Photodynamic therapy with BF-200 ALA gel for the treatment of actinic keratosis, Bowen´s disease and basal cell carcinoma in long term immunosuppressed patients after organ transplantation.

Continuous immunosuppression after organ transplantation is associated with an increased risk of developing keratinocyte neoplastic lesions. Topical photodynamic therapy represents a therapeutic approach for different keratinocyte neoplastic lesions. However, the specific efficacy and safety of this treatment in this immunocompromised population remains largely unknown. In this case report series, we show the efficacy and safety of photodynamic therapy with BF-200 ALA gel using red-light and daylight in immunocompromised patients. Out of 8 patients presented here, 1 was treated for 8 basal cell carcinomas, 1 for 2 Bowen´s disease lesions and 6 were treated for field cancerization including 4 to 10 actinic keratoses. Treatment response rates were above 75 %. The adverse events, including pain, did not differ from those already described for PDT. These data suggest that PDT with BF-200 ALA gel could be an effective and safe option to add to the treatment portfolio for neoplastic keratinocyte lesions in this high-risk population.

Quality of life in children with skin disease: A Spanish sample.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of skin diseases on quality of life varies widely, and some can have an impact similar to that of asthma or cystic fibrosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational and descriptive study with the aim of describing the degree to which quality of life was affected in paediatric patients managed in a dermatology clinic by means of the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI). RESULTS: In our study, the skin disease with the greatest impact on quality of life was atopic dermatitis, chiefly on account of symptoms like pruritus and insomnia. It was followed by acne, mainly due to the associated negative feelings (shame, sadness, etc.). Quality of life in patients with viral warts and molluscum contagiosum was mostly affected by the treatment, chiefly based on cryotherapy. Most patients with nevi or café-au-lait spots did not have a decreased quality of life, although up to one third of them had negative feelings in relation to their skin disease. DISCUSSION: Atopic dermatitis was the common skin disease that caused the greatest impairment in quality of life in our sample, although other diseases also had an impact on different dimensions of quality of life. We ought to underscore the recommendation to use less painful treatments than cryotherapy for viral warts and molluscum contagiosum, as the impairment in quality of life in paediatric patients with these conditions was mainly due to the treatment.

Bilateral clear cell acanthoma of the areola and nipple: good response to topical corticosteroids.

Clear cell acanthoma is a rare, epidermal tumor not common in the area of the nipples; indeed, the literature describes only 8 cases, all showing unilateral presentation. We here report the first case of bilateral clear cell acanthoma with good response to topical corticosteroids. CASE REPORT: A sixteen-year old girl presented with 2 excrescent, fleshy, and exudative tumor masses in both nipples and areola mammae. A biopsy was conducted and confirmed clear cell acanthoma histopathologically. Treatment with strong corticosteroids resulted in rapid improvement and resolution. After one year of follow-up, the patient developed atopic dermatitis. DISCUSSION: We describe the first case of bilateral clear cell acanthoma localized in the nipple/areola that resolved with powerful corticosteroids, suggesting a reactive etiology of the lesion.

Local skin reactions following the administration of topical ingenol mebutate for actinic keratosis.

Actinic keratoses are cutaneous lesions that appear as the result of the proliferation of atypical keratinocytes. These lesions are considered pre-malignant and they can progress to squamous cell carcinoma. Ingenol mebutate has been approved as an effective treatment for AK on the face and trunk. We studied the local skin reactions to this therapy. Data about local skin reactions were collected in a series of 5 patients with photographic documentation, a visual analog scale, and a ranking of satisfaction of the patient. Moderate to severe reactions were reported in most of patients, but only one stopped treatment early. The short duration of treatment contributes to high adherence to the therapy.

Bilateral clear cell acanthoma of the areola and nipple: good response to topical corticosteroids

Abstract: Clear cell acanthoma is a rare, epidermal tumor not common in the area of the nipples; indeed, the literature describes only 8 cases, all showing unilateral presentation. We here report the first case of bilateral clear cell acanthoma with good response to topical corticosteroids. Case report: A sixteen-year old girl presented with 2 excrescent, fleshy, and exudative tumor masses in both nipples and areola mammae. A biopsy was conducted and confirmed clear cell acanthoma histopathologically. Treatment with strong corticosteroids resulted in rapid improvement and resolution. After one year of follow-up, the patient developed atopic dermatitis. Discussion: We describe the first case of bilateral clear cell acanthoma localized in the nipple/areola that resolved with powerful corticosteroids, suggesting a reactive etiology of the lesion.

Immunohistochemical study of calretinin in normal skin and cutaneous adnexal proliferations.

Calretinin is a calcium-binding protein member of the EF-hand family. The presence of calretinin has been demonstrated in certain stages of the cellular cycle in a wide variety of normal and neoplastic tissues. The main aims of our study were (1) to investigate what structures of the normal skin and cutaneous adnexal proliferations express immunoreactivity for calretinin and (2) to determine the value of immunohistochemical expression for calretinin as a marker for follicular, sebaceous, apocrine, and eccrine differentiation in cutaneous adnexal proliferations. We studied 139 biopsy specimens, including 10 cases of normal skin of different locations and 129 benign and malignant cutaneous adnexal proliferations. In normal skin, we found that calretinin is expressed in the innermost cell layer of the outer root sheath in anagen hair follicle, in both the duct and sebolemma of the sebaceous gland, in the secretory portion of eccrine glands, and in mast cells of the stroma. In cutaneous adnexal proliferations, we found strong immunoreactivity for calretinin in tricholemmal cysts, tricholemmomas/inverted follicular keratoses, tumors of follicular infundibulum, and in some basal cell carcinomas. Focal positivity was also seen in trichoadenomas, trichoblastomas/trichoepitheliomas, pilomatricomas, proliferating tricholemmal tumors, pilar sheath acanthomas, trichofolliculomas, follicular hybrid cysts, cutaneous mixed tumors, steatocystomas, sebaceous hyperplasias, and sebaceomas. These results demonstrate that immunohistochemical study for calretinin may be helpful to identify the innermost cell layer of the outer root sheath in anagen hair follicle and the cutaneous adnexal proliferations showing differentiation toward this structure. Calretinin immunoreactivity supports eccrine differentiation in some sweat gland neoplasms, and it is also useful in identifying neoplasms with ductal sebaceous differentiation.

Alopecia de patrón femenino / Female pattern hair loss

La alopecia androgénetica femenina, o alopecia de patrón femenino, es una de las causas más frecuentes de caída de pelo. Su aparición origina importante estrés y problemas psicológicos; de ahí la importancia de un manejo adecuado. Hay casos que se asocian a hiperandrogenismo. En este trabajo revisamos las distintas formas clínicas, discutimos las pruebas de laboratorio más indicadas y los distintos tratamientos, entre ellos, la finasterida.

Female androgenetic alopecia or female pattern hair loss is one of the most frequent causes of hair loss. It can originate high stress and psychological problems, and a correct approach is therefore important. Certain cases are associated with hyperandrogenism. In this report we review the different clinical patterns, the most indicated laboratory tests and the different treatments, including finasteride.

Lipedematous alopecia: an uncommon clinicopathologic variant of nonscarring but permanent alopecia.

A 52-year-old black woman presented with a 5-year history of gradual swelling and slowed hair growth involving the vertex and both parietal regions of the scalp. Gradually, the swelling progressed to involve the entire scalp, only sparing a peripheral crown. She reported no history of trauma or medications. Slight pruritus of the involved area was the only accompanying symptom. There was no family history of a similar condition. Her past medical history included surgery for ovarian cysts, 10 years previously, and cholelithiasis. Physical examination revealed diffuse hair thinning and alopecia, more prominent along the vertex and parietal regions (Fig. 1a). There was no evidence of scalp inflammation, scaling, or increased hair fragility. The scalp was mildly tender on palpation and had a boggy, spongy consistency. The hairs which still remained in the involved areas were thin, short, and soft (Fig. 1b). The involved area was slightly hypopigmented when compared with adjacent noninvolved scalp. The rest of the physical examination was within normal limits. No abnormalities of the hair shaft were observed on microscopic examination of several plucked hairs. Laboratory investigations, including a complete blood cell count, blood chemistry, urinalysis, sedimentation rate, antinuclear antibodies, and serologic tests for syphilis, hepatitis B and C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, were negative. A computed tomography scan of the skull demonstrated diffuse and regular thickening of subcutaneous fatty tissue of the scalp, disclosing a maximum scalp thickness of 15 mm at the vertex (Fig. 2). The biopsy from the vertex revealed a normal epidermis and dermis, with diffuse loss of hair follicles. The most striking feature consisted of a large increase in thickness of the subcutaneous fatty tissue (Fig. 3a). Pre-existing hair follicles were replaced by vertical fibrous tracts of lamellar fibroplasia with no inflammatory infiltrate (Fig. 3b). Adipocytes showed a normal size and shape, but the connective tissue septa, which are normally present separating the subcutaneous tissue into fat lobules, were lacking, and subcutaneous fatty tissue consisted of a continuous and diffuse sheet of mature adipocytes (Fig. 3c). Orcein stain revealed normal contents of elastic fibers with foci of condensation at the sites of disappeared pre-existing hair follicles (Fig. 3d). Colloidal iron and Alcian blue (pH 2.5) stains revealed no mucin deposits.

Leukemia cutis presenting as localized cutaneous hyperpigmentation.

The usual clinical presentations of leukemia cutis include solitary infiltrated erythematous or violaceous plaques or nodules and multiple localized or generalized papules. On the other hand, cutaneous hyperpigmentation is a frequent finding in patients with malignancies, most of the cases because of chemotherapy or other drugs that the patient is taking. We present a case of cutaneous hyperpigmentation as the presenting sign of leukemia cutis. A 61-year-old male presented with cutaneous hyperpigmentation, which had appeared during the last chemotherapy cycle for treatment for biphenotypic leukemia. Cutaneous lesions consisted of bluish to brownish irregular well-defined discoloration of the skin involving the upper part of the trunk and the temporal regions of the forehead. The patient was asymptomatic and the skin was not infiltrated at all. However, histopathologic study showed nodular infiltrates involving the full-thickness of the dermis and destroying pre-existing adnexa. This infiltrate was composed of atypical basophilic cells with large hyperchromatic nuclei and scant cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical studies showed intense immunoexpression for CD43, CD68, CD45RO and myeloperoxidase within these cells. A diagnosis of biphenotypic leukemia cutis was established. In our review of the literature we have not found any report of cutaneous hyperpigmentation as the presenting manifestation of leukemia cutis.

[Aquagenic syringeal acrokeratoderma. Presentation of two cases]. / Acroqueratodermia siríngea acuagénica.Presentación de dos casos.

Aquagenic syringeal acrokeratoderma is an infrequently described acquired, transitory keratoderma that is exacerbated when the palms and/or soles are immersed in water. It manifests as whitish or yellowish flattened, translucent papules and plaques, located in areas of pressure or trauma on the palms and/or soles. Involvement is usually bilateral. The histologic features are non-specific, showing a slight dilation of the intraepidermal portion of the eccrine sweat duct. The process tends to remit spontaneously. We present the case of two women, aged 20 and 21.

Facial granulomas secondary to Dermalive microimplants: Report of a case with histopathologic differential diagnosis among the granulomas secondary to different injectable permanent filler materials.

Wrinkle reduction and the correction of skin defects using injectable aesthetic microimplants are now widely performed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons. In recent years, dermal filler substances containing polymer particle suspensions such as Bioplastique, Artecoll, and Dermalive are the most commonly used materials. These microimplants are permanent, non-biodegradable, and generally well tolerated, although various adverse reactions are still possible. We describe here a patient with facial granulomas secondary to Dermalive injections for correction of naso-labial folds and wrinkles. The particular shape of the injected particles allows for correct identification of the implanted material. Therefore, histopathologic examination is the best means to obtain the correct diagnosis of foreign body granuloma and to identify the type of filler particles. We discuss the histopathologic differential diagnosis among the granulomas secondary to the most commonly used aesthetic permanent filler materials.

[Multiple linear spiradenoma with a linear distribution]. / Espiradenomas múltiples con distribución lineal.

We report the case of a 32-year old woman who presented with multiple nodules in the left arm and breast that had been present for 15 years. These nodules had a bluish colour and were occasionally painful. She had gone under excision of three other nodules on the left arm with the histopathological diagnosis of spiradenoma. All of the nodules were disposed in a linear arrangement and underneath a maculo-papular erythematous lesion which clinically seemed to be an epidermal nevus. The case described in the literature of multiple spiradenomas are very rare and multiple linear spiradenomas are even rarer.

[Mastocytosis in adults. Description of nine clinicopathological cases]. / Mastocitosis del adulto. Descripción de 9 casos clinicopatológicos.

INTRODUCTION: Mastocytosis is a hyperplastic process characterized by the infiltration of different organs and tissues by mature mastocytes. It is more frequent in childhood, although cases also occur in adults. There are significant differences between the ways mastocytosis presents in adults and children, as well as in its development and prognosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this work, we describe the clinicopathological findings for 9 adult patients with mastocytosis. The clinical, evolutional and genetic characteristics of mastocytosis in adults are also compared to those of childhood mastocytosis. RESULTS: In contrast with childhood mastocytosis, the skin lesions of adult mastocytosis are very monomorphous, and consist of macules and papules of less than 1 cm in diameter, brownish-red in color. There are few symptoms, and there is usually discrete pruritus. Darier's sign is very often negative. Furthermore, the skin lesions do not tend to spontaneously regress, which is what usually occurs in children. Finally, systemic involvement in adults is practically a constant, with mastocyte infiltration of the bone marrow in over 90 % of cases, and bone involvement in over 50 % of cases, while systemic involvement is rarer in children. In any case, even if there is infiltration of systemic organs in adult mastocytosis, there are usually no accompanying clinical symptoms. The mutation of the c-kit proto-oncogene consists of the replacement of Asp with Val at codon 816, and this is nearly always found in adult mastocytosis. It is less frequent in childhood mastocytosis. CONCLUSIONS: All of these findings make it possible to classify adult mastocytosis as a separate clinicopathological entity from mastocytoses in children.