[Cancers of the oral and genital mucosa]. / Cancers des muqueuses orales et génitales.

Squamous cell carcinomas account for over 90 % of cancers of the oral cavity in France. Alcohol and tobacco are the main risk factors. Delay in diagnosis is unfortunately frequent. The management of the cancer is based on surgery, possibly associated to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The survival rate at 5 years does not exceed 30-40%. We hope to see a decrease in the number of oral cancer thanks to the development of preventive medicine (alcohol and tobacco cessation and early detection of potentially malignant lesions). Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma is a rare disease which traditionally affect elderly woman but continues to rise in incidence especially in younger women. There are at least 2 forms of genital squamous cell carcinoma. The most common form is found on older women arising in a background of lichen sclerosus and the second is associated with "high risk" human papillomavirus infection affecting younger women. A biopsy is usually required for diagnosis. Attempts to reduce genital cancer must focus on treating precursor lesions, namely lichen sclerosus and HPV-related intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN and PIN). Most genital cancer occur on undiagnosed or untreated lichens sclerosus, vulvar inspection when women attend for their cervical smears or seeking about significance of any chronic genital symptom by a clinical examination.

Comparative study of stress and quality of life in outpatients consulting for different dermatoses in 5 academic departments of dermatology.

In this study, perceived stress and quality of life were measured with PCV-Metra and SF-12 scales in outpatients consulting for different dermatoses in 5 academic dermatology departments for 5 consecutive days. 658 patients were enrolled in the study. Perceived stress was higher in women and the mental component of their quality of life was more altered. Perceived stress was higher in Paris than in other areas and was respectively 11.4, 10.4, 9.2 and 8.9 for psoriasis, acne, atopic dermatitis and pigmented tumours. Perceived stress was correlated to mental quality of life. Stress was more elevated in people with inflammatory dermatoses than in those with tumours. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative study of both stress and quality of life levels in different dermatoses. Stress levels were lower in people with pigmented tumours, suggesting that they can be used as controls in comparative studies because they can be considered as healthy subjects. On the contrary, patients with psoriasis had a very high level of perceived stress and a deeply altered quality of life.

Accuracy of standard dermoscopy for diagnosing scabies.

BACKGROUND: Scabies is a contagious skin infestation caused by the human mite Sarcoptes scabiei. The usual reference method for definitive diagnosis is ex vivo identification of the mite with microscopic examination of skin scrapings. We compared diagnostic accuracy of in vivo dermoscopic (DS) mite identification using a pocket handheld low-magnification DS with the reference method. METHODS: We conducted a prospective, nonrandomized, evaluator-blinded, noninferiority study to compare sensitivities (main outcome) and other diagnostic properties of DS and microscopic examination of skin scrapings. Among 756 patients with a presumptive diagnosis of scabies consulting in one center, 238 were sequentially submitted to the two diagnostic procedures. Three dermoscopists (one expert, two inexperienced) were involved. Diagnostic strategies using clinical skills only, DS results, and a combination of both were compared. RESULTS: Sensitivities were 91% (95% confidence interval: 86-96) for DS and 90% (95% confidence interval: 85-96) for microscopic examination of skin scrapings (P = .005 for noninferiority). Specificities were 86% (95% confidence interval: 80-92) for DS and 100% (by definition) for microscopic examination of skin scrapings. DS sensitivities were similar for the expert and inexperienced dermoscopists, whereas differences were observed in specificities. However, diagnostic accuracy of inexperienced dermoscopists steadily increased during the study. Compared with clinical-based, DS-based treatment decision rule minimized the number of false-positive and false-negative findings, whereas a treatment decision rule based on combination of clinical presumption and DS result drastically reduced the number of patients with scabies left untreated. LIMITATIONS: There is no definitive standard for ruling out the diagnosis of scabies. CONCLUSIONS: Standard DS with a handheld DS is a useful tool for diagnosing scabies, with high sensitivity, even in inexperienced hands. It greatly enhances clinical skills for making treatment decisions.