Elastic fiber alterations and calcifications in calcific uremic arteriolopathy.

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) is a severely morbid disease, affecting mostly dialyzed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, associated with calcium deposits in the skin. Calcifications have been identified in ESRD patients without CUA, indicating that their presence is not specific to the disease. The objective of this retrospective multicenter study was to compare elastic fiber structure and skin calcifications in ESRD patients with CUA to those without CUA using innovative structural techniques. Fourteen ESRD patients with CUA were compared to 12 ESRD patients without CUA. Analyses of elastic fiber structure and skin calcifications using multiphoton microscopy followed by machine-learning analysis and field-emission scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray were performed. Elastic fibers specifically appeared fragmented in CUA. Quantitative analyses of multiphoton images showed that they were significantly straighter in ESRD patients with CUA than without CUA. Interstitial and vascular calcifications were observed in both groups of ESRD patients, but vascular calcifications specifically appeared massive and circumferential in CUA. Unlike interstitial calcifications, massive circumferential vascular calcifications and elastic fibers straightening appeared specific to CUA. The origins of such specific elastic fiber's alteration are still to be explored and may involve relationships with ischemic vascular or inflammatory processes.

Pustular Lichenoid Eruptions Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Two Case Reports and a Review of the Literature.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have become the standard treatment for many types of cancer. After several years of using these therapies, many adverse events related to ICIs have been observed. Dermatologic toxicities such as nonspecific morbilliform rash, vitiligo, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, and more rarely, lichenoid eruptions have been described in the literature. We report 2 cases of pustular lichenoid eruptions, 1 in a patient with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma and 1 in a patient with metastatic melanoma, induced by pembrolizumab and nivolumab, respectively. The 2 patients were treated with topical corticosteroids, and complete healing of lesions was slowly obtained. Due to the severity of the cutaneous eruptions, pembrolizumab and nivolumab were discontinued. We identified 6 cases of pustular lichenoid eruptions induced by ICIs in the published literature and in the French Pharmacovigilance Database and reviewed their main clinical features and courses.

Reactive Eccrine Syringofibroadenomatosis Associated With Venous Leg Ulcers: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Eccrine syringofibroadenoma (ESFA) is a rare adnexal tumor deriving from the acrosyringeal portion of the eccrine duct. Five subtypes of ESFA were described including a reactive form. Reactive ESFAs are associated with inflammatory and neoplastic dermatoses. In this article, we report the case of a 90-year-old woman presenting with 3 leg ulcers evolving for 2 years surrounded by large verrucous and eczematous lesions. Multiple skin biopsies showed anastomosing epithelial cords connected to the epidermis consistent with ESFA. We identified 8 cases of ESFA associated with chronic leg ulcers in the literature and reviewed their main clinical and histological features.

Impact of expert pathology review in skin adnexal carcinoma diagnosis: Analysis of 2573 patients from the French CARADERM network.

PURPOSE: To prospectively assess the impact of expert pathological review of skin adnexal carcinoma diagnosis in France. METHODS: From 2014 to 2019, 2573 samples from patients with newly diagnosed or suspected skin adnexal carcinomas were reviewed prospectively by expert pathologists through the national CARADERM (CAncers RAres DERMatologiques) network. Changes in diagnosis between referral and expert review were analysed regarding their potential impact on patient care or prognosis. RESULTS: The samples comprised 2205 newly diagnosed adnexal carcinomas, 129 benign adnexal tumours, 136 basal cell carcinomas, 74 squamous cell carcinomas, six cutaneous metastases and 13 other malignancies. There were 930 (42%) sweat gland carcinomas, of which porocarcinoma (261; 11.8%), microcystic adnexal carcinoma (125; 5.7%) and hidradenocarcinoma (109; 4.9%) were the most frequent subtypes; 778 (35%) hair follicle carcinomas, 238 (11%) sebaceous carcinomas and 212 (10%) extramammary Paget diseases/mammary-like anogenital gland adenocarcinomas. A diagnostic change between referral and expert review occurred in 503 (21.3%) patients, significantly higher for cases sent with a provisional diagnosis seeking an expert second opinion (45.7%) than for cases sent with a formal diagnosis (2.8%) (p < .0001). Sweat gland carcinomas were more prone to diagnostic discrepancies than other tumours (p < .0001), including 1.8% of patients with sweat gland carcinoma subtype misclassification with predicted clinical impact. Changes between benign and malignant conditions occurred in 117 samples (5% of patients). CONCLUSION: The study provides a unique description of the distribution of skin adnexal carcinomas and highlights the importance of expert review for these rare cancers. Optimal clinical management was impacted in a significant proportion of patients.

Multiple cutaneous ulcers revealing a primary cutaneous Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Primary cutaneous EBV-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an exceptional and aggressive neoplasia with a poorer prognosis than other cutaneous lymphoma. Our observation points out the rarity of the presentation and the dismal clinical course.

[Non endometroid endometrial cancer guidelines evaluation: A multicentric retrospective study]. / Évaluation de l'application des recommandations des cancers de l'endomètre de type 2 : étude rétrospective multicentrique.

INTRODUCTION: Non endometrioid endometrial cancer are infrequent and have poor prognosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate non endometrioid endometrial cancer managment by evaluating endometrial cancer guidelines application. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This multicentric retrospective study enrolled non endometrioid endometrial cancer between January 2009 to December 2019. Analyses adapted at last French guidelines applicated corresponding of year management. RESULTS: Seventy-four non endometrioid endometrial cancer analysed in 10 centers: 34 carcinosarcoma (45,9 %), 29 serous carcinoma (39,2 %), 9 clear cells carcinoma (12,2 %) and 2 undifferentiated carcinoma (2,7 %). For initial management, endometrial cancer guidelines applicated to 45,9 %. First reason of initial guidelines « non-application ¼ was lack of surgical lymph node stadification (57,1 %). For adjuvant management, endometrial cancer guidelines applicated to 38.7 %. First reason of adjuvant guidelines « non-application ¼ was lack lymph node stadification to complete staging when it previously incompletly operated (67,6 %). DISCUSSION: Non endometrioid endometrial cancer guidelines applicability is difficult. This explicated by high age and comorbidity when surgical lymph node stadification is necessary. Using new staging technic will allow target management and better select lymph node staging indication.

Localization, Morphologic Features, and Chemical Composition of Calciphylaxis-Related Skin Deposits in Patients With Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy.

Importance: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), a rare, potentially fatal, disease with calcium deposits in skin, mostly affects patients with end-stage renal disease who are receiving dialysis. Chemical composition and structure of CUA calcifications have been poorly described. Objectives: To describe the localization and morphologic features and determine the precise chemical composition of CUA-related calcium deposits in skin, and identify any mortality-associated factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted at 7 French hospitals including consecutive adults diagnosed with CUA between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2017, confirmed according to Hayashi clinical and histologic criteria. Patients with normal renal function were excluded. For comparison, 5 skin samples from patients with arteriolosclerosis and 5 others from the negative margins of skin-carcinoma resection specimens were also analyzed. Main Outcomes and Measures: Localization and morphologic features of the CUA-related cutaneous calcium deposits were assessed with optical microscopy and field-emission-scanning electron microscopy, and the chemical compositions of those deposits were evaluated with µ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy dispersive radiographs. Results: Thirty-six patients (median [range] age, 64 [33-89] years; 26 [72%] female) were included, and 29 cutaneous biopsies were analyzed. Calcific uremic arteriolopathy and arteriolosclerosis skin calcifications were composed of pure calcium-phosphate apatite. Calcific uremic arteriolopathy vascular calcifications were always circumferential, found in small to medium-sized vessels, with interstitial deposits in 22 (76%) of the samples. A thrombosis, most often in noncalcified capillary lumens in the superficial dermis, was seen in 5 samples from patients with CUA. Except for calcium deposits, the vessel structure of patients with CUA appeared normal, unlike thickened arteriolosclerotic vessel walls. Twelve (33%) patients died of CUA. Conclusions and Relevance: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy-related skin calcifications were exclusively composed of pure calcium-phosphate apatite, localized circumferentially in small to medium-sized vessels and often associated with interstitial deposits, suggesting its pathogenesis differs from that of arteriolosclerosis. Although the chemical compositions of CUA and arteriolosclerosis calcifications were similar, the vessels' appearances and deposit localizations differed, suggesting different pathogenetic mechanisms.

Identification of Somatic Mutations in Primary Cutaneous Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Leg Type by Massive Parallel Sequencing.

To determine whether the mutational profile of primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type (PCLBCL-LT) is unique by comparison with other diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subtypes, we analyzed a total cohort of 20 PCLBCL-LT patients by using next-generation sequencing with a lymphoma panel designed for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. We also analyzed 12 pairs of tumor and control DNA samples by whole-exome sequencing, which led us to perform resequencing of three selected genes not included in the lymphoma panel: TBL1XR1, KLHL6, and IKZF3. Our study clearly identifies an original mutational landscape of PCLBCL-LT with a very restricted set of highly recurrent mutations (>40%) involving MYD88 (p.L265P variant), PIM1, and CD79B. Other genes involved in B-cell signaling, NF-κB activation, or DNA modeling were found altered, notably TBL1XR1 (33%), MYC (26%) CREBBP (26%), and IRF4 (21%) or HIST1H1E (41%). MYD88L265P variant was associated with copy number variations or copy neutral loss of heterozygosity in 60% of patients. The most frequent genetic losses involved CDKN2A/2B, TNFAIP3/A20, PRDM1, TCF3, and CIITA. Together, these results show that PCLBCL-LT exhibits a unique mutational landscape, combining highly recurrent hotspot mutations in genes involved in NF-kB and B-cell signaling pathways, which provides a rationale for using selective inhibitors of the B-cell receptor.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasms: clinico-immunohistochemical correlations in a series of 91 patients.

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm is a rare clinicopathologic entity, characterized by strong skin tropism and a poor prognosis. The diagnosis is generally made by skin biopsy with appropriate immunohistochemical studies. To identify potential biological prognostic factors for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, we performed an extended clinico-immunohistochemical study on a series of 91 well-documented cases collected since 1995 by the French Study Group on Cutaneous Lymphomas. Skin biopsies were analyzed using a panel of 12 immunohistochemical markers (CD4, CD56, CD123, CD303, TCL1, CD68, CD2, CD7, TdT, Ki-67, S100, and MX-1). The results were correlated with survival. The 5 most characteristic markers of this entity (CD4, CD56, CD123, CD303, and TCL1) were expressed simultaneously in only 46% of patients. However, when 4 markers were expressed the diagnosis could still be reliably made without resorting to any additional stains. Expression of TdT and/or S100 correlated with varying degrees of maturation. Statistical survival analyses showed that CD303 expression and high proliferative index (Ki-67) were significantly associated with longer survival.

First case of drug rash eosinophilia and systemic symptoms due to boceprevir.

Boceprevir and telaprevir are 2 specific inhibitors of the hepatitis C (HCV) serine protease 3. Cutaneous side effects have been reported with high frequency, essentially rash, and dry skin. We report a case of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) due to boceprevir. A 56-year-old African woman with chronic hepatitis C complicated with cirrhosis and cryoglobulinemia received pegylated interferon alfa-2a (PegIFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for 4 weeks and then boceprevir was added. She was also co-infected with HIV state A2. Eight weeks after adding boceprevir she developed a generalized maculopapular exanthema with fever, facial oedema, apparition of lymph node and alteration of the general state. She presented an eosinophilia (up to 3.0 × 10(9)cells/L), no biological inflammatory syndrome. The computed tomography revealed several lymph nodes located in the abdominal and inguinal areas. The cutaneous biopsy was consistent with a drug rash reaction. The HCV treatment was stopped and the patient was treated with topical steroids. Cutaneous and systemic symptoms disappeared in few weeks. Boceprevir was considered the culprit drug. We report to our knowledge the first case of DRESS due to boceprevir.

Prognostic factors of paraneoplastic pemphigus.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prognostic factors of overall survival in a series of patients with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP). DESIGN: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Twenty-seven dermatology departments in France. PATIENTS: A total of 53 patients (31 men and 22 women; median age, 59 years; age range, 30-88 years) were diagnosed as having PNP between 1992 and 2010. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Overall Kaplan-Meier survival rates were estimated, and features associated with survival were assessed using univariate (log-rank test) and multivariate (Cox regression) analyses. RESULTS: The study included 53 patients with PNP. Thirty-six patients (68%) died during the study. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 49%, 41%, and 38%, respectively. The main causes of death were infections (n=21) and evolution of neoplasia (n=6). In univariate analysis, the main detrimental prognostic factors identified were erythema multiforme­like skin lesions (P=.05) and histologic keratinocyte necrosis (P=.03). None of the 5 patients with Castleman disease died during the study. After adjustment for age and sex in multivariate analysis, erythema multiforme­like skin lesions remained predictive of fatal outcome, with a 2-fold increase in death rate (hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.05-5.03; P=.04). The prognosis of patients with PNP was even poorer when erythema multiforme­like skin lesions were associated with severe skin or mucosal involvement at presentation (HR of death, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.01-8.92; P=.049). CONCLUSION: Patients with PNP with erythema multiforme­like skin lesions and histologic keratinocyte necrosis, especially when associated with extensive lesions at presentation, are likely to have a more severe and rapid fatal outcome and should be managed very carefully.

Malignant transformation of mastocytoma developed on skin mastocytosis into cutaneous mast cell sarcoma.

Mastocytosis is a group of disorders characterized by abnormal mast cell proliferation, involving the skin in 80% of cases. Cutaneous mastocytosis, which appears in childhood in 60% of cases, usually has a benign course with a gradually regressive evolution before puberty. Mast cell sarcomas, part of the systemic forms of mastocytosis, are very rare tumors characterized by a destructive growth of highly atypical mast cells, with secondary spread, poor prognosis, and low survival rates. We report the first known case of primary cutaneous mast cell sarcoma due to the transformation of a benign solitary mastocytoma in an adult suffering from an unregressive localized cutaneous mastocytosis. Histologic characteristics of the tumor, mutation analysis, and c-Kit expression were compared with available data. Wide surgical excision of the tumor followed by adjuvant local radiotherapy were performed, and for the first time the use of imatinib was attempted, as neoplastic mast cells expressed the CD117 marker. However, they failed to control the progression of sarcoma. To date, no treatment is known to be effective for this disease, which is associated with short-term survival of the patients.

Papular and annular fixed urticarial eruption: a characteristic skin manifestation in patients with relapsing polychondritis.

BACKGROUND: Skin manifestations of relapsing polychondritis (RP) are usually nonspecific. OBJECTIVE: We report a series of patients with RP who presented with annular skin lesions. METHODS: The clinical and histologic features and follow-up data of patients with RP and an annular urticarial eruption were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Ten patients (9 male, 1 female) (mean age 63.7 years) were included. All patients had tense, fixed, urticarial papules with an annular configuration predominantly located on the upper part of the trunk. Skin lesions occurred before the chondritis in 7 of 10 cases with a mean delay of 23 ± 13 months. Histologic examination consistently showed a lymphocytic vasculitis with no leukocytoclastic vasculitis, even when biopsies were repeated during the evolution (n = 7). Hematologic abnormalities were found in all cases. A myelodysplastic syndrome was found in 4 patients. Oral corticosteroids were effective in all cases, although skin lesions recurred during the decrease of corticosteroid doses in 4 cases. Five patients died during the evolution. LIMITATION: Retrospective case series design is a limitation. CONCLUSION: Annular and papular fixed urticarial eruption may represent a characteristic skin manifestation of RP. It is frequently associated with hematologic abnormalities and may auger a poor prognosis.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS): a multiorgan antiviral T cell response.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a severe, drug-induced reaction that involves both the skin and the viscera. Evidence for reactivation of herpes family viruses has been seen in some DRESS patients. To understand the immunological components of DRESS and their relationship to viral reactivation, we prospectively assessed 40 patients exhibiting DRESS in response to carbamazepine, allopurinol, or sulfamethoxazole. Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from the patients were evaluated for phenotype, cytokine secretion, and repertoire of CD4+ and CD8+ and for viral reactivation. We found Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6), or HHV-7 reactivation in 76% of the patients. In all patients, circulating CD8+ T lymphocytes were activated, exhibited increased cutaneous homing markers, and secreted large amounts of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma. The production of these cytokines was particularly high in patients with the most severe visceral involvement. In addition, expanded populations of CD8+ T lymphocytes sharing the same T cell receptor repertoire were detected in the blood, skin, liver, and lungs of patients. Nearly half of these expanded blood CD8+ T lymphocytes specifically recognized one of several EBV epitopes. Finally, we found that the culprit drugs triggered the production of EBV in patients' EBV-transformed B lymphocytes. Thus, cutaneous and visceral symptoms of DRESS are mediated by activated CD8+ T lymphocytes, which are largely directed against herpes viruses such as EBV.