steroids 1. What are they used for? Many skin conditions can be treated with topical steroids which act by reducing inflammation. As topical steroids are applied directly to affected areas of skin, the risk of internal side effects is minimised.  Topical steroids can be used for skin conditions such as: Eczema (also known as […]

Telogen effluvium What is telogen effluvium? On the normal scalp about 95% of the hairs are in the growth phase (anagen), a few follicles are moving from growth to resting phase (catagen) and 5% are in the resting phase (telogen). The growing hairs all have a growth cycle that is independent of the others on […]