Kava-induced dermatitis: A detailed histopathological analysis.

Kava induced dermatitis has been reported in previous case series, however the histology has rarely been described. This case report details an erythematous eruption associated with Kava ingestion and the associated folliculocentric sebaceous inflammation found on histological analysis.

Bullous pemphigoid in adolescence, a rare demographic.

Bullous pemphigoid is rarely seen in adolescence, and its presentation, clinical course, and treatment can differ to that found in other age groups. We present a case of bullous pemphigoid in a 16-year-old with features of koebnerisation and oral mucosal involvement and provide a brief review of paediatric bullous pemphigoid.

A case of mosaic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a group of inherited connective tissue disorders. The clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and usually generalised. We present a case of mosaic EDS, an extremely rare variant. Our patient presented with a single localised patch of EDS affecting her upper left thigh.

Development of cutaneous sarcoidosis during treatment with tumour necrosis alpha factor antagonists.

The use of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) antagonists is increasing in the field of dermatology. These agents have been used for multiple inflammatory and immune skin conditions, but most notably, psoriasis. Adverse effects of anti-TNF-α agents have been reported, including the paradoxical development of sarcoidosis. We present an unusual case of limited cutaneous sarcoidosis developing while the patient was on etanercept therapy, and a review of the current literature.

Effect of inflammation on positive margins of basal cell carcinomas.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The use of preparations such as imiquimod in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma is well accepted. Imiquimod induces interferon-alpha, other cytokines, antigen-presenting cells and innate immunity, against tumour cells. The current study investigated whether the inflammation induced from a surgical procedure could have a similar effect on removing residual tumour after an excision. METHOD: A retrospective audit was carried out on basal cell carcinoma removed in the Dermatology Clinic of the Royal Newcastle Centre in 2007. The end-point focussed on the features of those tumours which initially had a positive margin, but were found to have no remaining tumour on subsequent excision. RESULT: A linear regression was carried out, revealing two significant predictors of outcome. These were the location of the basal cell carcinoma excision and the excision type. Punch biopsies and excisional biopsy had a greater number of histopathologically negative wider excisions despite initial positive margins. Facial lesions had a greater number of negative wider excisions. CONCLUSION: The study has shown the majority of negative re-excisions were from lesions on the head which had had an initial surgical procedure. However, the evidence is not strong enough to advocate a protocol for dealing with positive margins. A larger sample size that encompassed all three factors that affect outcome, that is, the location of lesion, type of lesion and type of excision carried out, would be required in order to make a more definitive statement on protocol change for treatment of basal cell carcinoma.