[Allergic contact dermatitis to temporary henna tattoos]. / Dermatitis de contacto alérgica a tatuajes temporales de henna.

INTRODUCTION: In the last years there have been increasing reports of adverse cutaneous reactions to temporary black henna tattoos. Black henna does not exist naturally, it is obtained from original henna after the addition of other compounds, among them paraphenylenediamine (PPD), that darken it and facilitate the process of tattoing. Paraphenylenediamine is an aromatic compound that presents cross reactions with other components that have a benzene ring in their molecular structure. Many of these products may be present in the daily life of any person. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed patients that have shown erythema, inflammation and/or vesiculation in a previously tattooed area. The patients have undergone a temporary tattoo in street stalls during the summer period (2004-2005). A total of five patients were included, there were four men and one woman with a mean age of 13 years (3-34) and a mean latency period of 9.4 days (5-14). Black ink and plastic stencils were used to perform the tattoo. None of the patients has had previous contact with hair dyes or tattoos and none of them referred a personal history of atopic dermatitis. Patch testing was carried out using the standard set of the Spanish Group for Research in Contact Dermatitis [GEIDC] (TRUE TEST, Pharmacia. Hillerod. Denmark), with readings at 48 and 96 hours. RESULTS: Sensitization to PPD is confirmed in three patients, one of them was also sensitized to formaldehyde. Hypopigmented scars persist in three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Black henna pseudotattoos are a source of sensitization to PPD with potential severe consequences in a medium to long term. Currently there is no specific legislation with respect to the practice of this type of tattoos in our country.

[Facial mutilant basosquamous carcinoma]. / Carcinoma basoescamoso mutilante en región facial.

Basosquamous carcinoma is a rare epithelial malignant neoplasm with clinical and biological features of both basal and squamous cell carcinoma. This neoplasm has been characterized for years as a variant of basal cell carcinoma, although now it is widely accepted as a clinical entity. We report a 59-year-old male patient, homeless, who presented an ulcerated tumoral lesion from four years ago, located in left malar region, orbit and nasal pyramid. It caused an important destruction of these anatomic structures and spred out the skull base through optic nerve. The most important features of basosquamous carcinoma are its great local aggressiveness, high frequency of recurrences and its metastatic potential. Because of that, the most effective therapeutic measure is the early detection and complete removement of these tumours; although, as the case we report, it is not always possible.

Infantile cutaneous rhabdomyosarcoma (Li-Fraumeni syndrome): cytological presentation of fine-needle aspirate biopsy, report of a case.

We describe the cytopathological picture of a cutaneous rhabdomyosarcoma located in the left nasal furrow of a 4-mo-old girl, some of whose close relatives have died or suffered from different types of neoplasias (Li-Fraumeni syndrome). We believe that the cytological picture is highly characteristic and rules out other round cell tumours of childhood. We underline the usefulness of FNAC in dermatology and strongly advocate the introduction of this technique into the diagnostic armoury of every dermatologist.

[Oropharyngeal pemphigus vulgaris]. / Penfigo vulgar orofaringeo.

Etiologic and pathogenic as well the Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease, being its symptomatology polysystemic. Accordingly, under the diagnostic viewpoint, must be considered as a multidisciplinary illness. Either the evolutive course, the differential diagnosis or the treatment emphasizes the importance of the attendance of these patients ambulatory or hospitalized. An exclusively ENT case of pemphigus vulgaris seen by the AA. compelled them to a perusal of the bibliography of the subject, in order to update the problems of diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Fine needle aspiration cytology of cutaneous vascular tumours.

We have studied 12 cutaneous vascular tumours by means of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC): six capillary haemangiomas, one cavernous haemangioma, one Masson's pseudo-angiosarcoma, two angiosarcomas, one benign haemangioendothelioma and one glomus tumour. We describe the main cytopathological findings and we discuss the differential diagnosis in each case. We consider that the cytopathological findings of the above lesions, evaluated in the context of the clinical findings, are sufficiently characteristic for us to be able to make a definitive diagnosis. We believe that FNAC can play an important part in the diagnosis and therapeutic planning of these tumours.

Diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis by fine needle aspiration cytology. Report of a case.

A case of cutaneous leishmaniasis diagnosed by means of fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is presented. The pathognomonic cytopathologic picture consisted of lymphocytes, plasma cells and epithelioid granulomas intermingled with histiocytes. Numerous Leishmania organisms were observed within the histiocytes and extracellularly. This case emphasizes the utility of FNA cytology in diagnosing lesions of the skin.

Melanocytic carcinogenesis in albino guinea pigs.

We describe an experimental model for the induction of cutaneous melanomas in albino guinea pigs by means of repeated topical application of 7,12-dimethyl-benzanthracene over 13 consecutive months. At the end of the experiment 87.5% of the animals presented multiple lesions of a melanocytic nature. The most frequent and the earliest detected was melanocytic hyperplasia, followed by dysplasia. These lesions occurred in 75% of animals and were observed from the 4th month onward. Nevus-type lesions appeared from the 12th month and affected 70% of animals, whilst melanomas occurred in 65%. Metastases were observed in 45% of animals, in lungs, lymph nodes, kidney, and adrenal gland.

[Molluscum contagiosum. Clinicopathologic and ultrastructural study]. / Molluscum contagiosum. Estudio clinicopatológico y ultraestructural.

26 usually multiple Molluscum contagiosum (MC) lesions corresponding to 14 patients (x age, 12 years old) mainly located in face and body, and unfrequently in genital area, were studied. Under light microscopy, we emphasize the presence of molluscum bodies corresponding ultrastructurally to large bodies of viral particles within a protein matrix. Intranuclear inclusions of suspected viral origin were noted too. Lesions previously embedded in paraffin showed a perfect preservation of their viral particles.

[Dermatophytoses in the Murcia region. Changes in the frequency of isolations in the last 22 years]. / Estudio de las dermatofitosis en la región de Murcia. Cambios en la frecuencia de los aislamientos en los últimos veintidós años.

Different clinical forms of dermatophyte infections were studied in 136 patients, T. mentagrophytes being the most frequently isolated species. Our results are similar to those of other authors of South-Eastern Spain, though differing from those in more distant, parts of the country. In our area, the rabbit is considered the most important dermatophytic animal reservoir.