Bullous morphoea: a retrospective study.

Bullous morphoea is a rare variant of localized scleroderma whose pathogenesis has been widely discussed. We retrospectively reviewed the records of all histopathologically confirmed cases of morphoea followed from 2005 to 2015 at the Dermatology Clinic and Pathology Institute of the University of Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. Among 137 patients with morphoea, 2 cases of the bullous variant were identified, which were successfully treated with methotrexate. Thus, the bullous form comprised 1.4% of all cases of morphoea, which is much lower than the 7.5% previously reported. In one of the cases, histopathological examination revealed a peculiar 'stretching' pattern of basal keratinocytes attached to the epidermal roof of the bulla, together with increased lymphatic vessels, which were either collapsed or dilated, stressing the role of lymphatics and possibly of excessive skin trauma and friction in the development of bullous lesions.

Granulomatous reactions after injections of multiple aesthetic micro-implants in temporal combinations: a complication of filler addiction.

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous reaction is a well-known complication following soft filler procedures. However, the diagnosis of filler-induced granulomas may be challenging because of the occasional reluctance of patients to report the previously performed aesthetic procedure. OBJECTIVE: To describe a new clinical situation in which some patients, in the quest for physical perfection, become addicted to multiple sequential cosmetic injections, increasing the risk of adverse reactions. METHODS: We describe three women who developed diffuse facial nodular tumefaction after multiple procedures of filler injections into their face that occurred at different times in the previous years. RESULTS: Histopathology showed a granulomatous reaction including different combined substances that were identified with different types of micro-implants in the same biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive demand of multiple cosmetic injections may increase the frequency of skin granulomatous reactions and can be included in the spectrum of similar addictive dysmorphophobic behaviours. Histopathology is the best mean to achieve the diagnosis.

Diffuse dermal angiomatosis: a clinical mimicker of vasculitis associated with calciphylaxis and monoclonal gammopathy.

Diffuse dermal angiomatosis is a form of cutaneous reactive angiomatosis characterized clinically by painful erythematous or violaceous lesions with ulcers that may mimic cutaneous vasculitis/vasculopathy. Histologically it shows a benign, diffuse proliferation of endothelial cells with tiny blood vessels in the papillary and reticular dermis. Herein, we report four patients with diffuse dermal angiomatosis in the setting of calciphylaxis and monoclonal gammopathy and review the cases previously published in the literature. Comorbidities and management will also be discussed.

Cutaneous adverse drug reactions to allopurinol: 10 year observational survey of the dermatology department--Cagliari University (Italy).

BACKGROUND: Allopurinol is extensively prescribed for conditions associated with urate excess, despite being responsible for severe cutaneous adverse drug reactions (ADR). OBJECTIVE: A cross-sectional survey of allopurinol cases observed at the main Dermatology Department with inpatients facilities in southern Sardinia. (approx 560,836 inhabitants). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data collection of all consecutive patients referred for ADR between 2001 and 2010. Causality assessment followed the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Monitoring criteria; illness severity score was adopted for toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN). RESULTS: Allopurinol was the culprit drug in 84 of 780 cutaneous ADR cases (10.7%; 8.4 cases/year). Mean age was 74 years, 58% of the patients were female, 95% of patients required hospitalization. Clinical forms were maculo-papular eruptions (34 cases), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (31 cases), vasculitis (six cases), Drug Rash Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) (three cases), Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustolosis (AGEP) (three cases), Pityriasis rosea-like eruption (three cases), lichenoid dermatitis (two cases), fixed drug eruption (one case), erythroderma (one case). The indication for allopurinol prescription was asymptomatic hyper-uricemia in 95% of the patients. Twelve patients were under allopurinol dosage adjustment according to creatinine clearance. Final causality assessment was definite for 12% of the cases and probable for the remaining 88%. Full recovery was achieved in 88% of subjects; ten SJS/TEN patients died (12% overall mortality; 32% mortality of the SJS/TEN cases). CONCLUSION: Considering the populations size of Southern Sardinia, is plausible that 1.5/100,000 Sardinian will be affected by allopurinol related ADR per year. Advanced age, and inappropriate allopurinol prescription were the main conditions affecting morbidity and mortality.

Rare emerging malignant skin tumours.

As clinical skills improve and innovative diagnostic techniques become available in the field of dermatology and dermatopathology, new types or additional variants of malignant skin tumors are described. This article reviews the current nomenclature, clinico-pathological features, differential diagnosis, prognostic and therapeutic implications of some new dermato(patho)logical rare emerging skin tumors, including epithelial tumors (squamous cell carcinoma with mucinous metaplasia), adnexal tumors (endocrine mucin-producing sweat gland carcinoma), soft tissue tumors of vascular differentiation (pseudolymphomatous cutaneous angiosarcoma, pseudomyogenic hemangioendothelioma), hematopoietic tumors (blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm) and mixed epithelial/melanocytic tumor (squamomelanocytic tumor).

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Well's syndrome): a new case description.

BACKGROUND: Wells' syndrome was first described by Wells in 1971 as a recurrent granulomatous dermatitis with eosinophilia and was later named eosinophilic cellulitis. It is defined by the following criteria: (i) sudden onset of annular or circinate erythematous-edematous patches that rapidly evolve to morphea-like blue-slate-colored plaques; (ii) a histological picture usually characterized by the presence of 'flame figures'; (iii) non-constant blood hypereosinophilia. METHODS: We describe the case of a 49-year-old woman who reported the sudden appearance of a few hard, pasty, oval-shaped, reddish-violet, moderately itchy, erythematous-edematous patches on both arms about 2 months before our observation. RESULTS: The remote pathologic history showed that the woman have been submitted to quadrantectomy with lymph node dissection followed by cobalt therapy for breast cancer. Based on the pharmacological history, intake of drugs was excluded. Routine blood chemistry and instrumental tests did not show any alteration, nor did assays of the main autoantibodies, complement, circulating immunocomplexes, or tumor markers. CONCLUSIONS: Histologically the picture was compatible with the diagnosis of Eosinophilic cellulitis. Following topical corticosteroid therapy the lesion healed rapidly. It relapsed 2 months later, and was again cured with the same topical treatment. No further relapses were observed in a 1 year follow-up.

Clinical efficacy and tolerability of terbinafine in patients with pityriasis versicolor.

The antifungal efficacy and tolerability of 1% terbinafine cream vs. 1% bifonazole cream were assessed in a single blind randomized trial in patients with pityriasis versicolor. Terbinafine, a drug of the allylamines group, a new class of anti-mycotic agents, blocks sterol biosynthesis in the pathogen through inhibition of squalene epoxidase and consequent squalene accumulation, a primarily fungicidal process. Forty pityriasis versicolor patients, (18 M, 22 F; mean age 32.4 years; min. 16, max. 65), used 1% terbinafine cream or 1% bifonazole cream for a maximum of 4 weeks. All patients were followed-up weekly both clinically and mycologically. Clinical cures, defined as negativization of each clinical parameter, were recorded for 20 terbinafine patients (100%) and 19 bifonazole patients (95%), with routine microscopy and Wood's light tests both negative. By the 2nd week of treatment, 2 terbinafine patients were mycologically cured (10%). By the 3rd week, 14 terbinafine patients (70%) and 5 bifonazole patients (25%) were mycologically cured. The present controlled clinical trial consequently demonstrates that terbinafine is rapidly effective and well tolerated for treatment of pityriasis versicolor.