Rapid improvement of skin lesions in CHILD syndrome with topical 5% simvastatin ointment.

Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects (CHILD) syndrome is a rare X-linked dominant disorder of cholesterol synthesis characterized by unilateral ichthyosiform dermatitis with ipsilateral limb hypoplasia. Recently, pathogenesis-based treatment has demonstrated improvement of skin lesions with statins by decreasing formation of cholesterol intermediates through inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. We report a 10-month-old girl who presented with unilateral scaly ptychotropic plaques, who experienced rapid, near-complete clearance with topical 5% simvastatin monotherapy twice daily.

Anti-laminin 332 mucous membrane pemphigoid in a young woman treated with rituximab.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid, formerly known as cicatricial pemphigoid, is a rare and difficult-to-treat bullous disorder that occurs most commonly in older adults. We describe a 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed with anti-laminin 332 mucous membrane pemphigoid through indirect immunofluorescence for laminin 332 following nonspecific histologic and direct immunofluorescence findings. At 16 weeks following completion of her first cycle of with rituximab 375mg/m2 weekly for four weeks, her mucosal erosions had resolved. Although not widely available, this case highlights the utility of anti-laminin 332 immunofluorescence for diagnostic confirmation of this entity and the efficacy of rituximab in obtaining disease control.

Optimizing the total-body skin exam: An observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Total-body skin examinations (TBSEs) are commonly performed in clinical practice. There is limited research on best practices for performing a TBSE. OBJECTIVE: To optimize the TBSE. METHODS: We performed an observational cohort study by video recording 5 dermatology faculty and 5 residents conducting their regular TBSE on both a healthy male and female patient. Examination time, physician movements, patient movements, sequence of body parts examined, and body parts missed were analyzed by using an analytic hierarchy process matrix. Differences were evaluated by a t test of unequal variance. P values < .05 were deemed significant. RESULTS: We identified an optimal format for conducting a TBSE that is efficient and accurate. LIMITATIONS: This study was conducted with only standard healthy examiners and patients, rather than individuals with a variety of physical or mental disabilities. The structure of the study was not hypothesis driven, and we assumed that the engineers observing the physicians performing the examination would identify the most optimal TBSE. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that a standardized process of performing a TBSE minimizes the chance of missing a body area. This could also have implications on teaching a standardized TBSE to medical students, residents, and physicians.

Minocycline-Induced Hyperpigmentation of Nails.

Minocycline is an antibiotic used for several dermatologic conditions, including rosacea. The development of skin, scleral, and nail hyperpigmentation may occur with long-term use of minocycline, and this is associated with no adverse effect on function. We present a case of a 66-year-old male who developed blue-gray hyperpigmentation of his nail beds after treating rosacea with systemic minocycline for over 20 years. The remainder of the physical exam was unremarkable for hyperpigmentation elsewhere. The patient was informed that this was likely an adverse effect of his chronic minocycline use. He insisted upon the continuation of minocycline, so he was counseled on the adverse effects of the medication and scheduled for follow-up.

A case of topical imiquimod induced fatigue.

Topical imiquimod is used for a variety of common dermatologic lesions, including melanoma in-situ. As an immunomodulator, it is relatively well tolerated with minimal side effects, including scaling, erythema, and edema. Here we present a rare systemic adverse effect, where our patient experienced debilitating severe fatigue when applying imiquimod to a single lesion. Clinicians should be mindful of this side effect and counsel patients appropriately.

Serologic Abnormalities in Macular Lymphocytic Arteritis with Case Presentation.

Macular lymphocytic arteritis (MLA) is an indolent cutaneous small-medium-vessel vasculitis characterized by widespread asymptomatic livedo racemosa. A number of serologic abnormalities have been reported including an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and antibodies associated with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We present a case of MLA with multiple serologic abnormalities, including those that have yet to be reported, such as anti-U1 ribonucleotide protein, anti-RNA polymerase III, anti-smith, and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies. We also provide a brief review of this unfamiliar entity with a focus on the appropriate workup.

A Retrospective Review of Histopathologic Features Associated with Increased Risk of Recurrence of Non-melanoma Skin Cancer After Mohs Micrographic Surgery.

Objective: Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is the gold standard treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC). However, NMSC recurrence may occur in a small proportion of patients. The aim of this study was to identify histopathologic features seen on the final stage of previous MMS, which may increase the risk of NMSC recurrence. Methods: This was a single-institution retrospective study of 39 recurrent basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), which were treated with MMS. Slides from the final stage of previous MMS were reviewed by two board-certified dermatopathologists for the following histopathologic features: perineural inflammation, dense inflammation, mucin, ruptured follicle, actinic keratosis, and missing tissue. Results: Twenty recurrent BCCs and 19 recurrent SCCs were included. Histopathologic features identified on the final stage of previous MMS included missing tissue from the epidermis, dermis, and/or subcutis (69%), actinic keratosis (51%), perineural inflammation (10%), and dense inflammation (8%). Ruptured follicle was present in one BCC case, and mucin was not identified in any cases. Limitations: Limitations include retrospective study design, small number of recurrent cases, single institution, and lack of a control group consisting of NMSC cases which did not recur after MMS. Conclusion: Mohs surgeons should carefully evaluate NMSC frozen sections for the presence of missing tissue, actinic keratosis, perineural inflammation, and dense inflammation as these histopathologic features may be associated with tumor recurrence. It is of paramount importance to acquire high quality frozen sections for thorough margin evaluation.