Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: Acne Vulgaris - Comedonal Acne.

Description Acne vulgaris is a common inflammatory skin condition of the pilosebaceous unit in adolescents and young adults and is primarily characterized by the presence of open and closed comedones. In patients of various skin pigmentations, skin-colored comedones may be difficult to appreciate and lead to incorrect or delayed diagnosis of acne. To aid in the identification of acne vulgaris in patients of various skin pigmentations, we present comedonal acne in different skin types and commonly encountered differential diagnoses. With its significant volume and burden of disease, acne vulgaris should be correctly identified in various skin pigmentations by primary care clinicians for the initiation of appropriate management.

Effectiveness of an intervention to overcome influenza vaccine hesitancy in specialty clinic patients.

BACKGROUND: Individuals on immunosuppressive therapies experience greater morbidity and mortality due to vaccine-preventable illnesses, but there are low rates of adherence to immunization guidelines within this population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of clinician-led education, patient-centered dialogue, and immediately available immunization on influenza vaccination uptake in patients taking immunosuppressive therapies. METHOD: We used a controlled before-and-after quasi-experimental design to evaluate our quality improvement intervention occurring from September 2019 to March 2020, with follow-up through July 2020. The study included 2 dermatology practices wherein nursing staff offered influenza vaccination during patient rooming (standard care). Within each practice, clinicians either implemented the intervention or provided only standard care. Patients received the intervention or standard care depending on the clinician they visited. Patients seen at the 2 clinics during the intervention period were included in analyses if they were taking or newly prescribed immunosuppressant medication at the time of their visit. We examined influenza immunization status for 3 flu seasons: 2017-2018 (preintervention), 2018-2019 (preintervention), and 2019-2020 (intervention). INTERVENTION: Immunosuppressed patients initially declining an influenza vaccine were provided dermatologist-led education on the benefits of immunization. Dermatologists explored and addressed individual patients' immunization concerns. Influenza vaccination was then offered immediately postdialogue. RESULTS: Analyses included 201 dermatology patients who were prescribed or currently taking immunosuppressive medication (intervention group [72.6%], comparison group [27.4%]). During the intervention period, 91.1% of the intervention group received influenza vaccination compared to 56.4% of the comparison group. Vaccination trends from 2018-2019 (preintervention) to 2019-2020 (intervention) differed significantly between groups (χ2 = 22.92, P < .001), with greater improvement in the intervention group. In 2019-2020, influenza vaccination was more likely in the intervention group relative to the comparison group (odds ratio: 16.22, 95% confidence interval: 5.55-47.38). In the subset of patients that had never received an influenza vaccine, influenza immunization in 2019-2020 was more common in the intervention group (75.8%, 25/33) relative to the comparison group (13.3%, 2/15, P < .001). CONCLUSION: The intervention successfully addressed vaccine hesitancy and improved influenza immunization rates in an immunosuppressed population receiving care from a specialty clinic. Implementing a similar model across specialty clinics may improve vaccination rates for influenza, coronavirus disease 2019, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses in other populations.

Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: Inverse Psoriasis.

Description Inverse psoriasis is a clinical variant of psoriasis involving flexural or intertriginous areas of the body. Inverse psoriasis may be present in 3 to 36% of psoriasis patients. Lesions are clinically characterized as smooth, well-demarcated, erythematous plaques (raised, >1 cm) without the typical silvery scales of classic psoriasis. Differential diagnosis includes tinea infection, candidiasis, seborrheic dermatitis, or bacterial streptococcal infection. The clinical images in this review focus on identifying inverse psoriasis along the full spectrum of skin tones.

Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: Cutaneous Abscesses.

Description Cutaneous abscesses are collections of pus resulting from skin and soft tissue bacterial infections. They clinically exhibit the four cardinal inflammatory signs of pain, warmth, swelling, and erythema. In patients with darkly pigmented skin, classically-associated erythema may be challenging to appreciate and can lead to missed or delayed diagnosis. We compare abscess presentations in different skin types. Recognition of varying presentations of cutaneous abscesses in diverse skin colors will help clinicians utilize additional clues to identify and diagnose this entity correctly.

Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: Plaque Psoriasis.

Description Recent studies estimate that more than 8 million Americans have psoriasis. The prevalence of psoriasis in African Americans is 1.5% compared to 3.6% of Caucasians. Psoriasis is likely to be underdiagnosed among African Americans and other individuals with darker pigmented skin due to variations in clinical presentation in addition to disease distribution and severity. We present images of psoriasis vulgaris in a variety of Fitzpatrick skin types. Differences in the biology of skin pigmentation may explain the clinical masking of erythema in darker-skinned individuals. Recognition of this important difference will help clinicians utilize additional clues to identify and diagnose this entity correctly.

Pleomorphic Dermal Sarcoma: A Clinical and Histopathologic Emulator of Atypical Fibroxanthoma, but Different Biologic Behavior.

Description Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma (PDS) can clinically and histopathologically mimic atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX). However, it has a more aggressive clinical course with a higher recurrence rate and metastatic potential. This case presentation aims to report a rapidly-growing, exophytic, 4 cm tumor following a non-diagnostic shave biopsy 2 months prior and to highlight distinctive features between PDS and AFX needed to make the correct diagnosis. Like AFX, PDS occurs on the sun-damaged skin of the elderly, usually on the head and neck. Also, like AFX, PDS histopathologically consists of sheets or fascicles of epithelioid and/or spindle-shaped cells, often with multinucleation, pleomorphism, and numerous mitotic figures. Immunohistochemistry cannot distinguish PDS from AFX but is used to exclude other malignancies. PDS can be distinguished from AFX by size (PDS is usually >2.0 cm) and by the presence of more aggressive histopathologic features, such as subcutaneous involvement, perineural and/or lymphovascular invasion, and necrosis. PDS is a rare entity not well documented in the literature with confusing, misleading, and changing nomenclature. PDS is a diagnosis of exclusion made after complete excision of the tumor with the aid of histopathology and immunohistochemistry.

Congenital Giant Juvenile Xanthogranuloma, Let It Be.

Description Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a rare type of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. JXGs are benign and have a self-limiting course generally lasting 6 months to 3 years, with some reported durations longer than 6 years. We present a rarer congenital giant variant, defined as lesions with a diameter larger than 2 cm. It is uncertain if the natural history of giant xanthogranulomas is similar to the usual JXG. We followed a 5-month-old patient with a 3.5 cm in diameter, histopathologically-confirmed, congenital, giant JXG located on the right side of her upper back. The patient was seen every 6 months for 2.5 years. At 1 year of age, the lesion had decreased in size, lightened in color, and was less firm. At 1.5 years old, the lesion had flattened. By 3 years old, the lesion had resolved but left a hyperpigmented patch with a scar at the punch biopsy site. Our case represents a congenital giant JXG that was biopsied to confirm the diagnosis and then monitored until resolution. This case supports the clinical course of giant JXG not being affected by the larger lesion size and that aggressive treatments or procedures are not warranted.