Animals eponyms in dermatology.

The world of Dermatology is flooded with inflexions among clinical conditions and signs and syndromes; making it interesting, but a tougher subject to remember. Signs and syndromes have always fascinated residents, but simultaneously burdened their minds, as these attractive names are difficult to remember. This work was undertaken to review dermatological conditions and signs based on commonly encountered daily words and objects like animals, etc. Fifty dermatological conditions were found to be based on animal eponyms. For example, the usage of animal terminology in dermatology like leonine facies is present in leprosy, sarcoidosis, mycosis fungoides (MF), and airborne contact dermatitis (ABCD).

Cutaneous zygomycosis: a possible postoperative complication in immunocompetent individuals.

Fungi in the class of zygomycetes usually produce serious infections in diabetics and immunocompromised hosts. Cutaneous zygomycosis is a less common form, with an unpredictable extent of anatomical involvement and clinical course. Here, we report two cases of primary cutaneous zygomycosis as postoperative complications in otherwise healthy females. Zygomycosis was suspected and specimens from the surgical debridement were examined by microbiological and histopathological studies for confirming the clinical diagnosis. Rapid diagnosis, liposomal amphotericin B, and proper debridement of affected tissue are necessary to avoid a fatal outcome.

Parameatal urethral cyst.

Cyst formation in the parameatal area of the urethra is an uncommon entity. It was first reported in two male cases as recently as 1956 by Thompson and Lantin. Further reports have been rare. Herein, we report a case of a 21 year-old male having a spherical, cystic swelling 1 cm in size at the external urethral meatus. The diagnosis of parameatal urethral cyst was made and the cyst was excised. Histopathological examination revealed a monolocular cyst lined with transitional cells. The postoperative period was uneventful.

Chromoblastomycosis in Nepal: a study of 13 cases.

BACKGROUND: Chromoblastomycosis is a chronic fungal infection caused by several pigmented fungi commonly seen in tropical and subtropical climates. AIM: To evaluate the epidemiologic, clinical and pathological characteristics of chromoblastomycosis in our patients. METHODS: This retrospective and prospective study was conducted at the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. Clinical features and histopathology of all the cases diagnosed as chromoblastomycosis during the last eight years were studied. RESULTS: A total of 13 cases of chromoblastomycosis were diagnosed during the period of 1999-2006. The disease was seen predominantly in middle-aged male farmers and those from rural areas. The lesions commonly involved the lower extremity and were single or multiple in number. They clinically presented as verrucous or nodular growths. Out of these 13 cases, three were diagnosed clinically as squamous cell carcinoma and one as psoriasis. The histopathological features included sclerotic bodies in 12 cases (92%), microabscess formation in 10 cases (76.9%), pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in nine cases (69.2%) and granuloma in eight cases (61.5%). CONCLUSION: Farming is the commonest occupation in patients with chromoblastomycosis. Early histological diagnosis helps in effective management of the condition.

S-100 as a useful auxiliary diagnostic aid in tuberculoid leprosy.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of tuberculoid leprosy is often difficult on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) due to the absence of demonstrable nerve destruction. This study evaluates the utility of S-100 staining in identifying nerve fragmentation and differentiation of tuberculoid leprosy from other cutaneous granulomatous diseases. METHODS: Fifty cases of leprosy including 38 borderline tuberculoid (BT), two tuberculoid (TT), and 10 indeterminate leprosy (IL) were studied. Eleven controls of non-lepromatous cutaneous granulomatous lesions were included. S-100 was used for identifying the following dermal nerve patterns: infiltrated (A), fragmented (B), absent (C), and intact (D) nerves. RESULTS: On H&E, only 18/38 (47.4%) BT cases and 1/2 (50%) TT cases revealed neural inflammation. On S-100 staining of BT cases, 28/38 (73.7%) showed pattern B followed by patterns C and A in 8/38 (21.1%) and 2/38 (5.3%) cases, respectively. Both the TT cases showed pattern B. Only intact nerves (D) were seen in all the control cases. S-100 identified nerve damage in 4/10 (40%) IL cases. The patterns A, B, and C had sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 100% in diagnosing tuberculoid (BT + TT) leprosy. CONCLUSIONS: S-100 is superior to H&E in identifying nerve fragmentation (p < 0.01). It also aids the differential diagnosis of tuberculoid leprosy.