Oral finasteride improved the quality of life of androgenetic alopecia patients.

Although androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is not a systemic disease, some patients suffer from anxiety about the progression of their condition. This study was conducted in order to ascertain whether treatment by oral finasteride can improve the quality of life (QOL) of these patients. Twenty-seven male AGA patients aged 19-76 years (average, 33.8) answered the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), WHO/QOL-26 and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires before and after the administration of finasteride (1 mg/day) for 6 months. Patients assessed by physicians as "excellent" or "good" were defined as "high responders"; those assessed as "moderate" or "no change" were "low responders". The changes in QOL before and after the treatment were statistically analyzed, and the improved value of each QOL index of the high responders and low responders from baseline were compared. There was a statistical difference in the VAS (P < 0.0001) and DLQI (P < 0.01) indices before and after the administration of finasteride. No significant changes occurred in the WHO/QOL-26 and STAI indices. Comparison of the high responders (11 cases) and low responders (16 cases) revealed no statistical difference in the improvement of VAS and DLQI scores. Oral finasteride improves the QOL of these patients, and VAS and DLQI are useful for the evaluation of patients' QOL because of the high sensitivity of these tests. However, oral finasteride did not alleviate the patients' anxiety nor did its efficacy correlate with the level of reported anxiety.

An atypical case of atypical lipomatous tumor.

A 56-year-old woman was referred to us with an asymptomatic nodule on the thigh. The nodule was about 11x7 cm in diameter with a well-demarcated, smooth, surface. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the intensity of the nodule to be entirely monotonous or partially heterogeneous. Histological examination revealed a proliferation of adipocytes varying considerably in size and including many mono- or multivacuolated lipoblasts. Immunohistochemically, some of the tumor cells were positive for p53 and MDM2. Histologically, the atypical lipomatous tumor, lipoblastoma, spindle cell lipoma, pleomorphic liposarcoma, and hibernoma comprised the list of possible, differential diagnoses. We considered our case to be a variant of atypical lipomatous tumor, although it did not correspond to any of the 4 atypical lipomatous tumor subgroups. There has been no recurrence to date.

Leukemia cutis originating in the extravasation site of i.v. gabexate mesilate infusion.

Leukemia cutis is a localized or disseminated skin infiltration by leukemic cells. A 64-year-old man was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) complicated by disseminated intravascular coagulation. During the course of treatment with gabexate mesilate, the substance accidentally leaked from the infusion site in his elbow. One month later, a dark red erythema and induration accompanied by severe pain appeared in the area proximal to the gabexate mesilate injection site. The biopsy specimen demonstrated not only inflammation but infiltration of leukemic cells as well. Immunohistochemical staining for intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 showed strong expression of endothelial cells and leukemic cells. We speculate that the gabexate mesilate might have played a role in the induction of leukemia cutis via adhesion molecules in our case.