Dermatologic manifestations of hematologic disorders.

Distinguishing key morphologic features and understanding the pathophysiology of common cutaneous manifestations of hematologic disorders is essential to ensure prompt and appropriate treatment. In fact, classic cutaneous signs may provide the first clue to the diagnosis of an underlying hematologic disease. Disorders of coagulation, vascular abnormalities, or cutaneous infiltration and deposition are responsible for the underlying pathophysiology of cutaneous manifestations in the majority of cases. Hematologists often feel ill-equipped in identifying morphologic changes in the skin. Thus, the purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of classic cutaneous manifestations and diagnostic considerations of the associated hematologic conditions. Though there is a specific focus on non-malignant disorders, those straddling the spectrum of malignancy are also discussed. In many disease states, the skin may serve as an important marker of an emerging hematologic disorder, so close collaboration and multidisciplinary input remain essential to provide optimal and timely care for these patients.

Dermatology urgent care model reduces costs and healthcare utilization for psychodermatology patients - a retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND: Patients with psychiatric dermatoses may be high users of healthcare, especially emergency services. A dermatology urgent care model may reduce healthcare utilization in this population. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a dermatology urgent care model can reduce healthcare utilization among patients with psychiatric dermatoses. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients seen in dermatology urgent care at Oregon Health and Science University between 2018 and 2020 with diagnoses of Morgellons disease and neurotic excoriations. Rates of diagnosis-related healthcare visits and emergency department visits were annualized before and during engagement with the dermatology department. Rates were compared using paired t-tests. RESULTS: We found an 88.0% reduction in annual rates of healthcare visits (P<0.001) and 77.0% reduction in emergency room visits (P<0.003). Results were unchanged when controlled for gender identity, diagnosis, and substance use. LIMITATIONS: We could not account for healthcare use not included in electronic health record. CONCLUSION: Urgent care models in dermatology may reduce overuse of healthcare and emergency services among patients with psychiatric dermatoses.

Use of teledermatology by dermatology hospitalists is effective in the diagnosis and management of inpatient disease.

BACKGROUND: Patient outcomes are improved when dermatologists provide inpatient consultations. Inpatient access to dermatologists is limited, illustrating an opportunity to use teledermatology. Little is known about the ability of dermatologists to accurately diagnose disease and manage inpatients with teledermatology, particularly when using nondermatologist-generated clinical data. METHODS: This prospective study assessed the ability of teledermatology to diagnose disease and manage 41 dermatology consultations from a large urban tertiary care center, using internal medicine referral documentation and photographs. Twenty-seven dermatology hospitalists were surveyed. Interrater agreement was assessed by the κ statistic. RESULTS: There was substantial agreement between in-person and teledermatology assessment of the diagnosis with differential diagnosis (median κ = 0.83), substantial agreement in laboratory evaluation decisions (median κ = 0.67), almost perfect agreement in imaging decisions (median κ = 1.0), and moderate agreement in biopsy decisions (median κ = 0.43). There was almost perfect agreement in treatment (median κ = 1.0), but no agreement in follow-up planning (median κ = 0.0). There was no association between raw photograph quality and the primary plus differential diagnosis or primary diagnosis alone. LIMITATIONS: Selection bias and single-center nature. CONCLUSIONS: Teledermatology may be effective in the inpatient setting, with concordant diagnosis, evaluation, and management decisions.

Inpatient teledermatology: Diagnostic and therapeutic concordance among a hospitalist, dermatologist, and teledermatologist using store-and-forward teledermatology.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient dermatology has been shown to improve patient outcomes at a reduced cost. Few hospitals have dermatologists available. Teledermatology may allow dermatologists to assess hospitalized patients remotely. OBJECTIVE: To examine the diagnostic concordance between a hospitalist, dermatologist, and teledermatologist using store-and-forward teledermatology. METHODS: For 100 consecutive patients requiring inpatient dermatology consultation, a survey was conducted by all 3 raters to convey diagnostic impressions and therapeutic recommendations. Complete and partial agreements were assessed using the Cohen kappa statistic. RESULTS: Inpatient dermatology consultation often resulted in a change in diagnosis (50.9%) and a change in systemic therapy (41.5%). Likewise, virtual teledermatology consultation would have resulted in a change in diagnosis (54.7%) and a change in systemic therapy (47.2%) at similar rates. Comparing the dermatologist and teledermatologists, diagnostic complete and partial agreement were 52.8% and 84.9%, respectively. Systemic therapy agreement was 77.4%. Teledermatologists recommended biopsy more often (68.5% vs 43.5%). LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, tertiary academic medical center, single rater for inpatient teledermatology with specific inpatient niche. CONCLUSION: Teledermatologists performed comparably to an in-person dermatologist for the diagnosis and management of hospitalized patients with skin conditions. Teledermatology may be a suitable alternative for delivery of inpatient care if no dermatologist is available.

Ulcerative C2 neurocutaneous dysesthesia (trigeminal trophic syndrome in an alternative distribution).

Trigeminal trophic syndrome is an uncommon condition characterized by paresthesia, itch, and self-inflicted wounds following the trigeminal dermatome(s). Similar processes adhering to cervical nerve distributions have been reported, calling into question the specificity of trigeminal trophic syndrome for the trigeminal network. Herein, we report patient with trigeminal trophic syndrome adhering to the C2 dermatome, a previously unreported distribution.

Predicting venous thromboembolism in multiple myeloma: development and validation of the IMPEDE VTE score.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with multiple myeloma (MM). The International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) developed guidelines recommending primary thromboprophylaxis, in those identified at high-risk of VTE by the presence of risk factors. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has adopted these guidelines; however, they lack validation. We sought to develop and validate a risk prediction score for VTE in MM and to evaluate the performance of the current IMWG/NCCN guidelines. Using 4446 patients within the Veterans Administration Central Cancer Registry, we used time-to-event analyses to develop a risk score for VTE in patients with newly diagnosed MM starting chemotherapy. We externally validated the score using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, End Results (SEER)-Medicare database (N = 4256). After identifying independent predictors of VTE, we combined the variables to develop the IMPEDE VTE score (Immunomodulatory agent; Body Mass Index ≥25 kg/m2 ; Pelvic, hip or femur fracture; Erythropoietin stimulating agent; Dexamethasone/Doxorubicin; Asian Ethnicity/Race; VTE history; Tunneled line/central venous catheter; Existing thromboprophylaxis). The score showed satisfactory discrimination in the derivation cohort, c-statistic = 0.66. Risk of VTE significantly increased as score increased (hazard ratio 1.20, P = <.0001). Within the external validation cohort, IMPEDE VTE had a c-statistic of 0.64. For comparison, when evaluating the performance of the IMWG/NCCN guidelines, the c-statistic was 0.55. In summary, the IMPEDE VTE score outperformed the current IMWG/NCCN guidelines and could be considered as the new standard risk stratification for VTE in MM.

Distinguishing Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis from clinical mimickers during inpatient dermatologic consultation-A retrospective chart review.

BACKGROUND: Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are life-threatening conditions that may present with similar findings to other severe dermatologic diseases. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this exploratory study was to explore factors associated with SJS/TEN and develop a model that provides the predicted probability of SJS/TEN for patients for whom the diagnosis of SJS/TEN is considered. METHODS: Retrospective review of consultations for patients with suspected SJS, TEN, or overlap at 4 academic dermatology consultation services. RESULTS: Overall, 208 patients were included; 59 (28.4%) had a final diagnosis of SJS/TEN, and 149 (71.6%) were given a different diagnosis. The most common mimickers were drug hypersensitivity syndrome (n = 21, 10.1%), morbilliform drug eruption (n = 18, 8.7%), erythema multiforme (n = 15, 7.2%), and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (n = 13, 6.2%). Nikolsky sign, atypical targets, fever, and lymphopenia were included in a model for predicting the probability of SJS/TEN. LIMITATIONS: All cases were obtained from academic centers, which may limit the generalization of findings to community-based settings. This was an exploratory study with a small number of cases, and external validation of the model performance is needed. CONCLUSION: Early dermatologic evaluation of patients with suspected SJS/TEN is key to separating patients with this condition from those who ultimately receive diagnoses of other serious skin diseases.

Characterisation and diagnosis of ulcers in inpatient dermatology consultation services: A multi-centre study.

Accurate and prompt diagnosis of skin ulcers is critical to optimise management; however, studies in hospitalised patients are limited. This retrospective review of dermatologic consultations included 272 inpatients with skin ulcers between July 2015 and July 2018 in four U.S. academic hospitals. The median age was 54 years and 45% were male. In 49.3% of the patients, skin ulcers were considered the primary reason for admission. Ulcers of 62% were chronic and 49.6% were located on the lower extremities. Pyoderma gangrenosum (17.3%), infection (12.5%), and exogenous causes (11.8%) were the leading aetiologies; 12% remained diagnostically inconclusive after consultation. Diagnostic agreements pre-dermatology and post-dermatology consult ranged from 0.104 (n = 77, 95% CI 0.051-0.194) to 0.553 (n = 76, 95% CI 0.440-0.659), indicating poor-modest agreement. This study highlights the diagnostic complexity and relative incidences of skin ulcers in the inpatient setting.

Heartland Virus and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Immunocompromised Patient, Missouri, USA.

Heartland virus is a suspected tickborne pathogen in the United States. We describe a case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, then death, in an immunosuppressed elderly man in Missouri, USA, who was infected with Heartland virus.

Systemic Therapy for Combined Hepatocellular-Cholangiocarcinoma: A Single-Institution Experience.

Background: Combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma tumors (cHCC-CCA) are a heterogeneous group of rare malignancies that have no established optimal treatment. Patients and Methods: We identified patients with cHCC-CCA treated at a tertiary center and retrospectively examined their histology, interventions, and outcomes. We calculated disease control rate (DCR), disease progression, overall survival, and progression-free survival (PFS) between treatment subgroups. Results: A total of 123 patients were evaluable. Interventions included resection, locoregional therapy, transplant, chemotherapy, and targeted agents. Ultimately, 68 patients received systemic treatment-57 with gemcitabine plus either 5-fluoropyrimidine (5-FU) or a platinum combination. Disease progression was more common in the gemcitabine/5-FU group versus gemcitabine/platinum (P=.028), whereas DCR favored gemcitabine/platinum (78.4% vs 38.5%; P=.0143). Median PFS from time of initial diagnosis favored the gemcitabine/platinum group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Targeted agents had minimal to no effect on survival metrics. Conclusions: Gemcitabine/platinum seems to be a superior regimen for patients with cHCC-CCA who require systemic treatment. Further studies are needed to clarify the regimen's efficacy and applicability in patient subgroups.

Retiform Purpura After Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization: A Case Report.

Cutaneous complications secondary to transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are exceptionally rare and may occur because of nontarget embolization of terminal vessels supplying the skin. We present a patient who developed painful retiform purpura on the right flank shortly after TACE for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Biopsy revealed intravascular tan to yellow amorphous spherical structures within the dermis, confirming the presence of foreign material within these vessels. The authors review the literature and discuss previous cases of skin lesions manifesting after TACE, as well as potential factors influencing the probability of cutaneous complications. Histopathologic findings described in similar cases are presented. Prophylactic measures and attempted treatments to reduce likelihood of long-term injury are also reviewed. An awareness that cutaneous injury is a rare, but potential complication of transcatheter arterial embolization, as well as an understanding of management options is important for any provider using this procedure.

Herpes zoster presenting as unilateral vasculitis.

Vasculitis can be a primary disorder or a cutaneous manifestation of a viral infection. The present case describes an atypical localized cutaneous varicella-zoster virus infection inducing a small vessel vasculitis in a patient with multisystem sarcoidosis. Additionally, we discuss the differential diagnoses and treatment options. Varicella-Zoster infection occurs more frequently in immunosuppressed populations and can present with uncharacteristic clinical manifestations complicating the diagnosis as in the present case.

Severe Cytokine-Release Syndrome after T Cell-Replete Peripheral Blood Haploidentical Donor Transplantation Is Associated with Poor Survival and Anti-IL-6 Therapy Is Safe and Well Tolerated.

Use of high-dose post-transplantation cyclophosphamide for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis has expanded the use of unmanipulated haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation. The immediate post-transplantation course in T cell-replete peripheral blood haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) is often complicated by symptoms resembling cytokine-release syndrome (CRS), previously described in recipients of targeted cellular therapeutics. However, we know little about the incidence and impact of CRS on outcomes in these patients. To understand this syndrome in haplo-HCT patients, we reviewed data from 75 consecutive patients who received granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized T cell-replete peripheral blood haplo-HCT at a single center. Using CRS criteria described in recipients of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies, we found 65 of 75 (87%) met criteria for CRS, although most cases were only mild (grades 1 or 2). However, 9 patients (12%) experienced severe (grades 3 or 4) CRS. Median survival was 2.6 months (95% confidence interval [CI], .43 to 5.8) in patients with severe CRS, compared with 13.1 months (95% CI, 8.1 to not reached) in patients with mild CRS. Transplantation-related mortality was worse in the severe CRS cohort with a hazard ratio of 4.59 (95% CI, 1.43 to 14.67) compared with that in the mild CRS cohort. Severe CRS patients had a significant delay in median time for neutrophil engraftment. Serum IL-6 levels were measured in 10 haplo-HCT patients and were elevated in the early post-transplantation setting. Seven patients with CRS were treated with tocilizumab, resulting in a complete resolution of their CRS symptoms. Severe CRS represents a potential complication of peripheral blood haplo-HCT and is associated with worse outcomes. Anti-IL-6 receptor therapy is associated with rapid resolution of the CRS symptoms.

Complete Response to Erlotinib and Bevacizumab in a Patient With Biphenotypic (Hepatobiliary) Primary Liver Carcinoma.

Biphenotypic (hepatobiliary) primary liver carcinomas [B(H-B)PLCs] are rare tumors with features of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). These tumors are associated with a poor overall prognosis and treatment is not well defined. Research over the past 20 years has identified aberrations in several molecular pathways, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in hepatocellular and biliary tract cancers. These discoveries led to the evaluation of targeted therapies, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, for the treatment of HCC and ICC. We report a case of a patient with metastatic B(H-B)PLC found to have a single nucleotide variant in the EGFR gene locus R521K who achieved a complete response on imaging after treatment with the combination of an EGFR inhibitor and a VEGF inhibitor. This case prompts consideration of further genomic analysis of these rare tumors and the potential use of targeted therapies in the treatment of patients with B(H-B)PLCs.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of animal-type melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Animal-type melanoma is a rare subtype of melanoma with heavily pigmented dermal epithelioid and spindled melanocytes. Its classification as a subtype of melanoma versus a borderline melanocytic tumor is debated. OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to characterize the demographics, clinical presentation, histopathology, management, and outcomes of patients with animal-type melanoma. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the English-language literature on animal-type melanoma. RESULTS: We identified 190 cases of animal-type melanoma. They occurred equally in men and women, with Caucasians (53.7%) most commonly affected. The median Breslow depth was 3.8 mm; ulceration was reported present in 15.8%; and dermal mitoses greater than or equal to 1/mm(2) was reported in 27.4%. The most common initial management was wide local excision with sentinel lymph node biopsy (55.7%). In all, 78 patients underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy with 41.0% positivity rate. A total of 32 patients underwent completion lymph node dissection with 34.4% positivity rate. Locoregional recurrence was reported in 15 patients, recurrence with distant metastases in 6 patients, and death in 5 patients. LIMITATIONS: Data were obtained from small studies with limited follow-up. There is no universally accepted definition of animal-type melanoma. CONCLUSION: Prospective studies with complete staging information and molecular profiling may allow further characterization of this tumor.

Cutaneous neuropeptides: the missing link between psychological stress and chronic inflammatory skin disease?

A "brain-skin" connection has been long been observed between chronic stress and chronic inflammatory skin disease including urticaria, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and prurigo nodularis. The relationship appears to be bidirectional. Chronic psychological stress has been shown to sustain hyperactivity of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Chronic stress is proinflammatory and in the context of several dermatologic disorders may be associated with an increase in dermal nerve fiber density, mast cells, nerve growth factor and calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP). Furthermore, CGRP elicits a TH2-polarized T-cell response that is a hallmark of chronic pruritic conditions such as atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. This TH2 response contributes directly to acute pruritus as well as the sensitization of cutaneous sensory neurons that are critical for chronic pruritus. Prurigo nodularis is a debilitating skin disorder featuring prominent nerve structural, neuropeptide, and TH2 cytokine aberrations that is a model deserving of future study.

A real-world study of pneumonitis in non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving durvalumab following concurrent chemoradiation.

Background: Locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) treated with the programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitor durvalumab has been associated with significant rates of pneumonitis, which has led to higher rates of discontinuation of therapy in real-world populations. Thus far there has been no consensus in the literature on the impact of pneumonitis on survival. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of veterans receiving durvalumab between 12/5/2017 and 4/15/2020. Participants were identified using VINCI data services. Patients were followed through 9/14/2021. Development of clinical pneumonitis was assessed through review of documentation and graded using CTCAE 4.0 criteria. Univariate logistic regression analysis evaluated for associations between body mass index (BMI), age, race, co-morbidity index, chemotherapy regimen, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity, and development of clinical pneumonitis. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional hazards models were utilized to evaluate the association between risk of death at 1 and 2 years and candidate predictor variables. Results: A total of 284 patients were included in this study. Sixty-one patients developed clinically significant pneumonitis, 7 patients developed grade 5 pneumonitis (death from pneumonitis). The median OS in patients that developed pneumonitis was 27.8 vs. 36.9 months in patients that did not develop pneumonitis (P=0.22). BMI was found to be a clinical predictor of pneumonitis (P=0.04). COPD severity, race, age at durvalumab start date, chemotherapy regimen, and Romano comorbidity index were not significant predictors of pneumonitis. Cox proportional hazards analysis failed to demonstrate an association between the development of pneumonitis and risk of death in this population. Conclusions: The incidence of clinically significant pneumonitis is higher than noted in the PACIFIC trial in this cohort, however this high rate of pneumonitis does not have an impact on OS or PFS. Obesity was found to be a significant predictor of pneumonitis in this patient population.