Eosinophils in Traditionally Noneosinophil-Rich Dermatoses.

ABSTRACT: The presence or absence of tissue eosinophilia has previously aided in the diagnosis of inflammatory skin conditions. However, recent studies have elucidated the presence of eosinophils in traditionally eosinophil-poor inflammatory skin diseases, such as dermatomyositis (DM), psoriasis, and lichen sclerosus (LS). This systematic review of the literature explores previous studies of tissue eosinophilia in skin biopsies of dermatoses that are believed to be classically poor in eosinophil. We identified 26 studies, the majority of which were retrospective reviews. The percent of specimens with increased eosinophils in psoriasis ranged from 18%-73%, pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) 22%-63%, LS 29%-53%, DM 15%-44%, morphea 8%-45%, hypertrophic lichen planus (LP) 0%-21%, and oral LP 0%-4%. These reports of tissue eosinophilia in reputed eosinophil-poor dermatologic conditions present a diagnostic pitfall and suggest that tissue eosinophilia itself should not be used to rule out a diagnosis of one of these conditions.

Expanding the Histologic Spectrum of Sudden Conjunctivitis, Lymphopenia, and Rash Combined With Hemodynamic Changes.

ABSTRACT: Sudden conjunctivitis, lymphopenia, and rash combined with hemodynamic changes (SCoRCH) is a recently described hypersensitivity reaction to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. To date, only 1 case of histologic findings in SCoRCH has been reported, revealing a superficial perivascular dermatitis. In this article, we present a 53-year-old woman with a four-day history of a widespread, confluent, erythematous, and dusky rash after exposure to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Histologic examination revealed a vacuolar interface dermatitis with several apoptotic keratinocytes at multiple levels of the epidermis, similar to an erythema multiforme-like presentation. As described in SCoRCH, our patient's clinical findings rapidly improved within 48 hours of presentation without treatment. This case adds to the current literature by identifying a newly described histopathological presentation of SCoRCH.

Practice Efficiency in Dermatology: Enhancing Quality of Care and Physician Well-Being.

A focus on improved efficiency can impact both patient care and physician well-being. Efficiency is one of the six domains of healthcare quality. It is also recognized as one of the three main pillars of professional fulfillment. Quality improvement measures in the area of efficiency are focused on reducing waste, specifically related to physicians' time, energy, and cognitive demands. Interventions and practices reported in the literature or communicated by dermatologists have documented efforts centered on patient care workflows, documentation, communication, and other areas. Team-based care models maximize the skill sets of other trained providers, while workflow changes encompassing process standardization, communication, and task automatization have improved patient safety and efficiency. Strategies to promote documentation efficiency have centered on eliminating extraneous documentation alongside the use of templates, text expander functionality, and dictation tools. The use of in-office or virtual scribes, when provided with adequate training and consistent feedback, has improved charting time, accuracy, and physician satisfaction. Although upfront investments in time and financial resources may be required, quality improvement in efficiency can benefit healthcare quality, patient safety, and physician satisfaction.

Acneiform eruptions with combination targeted cancer therapy in colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRI) can be used with pathway inhibitors, including mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors (MEKIs), BRAF inhibitors (BRAFIs), and checkpoint inhibitors such as programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) to treat colorectal cancer. These can precipitate treatment-resistant acneiform eruptions, prompting dose modification or discontinuation. Predicting the likelihood of severe rash development and crafting effective treatments may promote adherence to life-saving chemotherapy. METHODS: An Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective chart review of patients with colorectal cancer treated with EGFRI or MEKI in combination with HER2, BRAF, PI3K, or checkpoint inhibitors between January 1, 2016, and January 1, 2020, was performed. Surrogates for rash severity were investigated, including lower extremity involvement, utilization of oral steroids or retinoids, dose modification, and incidence of superinfection. RESULTS: Of 122 patients treated with combination therapy, 105 developed a rash, and 87 developed an acneiform eruption. Common combinations included MEKI/PD-LI, EGFRI/MEKI, and MEKI/PD-1I. Patients treated with EGFRI/MEKI developed the most severe rashes (p = 0.02). Lower extremity involvement was more frequent with EGFRI/MEKI compared to alternative combinations (p = 0.05). Drug holiday correlated with all rash severity surrogates, including rash grade, lower extremity involvement, oral steroid or retinoid use, and incidence of superinfection. Use of oral steroids or retinoids was associated with development of superinfection (p = 0.002). Prophylactic tetracycline use did not impact rash severity or rash incidence. CONCLUSION: This is the first descriptive analysis to characterize acneiform eruptions for patients with colorectal cancer on combination cancer therapy. Approximately 85% of patients developed a cutaneous toxicity with what appears to be synergistic effects of EGFRI and MEKI combination therapy causing the most severe eruptions. Superinfection rate correlated to systemic therapy use beyond oral tetracyclines. Further investigation into the utility of prophylactic oral tetracyclines in this population is needed.

Evaluating skin of color education in dermatology residency programs: data from a national survey.

A dearth of skin of color (SOC) education exists among dermatology residency programs despite the increasingly diverse United States population; a 2008 study reported that 52% of dermatology residency programs had didactic sessions or lectures focusing on diseases in SOC. In the last decade, no new studies have examined the state of residency SOC education. In this study, dermatology residents across the United States were surveyed anonymously about SOC education at their residency program, satisfaction with SOC education, opinions on improving SOC education, and perspective on cultural competence. Of the 125 respondents, 63.2% reported their program provides SOC-related didactics; 44.0% had a rotation where residents primarily saw patients with SOC, although only 11.2% had a dedicated SOC rotation. While more than 60% of residents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their SOC education, residents' satisfaction with their knowledge of diseases primarily seen in SOC was lowest (56.8%) of all categories. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes for improvement of SOC education, including curricular reform, clinical exposure, emphasizing determinants of health, and opportunities to learn from faculty with diverse interests and expertise about SOC. These findings highlight unique opportunities for dermatologists to enhance SOC education and care for patients of all backgrounds.

Assessing dermatology resident confidence in caring for patients with skin of color.

Many dermatology residency programs lack sufficient didactics and experiences with patients with skin of color (SOC). This may impact resident confidence with this patient population, which may affect patient satisfaction and perceptions of care. Dermatology residents nationwide were surveyed to determine their confidence in care of patients with SOC and white skin across several dimensions, including detailing morphology, making diagnostic and therapeutic decisions, tailoring treatment recommendations, and detecting suspicious lesions. A total of 125 dermatology residents representing 46 programs (of 119, 39%) responded. Resident confidence was significantly lower across all categories measured regarding caring for patients with SOC compared with patients with white skin (P <.001). After multivariate analysis adjusting for demographic and residency program characteristics, confidence in caring for patients with SOC remained significantly lower. Residents in programs with SOC education (i.e., SOC didactics, SOC clinical rotation) reported significantly higher confidence in one or more aspects of SOC care compared with residents in programs without such curricula. A deficiency in SOC education may contribute to the lower resident confidence observed. Integrating only one type of SOC education into residents' curricula, although helpful, may not sufficiently enhance confidence across all dimensions of care. A multifaceted approach is needed.

Problematic Purpura.

Post-emetic purpura is an often-forgotten cause of facial rash in the acute setting and can often be mistaken for more dangerous etiologies. We present a case of a child recently treated with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for impetigo who demonstrated a new rash after multiple episodes of vomiting. Lab workup, in conjunction with patient history and lesion location, pointed toward a diagnosis of post-emetic purpura. Careful consideration of the history, physical examination findings, location of the lesion, and laboratory findings are essential for diagnosing post-emetic purpura and differentiating it from other etiologies acutely.

Addressing Firearm Safety Counseling: Integration of a Multidisciplinary Workshop in a Pediatric Residency Program.

BACKGROUND: Firearm-related injuries are the second leading cause of death among US children. Given this, firearm injury prevention should be a key aspect of pediatric anticipatory guidance. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the impact of a firearm safety counseling workshop on pediatric resident knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-reported practice patterns. METHODS: Sixty of 80 residents (75%) participated in a 2-hour multimodal workshop, including video, didactics with experts, and role-play scenarios. Participants were invited to complete pre-workshop, immediate post-workshop, and 3- and 6-month post-workshop self-reported questionnaires evaluating knowledge, comfort, perceived barriers, and reported practice patterns. Data comparing pre- and 6-month post-workshop practice patterns were analyzed via Fischer's exact test. Remaining statistical analysis utilized a one-sided, unpaired Mann-Whitney U test. A binomial exact proportions test was used for open-ended responses. RESULTS: After the workshop, the percentage of participants with perceived concern regarding parental barriers decreased significantly (24% to 7%, P = .001). Participants 6 months post-workshop were 5.14 times more likely to counsel their patients on firearms during more than 75% of their well visits than prior to the intervention (P = .010). Participants reported greater comfort asking patients about firearms, with mean Likert scores increasing from 3.81 pre to 4.33 post (P = .022), which was similar to 3-month (4.39, P = .06) and 6-month evaluations (4.54, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: Education on firearm safety counseling improved pediatric resident comfort level in discussing the topic. This impact persisted 6 months after the workshop, implying a sustained change in attitudes and behaviors.

An evolving presentation of cutaneous tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is a fairly common disease in the United States and around the world, newly infecting ten million people throughout the world per year. Despite the pervasiveness of tuberculosis, cutaneous tuberculosis (CTB) rarely manifests worldwide. Tuberculous infections of the skin arise in several distinct variants that can be classified as either multibacillary or paucibacillary; each subtype within these categories presents with its own morphological and histological findings. The diagnosis of CTB can prove clinically challenging as its variants mimic many conditions dermatologist encounter on a daily basis. Additionally, tissue confirmation is difficult. We report a case of CTB which evolved from a lupus vulgaris presentation to the metastatic tuberculous abscess variant.

Interdigital Tinea Nigra.

Tinea nigra is an uncommon superficial dermatomycosis precipitated by Hortaea werneckii, a halophilic and halothermic yeast-like fungus capable of producing a melanin-like substance. This pathogen infiltrates the stratum corneum in the setting of microtrauma and produces an asymptomatic brown to black macule or patch that appears similarly to melanocytic nevi or melanoma. We present a case of a 52-year-old woman who presented to clinic several months after developing a painless, nonpruritic dark brown patch in her left foot inside the fourth toe web. The coloration and location of this lesion would typically prompt biopsy; however, Wood's lamp examination and potassium hydroxide (KOH) preparation were pursued first and demonstrated evidence of infection by H. werneckii. The patient was treated with topical clotrimazole cream and miconazole powder for one month, and her lesions cleared completely. Her lesions did not recur at her three-month follow-up appointment.

Acrokeratoelastoidosis: is there an association between asthma and sporadic cases in children?

Acrokeratoelastoidosis (AKE) is a rare, benign papular keratoderma that presents as keratotic papules on the lateral margins of the palms and soles. It is most commonly inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, although sporadic cases are also described. We present a sporadic case of AKE in an 11-year-old girl with a past medical history significant for asthma. On literature review, we found three other cases presenting in children with a past medical history of asthma. We suggest a possible association between asthma and sporadic cases of AKE in children. Current understanding of the pathophysiology of AKE and its associated risk factors is limited and no effective treatment exists. Awareness of a possible association with asthma and atopy, careful history recording in young patients presenting with sporadic cases of AKE, and further research may help to delineate the likelihood of an association between AKE and asthma or atopy. Developing a better understanding of the associated factors that may contribute to the disease process may help guide more effective, targeted treatments in the future.