The effect of levamisole in the treatment of recalcitrant recurrent erythema multiforme major: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Erythema multiforme major (EMM) is an immune-mediated mucocutaneous eruption mostly triggered by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection. A vicious circle of recurrence may be developed due to HSV reactivation and prolonged use of systemic corticosteroids to control EMM. Levamisole is an immunomodulator and has been applied to prevent relapses of recurrent HSV infection. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of levamisole in patients with recalcitrant recurrent EMM. METHODS: We enrolled 23 patients with recurrent EMM treated with levamisole and 24 controls, and analyzed the demographics, treatments and outcomes. RESULTS: Patients with recurrent EMM for years (mean 3.99 ± 2.71) showed significantly reduced recurrences after various durations of levamisole treatment (recurrences after and before treatment: 3.98 ± 1.04 vs 6.75 ± 1.45 times per year, p = 1.33x10-8). The recurrences of EMM also significantly reduced after levamisole treatment comparing to that of patients without levamisole treatment (p = 3.77x10-9). No patient was reported to have severe side effects during or after levamisole treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Levamisole was effective in reducing recurrences of recalcitrant recurrent EMM and can thus be considered an alternative or add-on therapy for this disorder.

Multiple verrucous carcinomas treated with acitretin.

Cutaneous verrucous carcinoma is a rare variant of low-grade squamous cell carcinoma. It usually involves distal extremities and is often misdiagnosed as giant warts. Multiple cutaneous verrucous carcinomas are rare in the English-language literature. We describe a 41-year-old man with multiple verrucous plaques on both feet and ankles, as well as the left thigh. Immunohistochemical study with proliferating cell nuclear antigen revealed positive staining of the basal and suprabasal layers. The patient's condition was successfully treated with systemic acitretin.

Malignant cutaneous tumors of the scalp: a study of demographic characteristics and histologic distributions of 398 Taiwanese patients.

BACKGROUND: The scalp is a unique anatomic region, in which pilosebaceous follicles are concentrated. OBJECTIVE: We sought to investigate demographic characteristics and histologic distributions of malignant scalp tumors. METHODS: Primary and metastatic scalp malignancies diagnosed histopathologically between 1983 and 2003 were reviewed. Age at diagnosis, sex, and histologic types were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 398 Taiwanese patients (200 males, 198 females) were selected. Age at diagnosis ranged from 3 to 103 years. Most malignant scalp tumors (69.8%) occurred in those 50 years or older. Basal (41.2%) and squamous (16.6%) cell carcinomas were the most common histologic types. Surprisingly, metastatic tumors (12.8%) came in third, in which lung cancers were the most frequent primary tumor in both male and female patients. LIMITATIONS: In our series, the case number of metastatic scalp malignancies was underestimated because not all patients with metastatic scalp tumors received a scalp skin biopsy. CONCLUSION: Because a wide spectrum of primary and metastatic malignancies can occur on the scalp, scalp inspection should be included in general screening for either skin or internal cancers.

Treatment of a tufted angioma with intense pulsed light.

Tufted angioma is a rare cutaneous angiomatous proliferation named because of its characteristic histologic pattern of grouped dermal capillary tufts. Lesions usually begin in infancy or early childhood but rarely are congenital. Clinical manifestations are dull red coalescent papules and plaques, most commonly located on the neck, shoulders, and upper back, and can sometimes be tender. Although transformation to malignancy has not been described, tufted angiomas do not tend to regress. Effective treatments reported in the literature are scarce. We report an adult case of tufted angioma, with unusual presentation as annular plaques, which was alleviated after treatment with intense pulsed light in terms of both cosmetics and discomfort.

Comparison of the surgical outcomes of punch incision and elliptical excision in treating epidermal inclusion cysts: a prospective, randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Punch incision has been introduced as an alternative method to surgical excision for troublesome epidermal inclusion cysts. To date, there is no randomized study directly comparing the long-term results of these two methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare the surgical outcomes of these two procedures and to identify the characteristics of a lesion most suitable for the punch incision technique. METHODS: In a 16-month period, 60 patients with noninfected epidermal inclusion cysts were randomly treated with either punch incision or elliptical excision. Demographic data, size, and location of lesion, length of wound, operative time, complications, recurrence, and patient satisfaction were compared statistically. RESULTS: The mean lengths of the wounds in the punch incision and elliptical excision groups were 0.73 and 2.34 cm, respectively (p<.001). Mean operative time was significantly shorter in the punch group (12.7 minutes) as compared with the surgical group (21.6 minutes) (p<.001). No complication occurred in the punch incision group. There was no significant difference in the recurrence rate. CONCLUSION: Punch incision produces a superior cosmetic result while keeping a low recurrence rate of cysts. Epidermal inclusion cysts measuring 1 to 2 cm that are located on the face or in an area of cosmetic concern are best treated with punch incision.