Treatment Outcomes of Adjunct and Stand-alone Photodynamic Therapy in Patients With Extramammary Paget Disease: A Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) is a rare malignant neoplasm arising from apocrine gland-bearing skin. The surgical management of EMPD is often coupled with noninvasive techniques including cryotherapy, ablative lasers, topical chemotherapies, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). The specificity and preservation of tissue that PDT with photosensitizers 5-aminolevulinic acid or 5-methyl aminolevulinate allows makes it a potential treatment of EMPD. METHODS: The authors present a review of 13 studies, from 2002 to 2019, examining the reported efficacy of PDT alone and adjunctive PDT in EMPD treatment. RESULTS: In the 52 patients with 56 lesions who received stand-alone PDT, 20 lesions (35.7%, n = 20/56) experienced complete resolution, 31 lesions (55.4%, n = 31/56) experienced partial resolution, 5 lesions (8.9%, n = 5/56) failed to demonstrate response to treatment, and 23 lesions (41.1%, n = 23/56) had recurrence. In the 56 patients with 66 lesions that received adjunctive PDT paired with surgery ( n = 55/66), imiquimod ( n = 4/66), holmium laser and surgery ( n = 1/66), Mohs surgery ( n = 2/66), and combined surgery, imiquimod, and 5-fluorouracil ( n = 1/66), 34 lesions (51.5%) experienced complete resolution, 27 lesions (40.9%) experienced partial resolution, 5 lesions (7.6%) failed to demonstrate any response to treatment, and 16 lesions (24.2%) had EMPD recurrence. CONCLUSION: Further studies with larger sample size are needed to consolidate these findings and inform clinical decisions.

Psoriasiform lesions and abscesses as initial manifestations of severe hypothyroidism in a previously healthy 15-year-old girl.

Hypothyroidism is associated with many characteristic cutaneous manifestations; however, to the best of our knowledge, it has not previously been linked to psoriasiform lesions or multiple abscesses. We describe a previously healthy 15-year-old girl with psoriasiform lesions, abscesses, and extremely severe hypothyroidism, all presenting simultaneously. The pathophysiology of the connection is unclear, but several hypotheses are discussed. The temporal relationship of these conditions and the significant improvement of the skin lesions upon normalization of T4 levels following initiation of thyroid supplementation illustrate a direct association. It is probable that the extreme severity of hypothyroidism in our patient is implicated in the etiology of these skin lesions. This unique case illustrates that novel cutaneous manifestations may sometimes act as an early presenting sign of hypothyroidism and may be associated with more severe forms of the disorder.

Topical treatment of Bowen's disease with 5-Fluorouracil.

BACKGROUND: Bowen's disease is a common skin cancer. There are many different therapeutic approaches to treatment. Topical 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) cream has been used for many years and there are many published papers attesting to its effectiveness. However, no papers have presented long-term followup results with biopsy confirmation of cure. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article is to present the long-term findings following the use of this cream in the treatment of Bowen's disease. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with 26 biopsy-confirmed lesions of Bowen's disease were treated with topical 5-Fluorouracil cream and were followed for periods of up to 10 years. Posttreatment biopsies were performed in most cases. RESULTS: Two of the 26 lesions treated topically recurred at some point. The rest were apparently cured. CONCLUSION: The results presented in this article confirm that treatment of Bowen's disease with topical 5-Fluorouracil cream is safe and effective treatment.