ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon, locally aggressive malignancy with wide local excision (WLE) or Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) representing the treatment of choice. This article illustrates the experience of a single academic institution in treating DFSP with MMS and adds two particularly large, difficult closures of the glabella/central forehead and sternum to the body of literature. OBJECTIVE: To report the results of 15 patients with DFSP treated with MMS over a five-year period by a single Mohs surgeon at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). METHODS: A total of 15 patients between the ages of 16 and 80 years were diagnosed with DFSP and treated with MMS and were contacted in October 2021 to assess for recurrence. RESULTS: None of the 15 patients had a recurrence of DFSP following MMS, with a mean follow-up interval of 22.4 months and an average of 1.93 Mohs layers required for tumor clearance. CONCLUSION: This experience reaffirms that MMS is an effective treatment for DFSP and adds additional examples of closure techniques of large, ovoid surgical defects on the glabella/central forehead and sternum to the literature.
ABSTRACT
Drug-induced Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) are rare but life-threatening immune-mediated drug reactions known as Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions (SCARs). These severe drug reactions have been associated with many commonly prescribed medications, including sulfonamides, allopurinol, carbamazepine, and several antiepileptic drugs including lamotrigine.1 Although the risk of these adverse events is recognized by many medical providers, the risk may be overlooked when prescribing lamotrigine for mood disorders. Review of the literature and the experience of these cases suggest that the risk of lamotrigine-associated SCARs is increased when starting lamotrigine at high initial doses. Here we present and discuss two cases of SCARs attributed to high-dose lamotrigine prescribed for mood disorders. A third patient also presented with a SCAR related to high-dose lamotrigine prescribed for a mood disorder during this time but was lost to follow-up and was not reachable. All three patients presented to our hospital system from 2019-2020. Due to this clinical experience, we recommend that pharmacists and prescribers alike be alerted of the risk of severe cutaneous drug reactions when lamotrigine is prescribed, particularly at initial doses greater than 25 mg.