Major lipophilic pigments in Atlantic seaweeds as valuable food ingredients: Analysis and assessment of quantification methods.

Current trends towards the use of ingredients from natural origin in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, place macroalgae as a good reservoir of novel compounds. Among them, lipophilic major pigments such as chlorophylls and fucoxanthin, are of great interest because of their multiple applications as bioactive compounds and dyes. In this work, a mid-polarity medium was used to extract pigments from twenty-four species from North coast of Spain, including brown (Phaeophyceae) and red macroalgae (Rhodophyta). The fucoxanthin and chlorophyll a content was assessed by means of two different methods, spectrophotometric and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). The effect of dried processing on the pigment content of selected species was also evaluated. A linear relationship between the extractability of fucoxanthin and chlorophyll a was observed, being the highest content recorded among members belonging to the order Fucales and Undaria pinnatifida. This work provides good insights about the content on pigments in Spanish North Atlantic macroalgae with future commercial value in different industrial fields, as well as a critical overview of the suitability of the quantification methods and challenges related to their effect in results evaluation.

Discrete papular lichen myxoedematosus: a rare subtype of cutaneous mucinosis.

Primary cutaneous mucinoses are characterized by abnormal mucin deposits in the skin. Discrete papular lichen myxoedematosus (DPLM) is an unusual subtype. Only 11 of the cases described in the literature to date showed no relation to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We report a 21-year-old woman with numerous symmetrical asymptomatic papules on her trunk, arms and thighs. Results of investigations were normal. On histological examination, the upper dermis showed a focal mucin deposit. DPLM can be associated with HIV or C hepatitis virus (HCV) infection and therefore an early diagnosis is very important.

[Localized cutaneous amyloidosis secondary to porokeratosis: a retrospective histopathologic study of 30 patients]. / Amiloidosis cutánea localizada secundaria a poroqueratosis. Estudio histopatológico retrospectivo de 30 pacientes.

INTRODUCTION: Porokeratosis is a rare disorder of keratinization. The presence of amyloid deposits has been observed in inflammatory and tumoral skin diseases. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cutaneous amyloidosis in histology samples from various types of porokeratosis diagnosed in our department from 1988 to 2005. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty patients were selected and 34 biopsies of lesions clinically and histologically compatible with porokeratosis were performed. Sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and thioflavin T. RESULTS: Amyloid deposits were observed in 11 biopsies from 9 patients. Most were women in their sixties, with disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis that had begun at least 5 years earlier. No notable histologic differences were observed between porokeratosis specimens with and without amyloid deposits. CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of porokeratosis and amyloidosis is a rare occurrence but may be underdiagnosed. In our opinion, the advanced age of the patients and the chronic nature of the lesions would have been predisposing factors for amyloid deposition. The possibility of racial or genetic influences, however, cannot be ruled out.

[Palmar filiform parakeratotic hyperkeratosis without underlying malignancy]. / Hiperqueratosis filiforme paraqueratósica palmar sin malignidad subyacente.

Filiform hyperkeratosis (FH) is a rare entity clinically characterized by keratotic spicules on the palms, soles or other areas of the body surface. Its association with several diseases, including neoplasms, has been extensively discussed but currently it is not considered a well-defined paraneoplastic disorder. We report a 72-year-old patient that referred lesions on both palms of three months duration. The rest of the body surface did not show similar lesions. Complementary exams did not reveal any abnormal findings. The histopathological exam showed parakeratotic columns with a slightly decreased granular layer and a mild dermal inflammatory infiltrate. In the last years different terms have been employed to refer to these hyperkeratotic lesions contributing to the lack of clarity that currently persists. Although FH might be classified close to the clinical spectrum of porokeratoses, it presents particular clinical and histological findings that allow it to be considered a separate entity. We report a new case of this rare disorder with exclusive palmar involvement in a patient without underlying malignancy and review the main characteristics of similar cases reported in the literature. Despite the obscure association between this entity and neoplasms, the majority of authors deem it necessary to rule out underlying diseases.

[Acquired lymphangiectases and breast cancer]. / Linfangiectasias adquiridas y cáncer de mama.

Acquired lymphangiectases represent superficial lymphatic dilatations caused by a wide range of processes. Many cases reported in the literature develop in patients with upper limb lymphedema secondary to mastectomy, radiotherapy, keloids or scleroderma. Clinically they consist of traslucent vesicles in a chronic lymphedematous area. Histologically they are characterized by the presence of dilated spaces with flattened endotelial cells in the papillary dermis. All these cases have a good prognosis and there have not been any reports of malignant transformation. We describe a 67-year-old woman that showed multiple papules along her left upper limb associated with lymphedema. She had undergone a mastectomy followed by radiotherapy fourteen years before due to a breast cancer. Laboratory and radiological exams were within normal limits. The cutaneous lesions showed characteristic clinical and histological features of lymphangiectases and they progressively resolve in several weeks without any treatment.

Early detection of cutaneous angiosarcoma of the face and scalp and treatment with placitaxel.

Cutaneous angiosarcoma (AS) of the face and scalp of the elderly is a rare malignant tumour with a very poor prognosis. The variable presentation and the benign appearance of the cutaneous AS may often delay the correct diagnosis. Because it is extremely aggressive, only early detection and treatment can modify the prognosis. We describe a case of an old man who was diagnosed of AS of the face and scalp 1 month after developing the cutaneous lesion. After treatment with placitaxel, the lesion completely diminished. Unfortunately, he developed pulmonary fibrosis and died 6 months after diagnosis. Predisposing factors of this entity are also discussed.

Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis heralding the onset of chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

Neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis was initially described in acute myelogenous leukaemic patients undergoing chemotherapy, suggesting a drug-induced mechanism. It has been reported in some with various neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions as well as in healthy individuals. However, most the reported cases have been described in acute myelogenous leukaemic cases receiving chemotherapy. We describe a neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis case unassociated with chemotherapy in a woman with chronic myelogenous leukaemia.

Treatment of alpha1-antitrypsin-deficiency panniculitis with minocycline.

A small proportion of patients with alpha1-antitrypsin (alpha1AT) deficiency experience recurrent ulcerating panniculitis. Studies suggest that alpha1AT-deficiency panniculitis reflects an uncontrolled inflammatory process because of the serum's incapacity to neutralize proteolytic enzymes released by leukocytes in the skin. Dapsone is considered the treatment of choice for this entity, but it is limited by its side effects, especially hematologic ones. Tetracyclines have anticollagenase and anti-inflammatory activity and have been used successfully to treat this type of panniculitis. We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with recurrent alpha1AT-deficiency panniculitis who did not tolerate the side effects of dapsone or systemic corticosteroid. Minocycline treatment led to disappearance of lesions, and long-term administration prevented recurrences without evident negative side effects. We consider minocycline a safe treatment that allows control of alpha1AT-deficiency panniculitis.

Chronic infection due to Fusarium oxysporum mimicking lupus vulgaris: case report and review of cutaneous involvement in fusariosis.

A 67-year-old female presented with a 20-year-old lesion involving the right ear and preauricular area mimicking tuberculous lupus. Fusarium oxysporum infection was confirmed by biopsy studies and cultures. The biopsy specimen showed an unusually extensive dermal invasion with fungal hyphae. This is an uncommon clinical presentation for Fusarium infection in a healthy patient. When referred to us, the patient had received antifungal therapy with itraconazole without any benefit. Improvement was obtained with fluconazole therapy. The spectrum of cutaneous involvement related to Fusarium spp. includes toxic reactions, colonization, superficial indolent infection, deep cutaneous or subcutaneous infections and disseminated infection.

Blastoid NK cell leukemia/lymphoma with cutaneous involvement.

Malignant neoplasms from natural killer (NK) cells are characterized by their positivity for CD56 and absence of monoclonal TCR gene rearrangement. Recently, they have been classified into four main types (nasal and nasal-type NK cell lymphoma, aggressive NK cell leukemia/lymphoma, and blastoid NK cell leukemia/lymphoma), based on clinical features, racial predisposition, presence of azurophilic granules, immunophenotype and association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. A 72-year-old Caucasian man presented with a malignant neoplasm comprised of blastoid cells without azurophilic granules in the Giemsa stain, with positivity for CD2, CD4, HLA-DR, CD45 and CD56, and negativity for CD3 (surface and cytoplasmic) and CD5. In situ hybridization for EBV and PCR analysis of rearrangement of the T cell receptor gene were negative. Based on these results, a diagnosis of blastoid NK cell lymphoma was made. In this case the first clinical manifestations were the cutaneous lesions, and, although the disease was already advanced at the diagnosis, the patient responded completely to the treatment and remains asymptomatic 14 months after diagnosis.

Solitary cutaneous metastasis on the buttock: a disclosing sign of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

A 48-year-old man, previously healthy and asymptomatic, showed a unique skin lesion located on the right buttock. The histopathological study of the lesion disclosed an adenocarcinoma metastatic to the skin. The primary tumour was found at the head of the pancreas, and was confirmed by biopsy. Six months after the beginning of treatment with Gemcitabine the patient is still asymptomatic, and the cutaneous lesion has disappeared. Carcinomas of the pancreas represent less than 5% of human malignant neoplasms, skin involvement is rare, and metastasis generally multiple and situated in the periumbilical area. To our knowledge, very few patients have been reported with a solitary cutaneous lesion disclosing a pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The atypical location, the absence of related symptoms or analytical disorders, and the good progress of the patient make this case especially interesting.

Three cases of type 2 segmental manifestation of multiple glomus tumors: association with linear multiple trichilemmal cysts in a patient.

We report 3 cases of congenital multiple glomus tumors seen during the last 5 years. One of them showed autosomal dominant inheritance with male-to-male transmission. The remaining patients had no family history of similar lesions. The clinical and histopathological aspects of our patients support the recently described type 2 segmental manifestation of multiple glomus tumors. One of the cases showed associated multiple and giant trichilemmal cysts with a linear distribution in the scalp.