Mycosis Fungoides in Puerto Rico: A 15-year Follow-up Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patient population with mycosis fungoides (MF) in Puerto Rico in terms of demographics, disease course, and management. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with MF who were being followed at the University of Puerto Rico dermatology clinics from 1999 through 2016. Collected data included demographics, age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, follow-up time, treatment, and stage at the time of the study. RESULTS: A total of 53 patients were diagnosed with MF from 1999 through 2016, with a mean follow-up period of 89 months. Of those, 45% were male. At the time of diagnosis, 40% were at stage 1A, 53% were at stage 1B, and 7% were at stages 2 to 4. During data collection, 74% of the patients remained stable, 18% improved clinically, and 8% progressed in disease stage. The treatment modalities used included phototherapy, topical steroids, topical and systemic retinoids, methotrexate, topical and systemic chemotherapy, and interferon. CONCLUSION: Our study reflects the chronic and indolent course of MF, which has an overall good prognosis if diagnosed at an early stage, as has been demonstrated in the recent literature. The information contained within this manuscript should contribute to the understanding and characterization of MF in patients in Puerto Rico.

Cutaneous metastasis of a pulmonary carcinoid tumor.

Carcinoid tumors are uncommon neoplasms of neuroendocrine origin that generally arise in the gastrointestinal or bronchopulmonary tracts and typically are characterized by an indolent clinical course. Metastases from these primary neoplasms more commonly affect the viscera, with rare reports of cutaneous metastases to the skin. We report the case of a patient with a cutaneous carcinoid metastasis that was incidentally brought to our attention because of the exquisite tenderness of the lesion. A brief review of the literature also is provided.

Connective Tissue Nevi: A Review of the Literature.

Connective tissue nevi (CTN) are hamartomas of the dermis, with the 3 main components being collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans. Each subtype can present as a solitary lesion or multiple lesions. They could present as part of systemic diseases or inherited disorders. This article provides a comprehensive literature review of the different types of CTN, their clinical presentations, associations, and treatment options. Treatment options for 56 lesions were reviewed. Fifty-two percent of lesions were present in males, and the age range at the time of presentation was wide (1.6-80 years). Management varied according to CTN subtypes. Most lesions (14) received topical or intralesional treatment with corticosteroids, followed by surgical removal of lesions (12), whereas the remaining lesions were clinically monitored.

Low-level laser therapy as a treatment for androgenetic alopecia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) affects 50% of males by age 50 and 50% of females by age 80. Recently, the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been proposed as a treatment for hair loss and to stimulate hair regrowth in AGA. This paper aims to review the existing research studies to determine whether LLLT is an effective therapy for AGA based on objective measurements and patient satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN: A systematic literature review was done to identify articles on Medline, Google Scholar, and Embase that were published between January 1960 and November 2015. All search hits were screened by two reviewers and examined for relevant abstracts and titles. Articles were divided based on study design and assessed for risk of bias. RESULTS: Eleven studies were evaluated, which investigated a total of 680 patients, consisting of 444 males and 236 females. Nine out of 11 studies assessing hair count/hair density found statistically significant improvements in both males and females following LLLT treatment. Additionally, hair thickness and tensile strength significantly improved in two out of four studies. Patient satisfaction was investigated in five studies, and was overall positive, though not as profound as the objective outcomes. CONCLUSION: The majority of studies covered in this review found an overall improvement in hair regrowth, thickness, and patient satisfaction following LLLT therapy. Although we should be cautious when interpreting these findings, LLLT therapy seems to be a promising monotherapy for AGA and may serve as an effective alternative for individuals unwilling to use medical therapy or undergo surgical options. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:27-39, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Patient Factors and Their Association with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Morbidity and the Performance of Self-skin Exams: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Mohs micrographic surgery is widely utilized for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers with the advantage of tissue sparing and higher cure rate. The preoperative tumor size and post-Mohs micrographic surgery defect size are useful surrogate measures of nonmelanoma skin cancer morbidity. The authors sought to evaluate whether gender, Hispanic ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sun-safe practices and self-skin exams affected tumor size and Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. They also investigated factors associated with self-skin exams. Design: A cross-sectional survey-based study. Setting: Two dermatologic surgery clinics-one academic-associated and the other private. Participants: Patients receiving Mohs surgery for nonmelanoma skin cancers. Measurements: Tumor size and Mohs defect size and their relationship to patient factors ascertained from a survey, as well as the number of patients performing self-skin exams. The authors used t-tests and analysis of variance to compare tumor and defect sizes for each patient factor. Chi-squared tests were used to determine the factors associated with self-skin exams performance. Results: Lower education was associated with greater head and face tumor area (95mm2 vs. 41mm2, P=0.019), but not Mohs micrographic surgery defect size. Other studied patient factors were not associated with an increased morbidity. Hispanics performed self-skin exams at a lower rate than non-Hispanics (27% vs. 46%, p=0.03). Conclusion: This study innovatively uses tumor and Mohs micrographic surgery defect area as a measure of morbidity, allowing for identification of populations at need for improved education and prevention. (J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(9):16-22.).

Management of familial benign chronic pemphigus.

Benign familial chronic pemphigus or Hailey-Hailey disease is caused by an autosomal dominant mutation in the ATP2C1 gene leading to suprabasilar acantholysis. The disease most commonly affects intertriginous areas symmetrically. The chronic nature of the disease and multiple recurrences make the disease bothersome for patients and a treatment challenge for physicians. Treatments include topical and/or systemic agents and surgery including laser. This review summarizes the available treatment options.

Acral melanocytic lesions in the United States: Prevalence, awareness, and dermoscopic patterns in skin-of-color and non-Hispanic white patients.

BACKGROUND: Acral lentiginous melanoma has increased mortality compared with other melanoma subtypes and disproportionately affects ethnic minorities. Acral melanocytic lesions have not been well studied in diverse populations of the United States. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the prevalence, awareness, and dermoscopic patterns of acral melanocytic lesions in skin-of-color and non-Hispanic white patients. METHODS: We prospectively examined the palms and soles of 1052 patients presenting to dermatology clinics in New York, NY, and Miami, FL, from October 2013 to April 2015. RESULTS: Acral melanocytic lesions were observed in 36% of our cohort. Skin-of-color patients were more likely to have acral melanocytic lesions than non-Hispanic white patients (P < .01). Acral melanocytic lesions correlated with increased mole counts, particularly on non-Hispanic white patients. The majority of lesions demonstrated benign dermoscopic patterns. We observed 2 lesions with the parallel ridge pattern in our cohort, both found to be atypical nevi on biopsy specimen. Patients often lacked awareness of the presence of their lesions. LIMITATIONS: Interobserver variability in assessing dermoscopic patterns is a limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Melanocytic lesions of the palms and soles are common, particularly in a cohort of multiple ethnicities from the United States. Dermoscopy of acral lesions is an important clinical tool for diagnosis and management of these lesions.

Laser treatment of granuloma annulare: a review.

Granuloma annulare (GA) is a benign asymptomatic dermatosis that typically manifests in papules arrayed in annular arrangements. Many methods of treatment have been used with variable degrees of success, but finding a consistent and long-term treatment has proven a challenge. This study was conducted in order to review and evaluate the latest published research on the use of lasers in the treatment of GA. A systematic search of the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database was performed to identify relevant articles. Seven reports met the inclusion criteria for the review. Evidence for the use of pulsed dye laser, fractional photothermolysis, and excimer laser in the treatment of GA was found. Findings are limited by a lack of well-designed clinical trials objectively evaluating the use of lasers in the treatment of GA. The literature review found a number of case reports and case series that report successful outcomes of the use of lasers in the treatment of GA. The promising results reported in the literature, coupled with the lack of a well-designed review on this topic, reflect the importance of this article to the dermatologic literature as it emphasizes the need for larger and better-designed studies on the use of lasers to treat GA.

Low level laser therapy and hair regrowth: an evidence-based review.

Despite the current treatment options for different types of alopecia, there is a need for more effective management options. Recently, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was evaluated for stimulating hair growth. Here, we reviewed the current evidence on the LLLT effects with an evidence-based approach, focusing more on randomized controlled studies by critically evaluating them. In order to investigate whether in individuals presenting with hair loss (male pattern hair loss (MPHL), female pattern hair loss (FPHL), alopecia areata (AA), and chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA)) LLLT is effective for hair regrowth, several databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Database were searched using the following keywords: Alopecia, Hair loss, Hair growth, Low level laser therapy, Low level light therapy, Low energy laser irradiation, and Photobiomodulation. From the searches, 21 relevant studies were summarized in this review including 2 in vitro, 7 animal, and 12 clinical studies. Among clinical studies, only five were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which evaluated LLLT effect on male and female pattern hair loss. The RCTs were critically appraised using the created checklist according to the Critical Appraisal for Therapy Articles Worksheet created by the Center of Evidence-Based Medicine, Oxford. The results demonstrated that all the performed RCTs have moderate to high quality of evidence. However, only one out of five studies performed intention-to-treat analysis, and only another study reported the method of randomization and subsequent concealment of allocation clearly; all other studies did not include this very important information in their reports. None of these studies reported the treatment effect of factors such as number needed to treat. Based on this review on all the available evidence about effect of LLLT in alopecia, we found that the FDA-cleared LLLT devices are both safe and effective in patients with MPHL and FPHL who did not respond or were not tolerant to standard treatments. Future randomized controlled trials of LLLT are strongly encouraged to be conducted and reported according to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement to facilitate analysis and comparison.

Exogenous ochronosis: a comprehensive review of the diagnosis, epidemiology, causes, and treatments.

Exogenous ochronosis (EO) can be an unintended psychologically troubling condition for patients who are already being treated for longer-term hyperpigmentation disorders such as melasma. Early diagnosis is key in order that the offending agent can be stopped to prevent further disfiguring discoloration. EO can be diagnosed in the right clinical setting with the aid of dermatoscopy, which can assist in early diagnosis and may negate the need for a biopsy. Laser modalities using Q-switched lasers of longer wavelengths and combination laser dermabrasion treatments have shown the most significant results with minimal adverse events. However, further large-scale studies are needed to determine optimal treatment modalities. Although considered uncommon, the incidence of EO will likely continue to increase with the growth of immigrant populations and the use of skin-lightening agents above the FDA's recommended over-the-counter concentrations, without the guidance of a dermatologist.

Photodynamic therapy for actinic cheilitis: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a premalignant lesion of the lips that can progress to squamous cell carcinoma and metastasize. Actinic cheilitis is difficult to treat because surgical treatments have significant adverse effects whereas less invasive procedures have uncertain efficacy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) may offer a noninvasive yet effective treatment option for AC. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the safety and efficacy of PDT for AC. METHODS: The terms "photodynamic," "actinic," "solar," "cheilitis," and "cheilosis" were used in combinations to search the PubMed database. Studies were considered for inclusion based on eligibility criteria, and specific data were extracted from all studies. RESULTS: The authors identified 15 eligible case series encompassing a total of 242 treated subjects. Among studies that evaluated subjects for complete clinical response, 139 of 223 subjects (62%) showed complete response at final follow-ups ranging from 3 to 30 months. Among studies that evaluated subjects for histological outcome, 57 of 121 subjects (47%) demonstrated histological cure at final follow-ups ranging from 1.5 to 18 months. Cosmetic outcomes were good to excellent in the majority of subjects, and adverse events were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Photodynamic therapy is safe and has the potential to clinically and histologically treat AC, with a need for future randomized controlled trials.