Evaluation of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diagnostic Criteria in Pediatric Patients.

Importance: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with considerable diagnostic delay. Although most patients report adolescent onset, existing HS diagnostic criteria may not adequately capture disease in pediatric populations. Objectives: To determine the proportion of physician-diagnosed pediatric patients with HS who met diagnostic criteria, and describe demographics, disease characteristics, and diagnostic patterns among pediatric patients with HS. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, electronic medical records from 2 sites of a single academic tertiary care center were included. Eligible patients were those born after January 1, 1993, and assigned International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Revisions (ICD-9/10) codes for HS (ICD-9 705.83/ICD-10 L73.2) between January 1, 2012, and July 1, 2021. Patients were excluded if they were older than 18 years at diagnosis, had inaccessible diagnostic visit notes, or were unintentionally assigned an HS ICD code. Exposures: Pediatric patients with HS. Main Outcomes and Measures: Fulfillment of diagnostic criteria in pediatric patients with HS. Results: A total of 297 adolescents with HS were included in the study; 123 patients were female (78.1%), 78 self-identified as Black (26.3%), and 116 self-identified as Hispanic (39.1%). The median (IQR) age at diagnosis was 14.0 (13.0-16.0) years. Documentation from the diagnostic visit demonstrated that 127 (42.8%) patients did not meet all 3 major HS diagnostic criteria. Of these patients, 122 (96.1%) did not meet the recurrence interval criterion (≥2 lesions within 6 months). Overall, 96 patients who did not meet the recurrence interval criterion had documentation from additional visits in the health system; 59 (61.5%) had documentation of 1 or more additional lesions consistent with HS. Review of these additional records demonstrated that 26 of these 59 (44.1%) patients met the recurrence interval criterion after diagnosis, and 44 (74.6%) had recurrent lesions within a 1-year interval (median, 6.5 months; interquartile range, 3.5-12.2 months). Medical chart review was conducted from November 22, 2021, to January 12, 2022. Analysis was conducted from January 12, 2022, to January 15, 2022. Conclusions and Relevance: Overall, 118 (40%) of 297 pediatric patients with HS in this retrospective cross-sectional study did not meet all major diagnostic criteria at the time of diagnosis, largely due to failure to fulfill the 6-month recurrence interval criterion. Future studies are needed to determine the appropriate recurrence interval to facilitate timely diagnosis and promote clinical trial eligibility for pediatric patients with HS.

Successful use of telemedicine for evaluation of infantile hemangiomas during the early COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a rapid expansion in the use of telemedicine. This study aimed to assess the experiences of hemangioma specialists utilizing telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic to evaluate and manage infantile hemangiomas (IH), including perceived effectiveness of different modalities and barriers to care delivery. METHODS: Multicenter cross-sectional study asking providers to describe their experiences using telemedicine for initial evaluation of IH from March to September 2020. RESULTS: The study included 281 patients from 15 medical centers internationally. Median time from referral to evaluation was 17 days. Median physician confidence in performing evaluations via telemedicine was 95.0 (IQR 90.0-100.0). Most evaluations were performed via video communication with photographs or audio communication with photographs; when not initially available, photographs were requested in 51.4%. Providers preferred follow-up modalities that included photographs. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians with extensive expertise in managing IH are confident in their abilities to assess and manage IH via telemedicine including initiating treatment in patients without risk factors for beta-blocker therapy. There was a preference for hybrid modalities that included photographs. The data suggest that telemedicine can be effective for managing IH and may decrease wait times and improve specialist reach to underserved areas.

Prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease among pediatric patients with hidradenitis suppurativa and the potential role of screening with fecal calprotectin.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have demonstrated an increased prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in adults with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Whether the same association exists in pediatric patients is unknown. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is used to screen and monitor disease activity in IBD. There are no data on using FC to screen for IBD in pediatric patients with HS. Study objectives include a) assessing the prevalence of IBD among pediatric patients with HS; b) characterizing the IBD phenotype among pediatric patients with HS; and c) describing the use of FC as a screening tool for IBD in this population. DESIGN/METHODS: This retrospective chart review was conducted at a single academic children's hospital. We included patients ≤18 years old diagnosed with HS between 2013 and 2018. RESULTS: We identified 109 pediatric patients with HS. Six patients (6/109, 5.5%) were diagnosed with IBD, 83.3% (5/6) classified as ulcerative colitis. Almost half (53/109, 48.6%) of HS patients had gastrointestinal symptoms; of those, 11.3% (6/53) were diagnosed with IBD. FC was obtained in 8.3% (9/109) of HS patients overall and 66.7% (4/6) of HS patients diagnosed with IBD. Among patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, FC was obtained in 17.0% (9/53); endoscopy was performed in 24.5% (13/53). FC was elevated in all patients with IBD with an FC level. Of those with elevated FC, 80.0% (4/5) had IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric HS may be associated with an increased prevalence of IBD suggesting that more widespread screening for IBD may be indicated. FC is infrequently used but may be a useful screening tool.

Characterization of vascular stains associated with high flow.

BACKGROUND: High-flow vascular stains (HFVS) are lesions that have the appearance of capillary malformations/port wine stains but are associated with increased arterial flow. OBJECTIVE: To identify features of HFVS that differentiate them from typical "slow-flow" port wine stains. METHODS: Retrospective multicenter cohort study of HFVS evaluated across 7 centers was conducted. HFVS were characterized by clinical features (warmth, thrill, rapid capillary refill), radiologic findings (fast flow), or mutations associated with capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation syndrome. Investigators reviewed photographs. RESULTS: The study reviewed 70 patients with HFVS (47 multifocal and 23 solitary). Most were flat (77%), warm to the touch (60%), and red or pink-red in color (35%), with heterogeneous color saturation (73%) and well-defined borders (71%). Regional soft tissue swelling/overgrowth was common (47%). Head and neck location was most common (38%). Among 34 HFVS with photographic review over time, all demonstrated changes in appearance. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective design, recall bias, lack of standardized time points or visual analog scale, and image variability. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneity of stain color saturation, warmth to touch, peripheral pallor, and overgrowth/soft tissue swelling help distinguish HFVS from port wine stains. Darkening of color and increased border demarcation may develop over time. These findings raise suspicion for HFVS and provide an indication to assess for extracutaneous involvement.

Pediatric Psoriasis Comorbidities

While the association between psoriasis and various comorbidities is well documented in adults, questions remain as to whether the same relationships exist in the pediatric population. However, psoriasis develops in childhood or adolescence in approximately 40% of patients, suggesting that the risk of comorbidities may also begin early in life. This presents an opportunity for prevention, early detection and intervention for children who may suffer from, or be at risk of, comorbidities. The pediatric psoriasis Comorbidity Screening Initiative, a multidisciplinary panel, devised and published consensus-based screening recommendations for pediatric psoriasis patients in 2017. As these guidelines closely align with the routine age-related screening recommendations for healthy children set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics, in the absence of signs and symptoms of comorbidities prompting additional evaluation, dermatologists should partner with patients' primary care physicians to ensure up-to-date, routine, and age-based screening.

The biker-glove pattern of congenital melanocytic nevi.

Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are common birthmarks with 20% occurring on the limbs. We describe 4 patients with acral CMN with a "biker-glove" distribution with sparing of the distal digits, as has previously been described in acral infantile hemangiomas (IH). The existence of the biker-glove pattern suggests that CMN arise from early mutations in melanocyte precursors and supports the recently described Kinsler-Larue hypothesis of mesenchymal distribution of melanocyte migration occurring in a circular field from a central point. Developmental errors in mesenchymal precursors with similar migration patterns may explain this shared pattern among CMN and IH.

Phylloid terminal hair nevus: A unique clinical entity.

We present a case of an otherwise healthy infant with a localized patch of phylloid hypopigmentation bordered by terminal hairs on the back. We believe that this is a unique clinical entity and propose the term "phylloid terminal hair nevus." We believe that this is a localized form of phylloid hypomelanosis that is not associated with extracutaneous abnormalities.

Wound culture isolated antibiograms and caregiver-reported skin care practices in children with epidermolysis bullosa.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Many patients with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) require intensive daily wound care and individualized treatment plans. Understanding patient's home skin care routines and emerging antibiotic resistance patterns in EB wounds is necessary to optimize treatment recommendations. The objective was to identify patterns of antimicrobial resistance in EB wounds and characterize patient's home practices of skin care and bathing. METHODS: This was an observational study of 23 children with EB at an outpatient pediatric dermatology practice in New York City from 2012 to 2014. Information on individual bathing and skin care practices and wound cultures was collected as part of routine examinations and an institutional review board-approved antibiogram protocol. RESULTS: Sixty wound cultures were collected from 23 patients. Eleven organisms were isolated, most commonly methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Streptococcus species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Six patients (26%) were colonized with methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Over the course of the study, 13 patients (56%) were found to have mupirocin-resistant S. aureus. More than half of participants reported mupirocin or bacitracin use. Fewer than half indicated that they regularly used dilute bleach or dilute vinegar as part of their bathing routine. CONCLUSION: Numerous organisms, including resistant bacteria, are known to colonize the wounds of individuals with EB. Mupirocin resistance was prevalent and more than half of the participants reported its use. Testing for mupirocin resistance may be considered for certain patients. These observations may help guide questions for future longitudinal multicenter studies with the goal of optimizing EB wound care recommendations.