Erol Koc

By Erol Koc and Asli Gunaydin Tatliparmak

Acne is a common skin disease that affects pilosebaceous unit, and it is characterized as comedones, inflammatory papules, pustules and occasionally nodulocystic lesions. Acne scar lesions have adverse effects on psychosocial life despite the latest treatment options.

Part of the book: Acne and Acneiform Eruptions

By Erol Koç, Berna Aksoy and Aslı Tatlıparmak

Urticarial vasculitis (UV) is a small vessel vasculitis and an immune-complex mediated disease like other leukocytoclastic vasculitis. UV seems similar to common urticaria clinically. Major difference between urticarial vasculitis and urticaria is the duration of lesions. Urticarial lesions regress in 24 hours, but UV lesions persist longer than 24 hours. Residual hyperpigmentation, constitutional symptoms like fever, arthralgia, and abdominal pain are other main clinical differences between these disorders. Upon confirmation of diagnosis, patients are divided into two major categories on the basis of serum complement levels: normocomplementemic UV (NUV) and hypocomplementemic UV (HUV). Consensus meeting in 1996 stated that long lasting (at least 24 hour–5 days) indurated wheals, which may be itchy, painful or tender, be associated with purpura and presence of associated extracutaneous findings, and cutaneous vasculitis confirmed by histopathological examination are defined as UV.

Part of the book: Urticaria and Angioedema

By Gökçe Işıl Kurmuş and Erol Koç

Behçet’s disease (BD) is a rare, chronic, multisystemic, vasculitic disease of unknown etiology. BD is characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers and ocular inflammation. This systemic vasculitis may also involve the joints, skin, vascular, gastrointestinal, urogenital, and central nervous system and is associated with hypercoagulability. Disease onset is commonly around the third decade of life and has a higher prevalence along the ancient “silk route.” Because the disease is often diagnosed in women of childbearing age, disease activity during pregnancy and any adverse effect on obstetric and neonatal outcomes deserve special attention. Previous retrospective studies have demonstrated that BD activity usually regresses in pregnancy because of the immunomodulatory effects of both estrogen and progesterone. Furthermore, previous reports from different countries indicate that the disease course of BD during pregnancy may vary from patient to patient and even during different pregnancies in the same woman. In this chapter, we emphasize the course of the BD and pregnancy outcomes.

Part of the book: Different Aspects of Behçet's Disease