Reassessing Melanonychia Striata in Phototypes IV, V, and VI Patients.

BACKGROUND: Racial melanonychia striata is a nail plate dyschromia described as a gray coloration of the background in dermatoscopy and hypermelanosis in histology. However, many cases with brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination have been followed. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate racial melanonychia striata dermatoscopical patterns and histological diagnosis in Fitzpatrick skin Types IV, V, or VI population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 482 Fitzpatrick skin Types IV, V, or VI patients, between 19 and 72 years of age, were clinically evaluated and underwent nail plate dermatoscopic examination. Fifty-eight patients presenting melanonychia striata and dermatoscopic patterns with brown or black coloration of the background were submitted to a nail matrix biopsy. When occurring in more than 1 digit, biopsy was performed in the lesion with the darkest coloration presented in dermatoscopy. RESULTS: All skin Types IV, V, or VI patients who had melanonychia striata, with brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination, revealed histopathological analysis compatible with hypermelanosis. CONCLUSION: Racial melanonychia in skin Types IV, V, or VI patients, resulting from hypermelanosis, may present brown or black coloration of the background in the dermatoscopic examination.

Patterns of nail matrix and bed of longitudinal melanonychia by intraoperative dermatoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The dermatoscopic examination of the nail plate has been recently introduced for the evaluation of pigmented nail lesions. There is, however, no evidence that this technique improves diagnostic accuracy of in situ melanoma. OBJECTIVE: To establish and validate patterns for intraoperative dermatoscopy of the nail matrix. METHODS: Intraoperative nail matrix dermatoscopy was performed in 100 consecutive bands of longitudinal melanonychia that were excised and submitted to histopathologic examination. RESULTS: We identified 4 dermatoscopic patterns: regular gray pattern (hypermelanosis), regular brown pattern (benign melanocytic hyperplasia), regular brown pattern with globules or blotch (melanocytic nevi), and irregular pattern (melanoma). LIMITATIONS: Nail matrix dermatoscopy is an invasive procedure that can not routinely be performed in all cases of melanonychia. CONCLUSION: The patterns described present high sensitivity and specificity for intraoperative differential diagnosis of pigmented nail lesions.

Demographic, Clinical, and Pathologic Features of Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma: Final Analysis of the Brazilian Melanoma Group Database.

PURPOSE: National epidemiologic data on melanoma are scarce in Brazil. The current work presents final demographic, clinical, and pathologic results from the Brazilian Melanoma Group database to detail how patients with melanoma present at diagnosis. METHODS: The online database includes patients diagnosed between 1982 and 2015 and evaluated at their centers of origin between 2001 and 2016. The primary objective was to describe the demographic, clinical, and pathologic characteristics of the patients, and secondary objectives were to investigate the association between clinical and pathologic variables of interest. RESULTS: A total of 1,596 patients were included. Median age was 52 years, 57% were women, and the majority were identified as white. Invasive melanoma was diagnosed in 1,297 patients, mostly localized, whereas 299 (19%) had in situ disease (TisN0M0). Only 165 patients had initial lymph node involvement. Fitzpatrick skin types I or II were slightly more frequent with in situ melanoma (73%) than with invasive disease (67%; P = .054). The median Breslow thickness was 0.95 mm, Clark levels 2 and 3 comprised nearly 70% of cases, and ulceration was present in 18% of patients. The mitotic rate was significantly associated with the presence of ulceration and both vascular and perineural invasion but not with margin positivity, whereas histologic regression was associated with both intratumoral and peritumoral inflammatory infiltrates. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of an observational, registry-based study, the current results provide a general profile of patients with cutaneous melanoma in Brazil at the time of diagnosis.

Giant atypical lipoma.

Liposarcomas correspond to the most common histological subtype of soft tissue sarcomas. They can be subdivided into: well differentiated or atypical lipoma, undifferentiated, myxoid, round, and pleomorphic cells. Atypical lipomas are the most prevalent and usually appear as asymptomatic softened tumors. They are locally aggressive but rarely lead to distant metastases. The diagnosis of this tumor is based on the imaging and histopathologic findings. Treatment consists of excision surgery with complete tumor removal. It has a good prognosis due to the low percentage of distant metastases. We report a rare case of giant atypical lipoma as well as the adopted therapy and evolution.

Giant congenital melanocytic nevi: 40 years of experience with the serial excision technique.

Although giant congenital melanocytic nevus is a rare lesion, it causes significant deformity and carries a risk of malignant degeneration. Different surgical techniques for the lesion removal are described, including serial resection, resection with skin grafting, and resection and coverage with expanded skin flap (skin expanders). The aim of this study is to report the author's 40 years of experience with cases requiring at least 4 serial excisions to complete the treatment. Serial resection is an effective, safe, and simple technique that requires a lot of patience. Treatment often results in a single linear scar, requires no donor sites, nor large flaps. It is not subject to potencial complications of expanders and avoid aesthetic deformities depending on the location.

Necrolytic acral erythema: a rare skin disease associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

Necrolytic acral erythema is a rare skin disease associated with hepatitis C virus infection. We report a case of a 31-year-old woman with hepatitis C virus infection and decreased zinc serum level. Physical examination revealed scaly, lichenified plaques, well-demarcated with an erythematous peripheral rim located on the lower limbs. After blood transfusion and oral zinc supplementation the patient presented an improvement of lesions.

Sebaceous hyperplasia: systemic treatment with isotretinoin.

The study aimed to verify the therapeutic action of isotretinoin in the treatment of sebaceous hyperplasia. During two months, 20 patients with sebaceous hyperplasia took isotretinoin at a dosage of 1mg/kg per day. Their skin lesions were counted and photographed before and after treatment and re-evaluated two years later. The average number of sebaceous hyperplasia lesions before treatment was 24 per patient. At the end of two months of therapy, the number of lesions decreased to 2 per patient. The statistically analyzed data showed a reduction in the number of lesions following isotretinoin use (p < 0.05). Two years after the end of the treatment, the average number of sebaceous hyperplasia lesions was 4 per patient. There were no severe side effects. Thus, the data analysis suggests that isotretinoin is a safe and effective drug for treating the disease under study.

Polypoid melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma different subtypes in the same lesion.

Melanoma is a malignant melanocytic neoplasm with high mortality rate, and steadily and universally increasing incidence rates. Polypoid melanoma is considered an exophytic variant of the nodular subtype. The incidence of polypoid melanoma is extremely variable, most likely because of the different criteria used for its characterization. We presented a rare case of polypoid melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma in the same lesion.

Melanoma developed during pregnancy--a case report.

We describe a case of plantar interdigital cutaneous melanoma in a 22-year-old woman who reported changes in a pigmented lesion during pregnancy. Diagnosis was late and evolution unfavourable. The purpose of this report is to draw the attention of dermatologists to the need for careful regular examination of melanocytic lesions in pregnant women, not ignoring possible changes as always physiological.

Reconstrução da hélice da orelha sem triângulo de compensação / Ear's helix reconstruction without the compensation triangle

Os cânceres da pele na região da cabeça e do pescoço correspondem a 70-75% dos tumores cutâneos malignos, e, destes, 80% são do tipo carcinoma basocelular. O pavilhão auricular é a localização dos tumores cutâneos malignos em percentual que varia de três a 6% dos casos. Relatamos técnica alternativa para reconstrução da hélice após exérese de tumores sem a utilização do triângulo de compensação clássico, de modo a proporcionar cicatriz na dobra da hélice, com melhor resultado estético, sem retrações inestéticas ou cicatrizes transversais à hélice.

Skin cancers in the head and neck region account for 70-75% of malignant cutaneous tumors, of which 80% are basal cell carcinomas. Between 3-6% of malignant cutaneous tumors occur in the auricular pavilion. The authors of the present paper report an alternative technique for reconstructing the ear helix after excision of tumors, without the use of the classic compensation triangle. This method allows that the scar be located in the helical sulcus, resulting in a better aesthetic result, without unaesthetic retractions or scars located transversely to the helix.

Giant congenital melanocytic nevi: 40 years of experience with the serial excision technique

Abstract: Although giant congenital melanocytic nevus is a rare lesion, it causes significant deformity and carries a risk of malignant degeneration. Different surgical techniques for the lesion removal are described, including serial resection, resection with skin grafting, and resection and coverage with expanded skin flap (skin expanders). The aim of this study is to report the author's 40 years of experience with cases requiring at least 4 serial excisions to complete the treatment. Serial resection is an effective, safe, and simple technique that requires a lot of patience. Treatment often results in a single linear scar, requires no donor sites, nor large flaps. It is not subject to potencial complications of expanders and avoid aesthetic deformities depending on the location.

Giant atypical lipoma

Abstract: Liposarcomas correspond to the most common histological subtype of soft tissue sarcomas. They can be subdivided into: well differentiated or atypical lipoma, undifferentiated, myxoid, round, and pleomorphic cells. Atypical lipomas are the most prevalent and usually appear as asymptomatic softened tumors. They are locally aggressive but rarely lead to distant metastases. The diagnosis of this tumor is based on the imaging and histopathologic findings. Treatment consists of excision surgery with complete tumor removal. It has a good prognosis due to the low percentage of distant metastases. We report a rare case of giant atypical lipoma as well as the adopted therapy and evolution.

Necrolytic acral erythema: a rare skin disease associated with hepatitis C virus infection

Abstract: Necrolytic acral erythema is a rare skin disease associated with hepatitis C virus infection. We report a case of a 31-year-old woman with hepatitis C virus infection and decreased zinc serum level. Physical examination revealed scaly, lichenified plaques, well-demarcated with an erythematous peripheral rim located on the lower limbs. After blood transfusion and oral zinc supplementation the patient presented an improvement of lesions.

Dermoscopic patterns of molluscum contagiosum: a study of 211 lesions confirmed by histopathology.

BACKGROUNDS: Although easily diagnosed, molluscum contagiosum may present as a single lesion or as several small, inflamed lesions of difficult diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: To describe the dermoscopic characteristics of molluscum contagiosum and to compare the findings from clinical examination and dermoscopy. METHODS: Histopathologically confirmed lesions were evaluated clinically and dermoscopically in 57 patients. RESULTS: At clinical examination and dermoscopy of 211 lesions, orifices were visualized in 50.24% and 96.68% of the lesions, and vessels in 6.16% and 89.10%, respectively. The vascular patterns found in the 188 lesions in which vessels were found at dermoscopy were the crown (72.34%), radial (54.25%) and punctiform patterns (20.21%). Half of the 188 lesions had a combination of vascular patterns, with the flower pattern (a new vascular pattern) being found in 19.68% of cases. More orifices and vessels were identified at dermoscopy than at clinical examination, including cases with inflammation or perilesional eczema and small lesions. Punctiform vessels were associated with inflammation, excoriation and perilesional eczema. CONCLUSIONS: Dermoscopy performed on molluscum contagiosum lesions proved superior to dermatological examination even in cases in which clinical diagnosis was difficult. The presence of orifices, vessels and specific vascular patterns aids diagnosis, including differential diagnosis with other types of skin lesion.

Diagnosis of glomus tumor by nail bed and matrix dermoscopy.

Surgery is the best treatment for glomus tumors. Sometimes this can be a challenging procedure because, despite being a well-defined tumor, its visualization can be difficult. The use of nail bed and matrix dermoscopy facilitates the diagnosis and aids in the localization and demarcation of the tumor. It is a simple and low-cost procedure that does not involve additional risks to the patient who will undergo surgery.

Dermatologists' accuracy in early diagnosis of melanoma of the nail matrix.

OBJECTIVE: To measure and compare the accuracy of 4 different clinical methods in the diagnosis of melanoma in situ of the nail matrix among dermatologists with different levels of clinical experience. DESIGN: Twelve cases of melanonychias (5 melanomas and 7 nonmelanomas) were presented following 4 successive steps: (1) clinical evaluation, (2) evaluation according to the ABCDEF rule, (3) dermoscopy of the nail plate, and (4) intraoperative dermoscopy. At each step, the dermatologists were asked to decide if the lesion was a melanoma. SETTING: The test was administered at 2 dermatological meetings in 2008. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 152 dermatologists, including 11 nail experts, 53 senior dermatologists, and 88 junior dermatologists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The answers were evaluated as percentage of right answers for each diagnostic step according to the different grade of expertise. Differences among the percentage of right answers in the different steps were evaluated with the z test at a 5% level of significance. The agreement was investigated using Cohen kappa statistic. RESULTS: The only method that statistically influenced the correct diagnosis for each category (experts, seniors, and juniors) was intraoperative dermoscopy (z test; P < .05). Cohen kappa statistic showed a moderate interobserver agreement. CONCLUSIONS: Overall accuracy of dermatologists in the diagnosis of nail matrix melanoma in situ is low because the percentages of physicians who indicated the correct diagnosis during each of the first 3 clinical steps of the test ranged from 46% to 55%. The level of expertise did not statistically influence the correct diagnosis.

Sebaceous hyperplasia: systemic treatment with isotretinoin

The study aimed to verify the therapeutic action of isotretinoin in the treatment of sebaceous hyperplasia. During two months, 20 patients with sebaceous hyperplasia took isotretinoin at a dosage of 1mg/kg per day. Their skin lesions were counted and photographed before and after treatment and re-evaluated two years later. The average number of sebaceous hyperplasia lesions before treatment was 24 per patient. At the end of two months of therapy, the number of lesions decreased to 2 per patient. The statistically analyzed data showed a reduction in the number of lesions following isotretinoin use (p < 0.05). Two years after the end of the treatment, the average number of sebaceous hyperplasia lesions was 4 per patient. There were no severe side effects. Thus, the data analysis suggests that isotretinoin is a safe and effective drug for treating the disease under study.

Polypoid melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma different subtypes in the same lesion

Melanoma is a malignant melanocytic neoplasm with high mortality rate, and steadily and universally increasing incidence rates. Polypoid melanoma is considered an exophytic variant of the nodular subtype. The incidence of polypoid melanoma is extremely variable, most likely because of the different criteria used for its characterization. We presented a rare case of polypoid melanoma and superficial spreading melanoma in the same lesion.