Leonine facies: A unique presentation of T-prolymphocytic leukemia.

We report a 52-year-old man who presented with erythroderma and nodular lesions on face manifesting as "Leonine facies". He had impaired sensation over the face and was initially diagnosed to have lepromatous leprosy and was treated with antileprosy drugs. Investigations showed a total Leukocyte count of 550 X 109/l with 90% atypical lymphoid cells with prominent central nucleolus suggestive of prolymphocytes. On flow cytometry, these cells were positive for cytoplasmic CD3, CD2, CD5, CD7, CD4, and CD38 (dim) and were negative for CD1a and TdT and diagnosis of T-prolymphocytic leukemia was made.

Eritrodermia y Linfomas Cutáneo de Células T / Erythroderma and Cutanous T - Cell Lymphoma

La eritrodermia es una erupción eritematosa más o menos escamosa que afecta a más del 90 por ciento de la superficie corporal. Se trata de una enfermedad capaz de comprometer el pronóstico vital y que puede complicarse con desequilibrios hidroelectrolíticos, trastornos de la termorregulación, infecciones, así como con fallo cardiovascular. En la presente publicación referimos el caso de un paciente masculino de 72 años con antecedentes de hipertensión arterial y de Lepra que recibió poliquimioterapia, es ingresado en el servicio de dermatología en el período de observación, pues hace alrededor de un año comenzó a presentar enrojecimiento de la piel y múltiples escamas. Al momento del examen se observa paciente eritrodérmico, ectropión, distrofia ungueal importante, con adenopatías palpables axilares e inguinales, asociado a un prurito intenso generalizado. Se realizan estudios para el diagnóstico incluyendo biopsia de ganglios inguinal y de piel, esta última compatible con Micosis Fungoide. Actualmente se reconocen tres variantes eritrodérmicas en el linfoma cutáneo de células T: el síndrome de Sézary, la Eritrodermia en micosis fungoide y la Eritrodermia en linfomas cutáneos de células T: No Especificada. Si bien se entiende al síndrome de Sézary como una expresión leucémica del linfoma cutáneo de células T eritrodérmico, con numerosas células de Sézary en piel, sangre y otros tejidos, la Eritrodermia en micosis fungoide se determinaría ante la ausencia de estos mismos hallazgos hematológicos e histológico ante un cuadro clínico eritrodérmico. Se hace necesaria la publicación del artículo por la forma de presentación de la micosis fungoide, teniendo en cuenta que esta dermatosis tiene un sin número de diagnósticos diferenciales que la hace la gran simuladora en la Dermatología(AU)

Erythroderma is a more or less scaly erythematous rash that affects more than 90 percent of the body surface area. It is a disease capable of compromising the vital prognosis and that can be complicated by hydroelectrolytic imbalances, thermoregulation disorders, infections, as well as cardiovascular failure. In this publication we refer to the case of a 72-year-old male patient with a history of high blood pressure and leprosy who received polychemotherapy, is admitted to the dermatology service in the observation period, as about a year ago he began to develop redness of the skin and multiple scales. At the time of the examination, an erythrothermal patient, ectropion, important ungueal dystrophy, with axillary and inguinal palpable adenopathies, associated with a widespread intense itching, is observed. Studies are conducted for diagnosis including inguinal and skin node biopsy, the latter compatible with Mycosis Fungoide. Three erythrodermal variants are currently recognized in skin T-cell lymphoma: Sézary syndrome, Erythroderma in fungoid mycosis, and Erythroderma in skin T-cell lymphomas: Undepede. While Sézary syndrome is understood as a leukemia expression of erythrodermal T-cell skin lymphoma, with numerous Sézary cells in skin, blood and other tissues, Erythroderma in fungoid mycosis would be determined in the absence of these same haematological and histological findings before an erythrodermal clinical picture. It is necessary to publish the article by the form of presentation of fungoid mycosis, taking into account that this dermatosis has a number of differential diagnoses that makes it the great simulator in Dermatology(EU)

Erythroderma: a prospective study of 309 patients followed for 12 years in a tertiary center.

Erythroderma is characterized by erythema and scaling affecting more than 80% of the body surface area. It is potentially life-threatening, and diagnosis of the underlying disease is a challenge. Despite laboratory improvements, many cases remain idiopathic. We aimed to analyze clinical and laboratory findings of 309 erythrodermic patients to find clues to the etiologic diagnosis. We performed a prospective study at the University of São Paulo Medical School, from 2007 to 2018, with patients with acquired erythroderma. Clinical, laboratory, histology, and molecular biology data were collected. The median age at diagnosis was 57 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.2. Eczema was the most frequent etiology (20.7%), followed by psoriasis (16.8%), Sézary syndrome (12.3%), drug eruption (12.3%), atopic dermatitis (8.7%), and mycosis fungoides (5.5%). Other diagnoses (6.8%) included pemphigus foliaceous, paraneoplastic erythroderma, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, dermatomyositis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, bullous pemphigoid, and leprosy. In 52 patients (16.8%), it was not possible to elucidate erythroderma etiology. Atopic dermatitis developed erythroderma at an earlier age (median 25 years; P = 0.0001). Acute onset was associated with drug reactions and atopic dermatitis (median time from erythroderma to diagnosis of 1 and 1.5 months, respectively; P = 0.0001). Higher immunoglobulin E levels were observed in atopic dermatitis (median 24,600 U/L; P = 0.0001). Histopathology was helpful and was consistent with the final diagnosis in 72.4%. Monoclonal T-cell proliferation in the skin was observed in mycosis fungoides (33.3%) and Sézary syndrome (90.9%). At the last assessment, 211 patients (69.3%) were alive with disease, 65 (21.7%) were alive without disease, and 27 (9.1%) died with active disease. Erythroderma is a challenging syndrome with a difficult diagnostic approach. Younger age and higher immunoglobulin E levels are associated with atopic dermatitis; acute onset is observed in drug eruptions and atopic dermatitis. Histopathology and molecular biology tests are essential tools in the investigation of erythroderma.

Erythroderma as a manifestation of leprosy.

Erythroderma consists of erythema and scaling involving most or all of the body surface. This generalized eruption may be idiopathic, drug-induced or secondary to cutaneous or systemic disease. A 71-year-old man is reported presenting generalized erythema and desquamation with deck-chair sign, nail dystrophy, and plantar ulcers associated with loss of local tactile sensitivity. Biopsies from three different sites demonstrated diffuse lymphocytic infiltrate with incipient granulomas. Fite-Faraco staining showed numerous isolated bacilli and globi. The skin smear was positive. Clinical and pathological diagnosis of borderline lepromatous leprosy was confirmed. This report demonstrates that chronic multibacillary leprosy can manifest as erythroderma and thus should be included in the differential diagnosis.

Erythroderma as a manifestation of leprosy

Abstract: Erythroderma consists of erythema and scaling involving most or all of the body surface. This generalized eruption may be idiopathic, drug-induced or secondary to cutaneous or systemic disease. A 71-year-old man is reported presenting generalized erythema and desquamation with deck-chair sign, nail dystrophy, and plantar ulcers associated with loss of local tactile sensitivity. Biopsies from three different sites demonstrated diffuse lymphocytic infiltrate with incipient granulomas. Fite-Faraco staining showed numerous isolated bacilli and globi. The skin smear was positive. Clinical and pathological diagnosis of borderline lepromatous leprosy was confirmed. This report demonstrates that chronic multibacillary leprosy can manifest as erythroderma and thus should be included in the differential diagnosis.

A case report of erythroderma in a patient with borderline leprosy on reversal reaction: a result of the exacerbated reaction?

BACKGROUND: Erythroderma is characterized by erythema and scaling affecting more than 90% of the body surface area. Inflammatory, neoplastic and, more rarely, infectious diseases may culminate with erythroderma. Diagnosis of the underlying disorder is therefore crucial to institute the appropriate therapy. Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that is endemic in Brazil. Here we present an unusual case of leprosy and reversal reaction causing erythroderma, and we discuss the underlying immunological mechanisms which could contribute to the generalized skin inflammation. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a patient with reversal reaction (RR) in borderline borderline leprosy presenting with erythroderma and neural disabilities. Histopathology of the skin showed regular acanthosis and spongiosis in the epidermis and, in the dermis, compact epithelioid granulomas as well as grouped and isolated bacilli. This duality probably reflects the transition from an anergic/multibacillary state to a state of more effective immunity and bacillary control, typical of RR. Leprosy was successfully treated with WHO's multidrug therapy, plus prednisone for controlling the RR; the erythroderma resolved in parallel with this treatment. Immunologic studies showed in situ predominance of IFNγ + over IL-4+ lymphocytes and of IL-17+ over Foxp3+ lymphocytes, suggesting an exacerbated Th-1/Th-17 immunoreactivity and poor Th-2 and regulatory T-cell responses. Circulating Tregs were also diminished. We hypothesize that the flare-up of anti-mycobacteria immunoreactivity that underlies RR may have triggered the intense inflammatory skin lesions that culminated with erythroderma. CONCLUSIONS: This case report highlights the importance of thorough clinical examination of erythrodermic patients in search for its etiology and suggests that an intense and probably uncontrolled leprosy RR can culminate in the development of erythroderma.

Tiña eritrodérmica y enfermedad de Hansen: Una asociación infrecuente / No

Las infecciones micóticas, uno de los motivos de consulta más frecuentes en la práctica dermatológica, son más frecuentes en pacientes inmunocomprometidos, incluyendo a los afectados de lepra, no solo por la presencia de esta condición sino también debido al consumo de corticoesteroides que se indican en los estados reaccionales. Presentamos el caso de un paciente de sexo masculino de 51 años de edad, con lesiones que inician 10 años antes, cómo manchas rojas dolorosas en brazos. Se automedica con dexametasona más clorfeniramina VO con mejoría parcial de las mismas pero, hace tres meses aparecen manchas pruriginosas, descamativas, no dolorosas, que no mejoran con la medicación citada, diseminándose a todo el cuerpo. Se realiza el diagnóstico de enfermedad de Hansen concomitante con una tiña eritrodérmica

Fungal infections, one of the most frequent reasons for consultation in dermatological practice, are more common in immunocompromised patients, including those suffering from leprosy, not only by the presence of this condition but also due to the use of corticosteroids given in the reactional states. We report the case of a male patient of 51 years of age, with injuries that begin 10 years before, with painful red spots on arms. He self-medicate with oral dexamethasone and chlorpheniramine with partial improvement of the lesions, but three months ago itchy scaly, not painful, spots appear and do not improve with the medication

Peeling skin syndrome in eight cases of four different families from India and Bangladesh.

Peeling skin syndrome (PSS) is a rare recessively inherited ichthyosiform genodermatoses characterized by superficial skin peeling. This has 2 subtypes, acral (APSS; OMIM 609796) and generalized form (OMIM 270300). The later has been subdivided into type A (non-inflammatory) and type B (inflammatory). Eight cases of peeling skin syndrome in 4 families were recorded over a period of 5 years. They were diagnosed clinically and confirmed histopathologically. Disease onset ranged from birth to childhood age (mean 5.25 ± 4.528 years) and age at presentation ranged from 7-35 years (mean 23.25 ± 10.471 years). Males outnumbered females (M:F - 5:3). All had non-inflammatory generalized disease of type-A PSS variety, except one who had type-B PSS. Two Muslim families (1 st and 2 nd family, total 5 patients) came from nearby country Bangladesh, and the 2 Hindu families were Indian. Higher severity over acral areas in generalized type, possible autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and improvement with age as found in this series were new manifestations and possibly unreported previously. The disease was found to be poorly responsive to oral retinoids. Prevalence of the disease may be higher than expected. Importance of mutational analysis was also highlighted.

Oxidative stress and leukocyte migration inhibition response in cutaneous adverse drug reactions.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous adverse drug reactions (CADRs) may either be immunological or non-immunological. The precise mechanisms, however, are largely obscure. Other concomitant mechanisms may amplify and/or contribute to the severity and duration of a reaction. One such mechanism could be oxidative stress, a state of imbalance between reactive oxygen species, and their subsequent detoxification by antioxidants. AIMS: (a) to assess the oxidative stress status in the blood of cutaneous drug reaction patients by assaying for reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, (b) to determine the leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) response in these patients in response to the suspected drug (s), and (c) to look for the association between oxidative stress parameters and LMI. METHODS: Ethical committee approval was obtained for this study. Fresh venous blood samples were obtained from the patients of CADRs (group A) during the acute phase of reaction and healthy control subjects (group B). MDA levels, a measure of oxidative lipid damage, and reduced GSH levels, a measure of anti-oxidant capacity, were assayed in the blood samples of both groups using spectrophotometry. LMI response was measured by challenging the patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells with the suspected drug to confirm immunological perturbation. RESULTS: Totally 66 participants, 33 cases in group A and equal number of controls in group B, were studied. The mean MDA levels were found to be raised (P < 0.001), but GSH levels were significantly reduced in group A when compared with group B (P = <0.001). LMI response against drug(s) was performed in 33 cases (group A), out of which 25 cases showed a positive LMI response as follows: fixed drug eruption (10/25), SJS (5/25), urticaria (3/25), exfoliative dermatitis (2/25), morbilliform rash (2/25), erythroderma (1/25), vasculitis (1/25), and dapsone syndrome (1/25). The mean MDA levels were found to be significantly higher in the LMI positive CADRs (P < 0.001) when compared with LMI-negative ones, while no significant difference was seen for GSH (P = 0.100). Furthermore, there was a significant positive correlation between MDA levels and LMI response (r = 0.831, P < 0.001). On the other hand, a negative but statistically insignificant correlation was found between GSH and LMI response (r = -0.248, P = 0.271). CONCLUSION: CADR patients were found to be under oxidative stress based on MDA and GSH levels in the peripheral blood. There is a significant positive correlation of LMI response (against the causative drug) with MDA levels, which strongly associates oxidative stress with the immunopathogenesis in CADRs.

Erythroderma in children.

Although erythroderma is a well-recognized entity in the adult age groups and has been studied by various authors, there is a paucity of studies on erythroderma in the pediatric age group. It poses a greater challenge to the dermatologist and pediatrician because of its potential life threatening nature. In a study conducted by us in a large Indian hospital to delineate the causes of neonatal and infantile erythroderma, the causes identified were infections (40%), ichthyosiform erythroderma (25%), atopic dermatitis (15%), infantile seborrheic dermatitis (10%) and unidentified (10%). In another study of childhood erythroderma, etiologically, drugs (29%) showed the highest incidence, followed equally (18%) by genodermatoses, psoriasis and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome (SSSS). The management of childhood erythroderma is mainly supportive with correction of the hematologic, biochemical and metabolic imbalance if required. In this review, the causes of childhood erythroderma, the clinical features useful to the diagnosis and management are discussed.

Neonatal dermatological emergencies.

The neonates are unique in several ways in comparison with older children and adults which render them highly susceptible to severe, sometimes life threatening dermatological disorders. The neonatal dermatological emergencies are a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. A wide range of dermatoses such as infections, genodermatoses, metabolic disorders and vascular tumors may require emergency care. The clinical presentation also varies from generalized involvement of skin to localized disease with or without systemic symptoms. Irrespective of the etiology and clinical presentation, these disorders are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. With the availability of effective drugs and monitoring facilities, and awareness of need for immediate care, there has been a significant decline in the fatality rate associated with neonatal dermatological emergencies. Knowledge of clinical presentations, rapid diagnostic methods, emergency care and monitoring of progress of the disease helps in comprehensive multidisciplinary care of neonates with these disorders.