Nail Unit Melanoma In Situ Treated With Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is under used in the treatment of nail unit melanoma in situ (MIS), with limited studies in the literature. OBJECTIVE: Report clinical outcomes for nail unit MIS using MMS with melanoma antigen recognized by T cells-1 (MART-1) immunostaining. METHODS: A retrospective observational study at a single academic institution of patients with a diagnosis of nail unit MIS treated with MMS with MART-1 immunostaining from January 1, 2006, to December 30, 2016. The primary outcome measure was the recurrence rate after MMS. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were identified. With an average follow-up of 6.0 years (71.6 months; range = 5-139 months), 1 patient developed recurrence 6.6 years after undergoing initial MMS, requiring amputation with no further treatment or recurrence thereafter. CONCLUSION: Mohs micrographic surgery for nail unit MIS offers a high cure rate similar to other surgical modalities and can reduce the need for digital amputation. The evolution of the Mohs technique over time, namely, using MART-1 immunostaining, has led to improvement in treatment outcomes. Performing complete nail unit excision with nail plate remaining intact attached to the nail bed may also contribute to improved outcomes. Further refinement in technique and more data are necessary to continue to advance this treatment.

Correspondence: The association between morphea profunda and monoclonal gammopathy: A case series.

It is known that eosinophilic fasciitis can be associated with monoclonal gammopathy. There is clinical similarity between eosinophilic fasciitis and morphea profunda, but it is unclear whether morphea profunda might be associated with monoclonal gammopathy. The temporal quantification of gammopathy in morphea profunda has not been well characterized. We describe four patients with morphea profunda that were associated with monoclonal gammopathy. Three were associated with monoclonal IgG protein and one with IgM. No patients in our series developed myeloma. In conclusion, the association of monoclonal gammopathy is not unique to eosinophilic fasciitis and scleromyxedema. Further studies are necessary to characterize further the relationship between the two conditions.