Dermoscopy for the pediatric dermatologist part I: dermoscopy of pediatric infectious and inflammatory skin lesions and hair disorders.

The dermoscope allows physicians to examine the macroscopic and microscopic primary morphology of skin lesions, identify subtle clinical clues, confirm naked-eye clinical diagnoses, and monitor treatment progress while posing little threat to the young patient. This review summarizes important dermoscopic structures seen in infectious and inflammatory skin conditions and hair disorders in children. Scabies, pediculosis, phthiriasis, molluscum contagiosum, tinea nigra, and verrucae are well characterized dermoscopically by delta-shaped structures, ovoid-shaped nits, the crab louse, red corona, brown strands or spicules, and multiple densely packed papilla with a central black dot surrounded by a whitish halo, respectively. These dermoscopic structures will be discussed, focusing on the dermoscopic morphologies and dermoscopic sensitivity for diagnosis and its utility in monitoring treatment progress. Dermoscopy has also been shown to significantly improve the clinician's diagnostic and monitoring accuracy of inflammatory skin lesions such as psoriasis, which is characterized dermoscopically by uniformly distributed dotted blood vessels, and lichen planus, which is characterized by whitish lines on a purple to reddish background. Dermoscopy of the hair and scalp (trichoscopy) facilitates the differential diagnosis of hair diseases in children, including alopecia areata, trichotillomania, and tinea capitis. It can also assist in the diagnosis of multiple genetic hair shaft disorders, such as monilethrix, trichorrhexis invaginata, trichorrhexis nodosa, pili torti, and pili annulati.

Dermoscopic features of basal cell carcinomas: differences in appearance under non-polarized and polarized light.

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) can be diagnosed using different dermoscopic modalities. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dermoscopic features of BCCs using nonpolarized and polarized dermoscopy to highlight similarities and differences between dermoscopic modalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 149 BCCs under nonpolarized dermoscopy (NPD), polarized contact dermoscopy (PCD), and polarized noncontact dermoscopy (PNCD). Images were evaluated for a range of dermoscopic colors, structures, and vessels. Features were compared according to histopathologic subtype. RESULTS: The most common dermoscopic structures in BCCs across all modalities included globules (50.3-51.0%), dots (49.7-50.3%), white structureless areas (63.1-74.5%), structureless gray-brown areas (24.2-24.8%), and ulcerations (28.2%). The most frequently observed vasculature included arborizing vessels (18.8-38.3%), short fine telangiectasias (SFTs) (73.8-82.6%), and vascular blush (41.6-83.2%). Structures with higher levels of agreement across modalities included pigmented structures and ulcerations. Lower levels of agreement existed between contact and noncontact modalities for certain vascular features. White shiny structures, which include shiny white lines (chrysalis and crystalline structures) (0-69.1%), shiny white areas (0-25.5%), and rosettes (0-11.4%), exhibited no agreement between NPD and polarized modalities. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights differences in dermoscopic features of BCCs under three dermoscopic modalities. Shiny white lines (chrysalis and crystalline structures) and shiny white areas may be used as additional criteria to diagnose BCCs.

Development of pyoderma gangrenosum during therapy with infliximab.

BACKGROUND: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare inflammatory disease of unknown etiology and a poorly understood pathogenesis. Its clinical presentation is variable and a large percentage of cases are associated with inflammatory bowel diseases. Peristomal pyoderma gangrenosum represents a variant of the diseases, occurring in patients with colostomy. Multiple cases demonstrate efficacy of infliximab and other anti-TNF-alpha drugs in treatment of pyoderma gangrenosum. MAIN OBSERVATIONS: A 47-year-old male with ulcerative colitis and proctocolectomy with ileal pouch reconstruction protected by ileostomy in the course of diseases received infliximab therapy together with azathioprine for his inflammatory bowel diseases. Six months after initiation of infliximab therapy the patient developed multiple pyoderma gangrenosum lesions on the trunk, abdomen, genitalia, gluteus, extremities, left preauricular region and peristomal area. After systemic corticosteroid therapy, combined with topical tacrolimus, the lesions slowly improved. Seven months later, during ongoing infliximab therapy, the patient developed a sepsis with fatal outcome. CONCLUSION: Constant trauma generated by colostomy may be a contributing factor to the development and persistence of pyoderma gangrenosum. It may be hypothesized that this patient developed pyoderma gangrenosum despite infliximab or that pyoderma gangrenosum may represent a rare adverse effect of the drug.