Worn down nails after acrylic nail removal.

Worn-down nail syndrome is a nail disorder characterized by thinning of the distal nail plate caused by repetitive chemical or mechanical trauma. We present a previously undescribed source of worn-down nail syndrome caused by trauma from nail filing after acrylic nail removal.

Racial differences in skin cancer awareness and surveillance practices at a public hospital dermatology clinic.

BACKGROUND: Patients from ethnoracial minority groups have lower incidence rates of melanoma compared with whites, but are more likely to have advanced melanomas at diagnosis and lower survival. Infrequent skin cancer screening and poor melanoma awareness may contribute to these disparities. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this survey study was to evaluate skin cancer surveillance behaviors and awareness among patients attending a dermatology clinic at a public hospital in New York City. METHODS: Surveys were administered to 152 patients from April to June 2012. RESULTS: In all, 16% of patients previously had a total body skin examination for cancer, 11% were taught by a health care practitioner how to perform skin self-examinations, and 15% perform skin self-examinations. More whites had a total body skin examination compared with minorities (49% vs 5%). Only 33% of patients previously given a diagnosis of skin cancer performed skin self-examinations. Patients possessed a poor ability to recognize features suspicious for melanoma, with minorities (especially Hispanics) performing worse than whites. LIMITATIONS: Small sample size is a limitation. CONCLUSIONS: Few patients engage in skin cancer screening behaviors and their knowledge about melanoma is poor, with minorities demonstrating lower understanding than whites. Our findings emphasize the need for improved patient education about characteristics of melanoma, regardless of race.

Keratoacanthomas arising in association with prurigo nodules in pruritic, actinically damaged skin.

BACKGROUND: There is no known association between the development of keratoacanthomas and prurigo nodules. OBJECTIVE: We report a case series of 7 patients with a long-standing history of actinic damage, pruritus, and prurigo nodularis who developed widespread keratoacanthomas within the same affected area. METHODS: This was a retrospective case series assessing the clinical characteristics of patients with multiple keratoacanthomas arising in association with prurigo nodules. RESULTS: All 7 patients were elderly Caucasian women (mean age 79 ± 3.7 years) with actinically damaged skin and a long-standing history of widespread pruritus and prurigo nodules. All patients had histologically confirmed keratoacanthomas, or squamous cell carcinomas with the clinical appearance of a keratoacanthoma, that developed within the field of prurigo nodules. All 7 patients had a clinical response to acitretin with a decrease in the number of lesions. Four patients had an associated eczematous dermatitis and were also treated with cyclosporine with improvement in pruritus and prurigo nodules and no increase in keratoacanthomas. LIMITATIONS: The retrospective design and small number of patients are limitations to this study. CONCLUSION: Our case series represents a distinct subset of elderly individuals with extensive actinic damage who we believe are predisposed to developing both prurigo nodules and keratoacanthomas.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer in young women.

The increasing incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer in young women is a growing public health concern. Varying environmental and lifestyle exposures in this specific population highlight the need for a broad understanding of the potential risk factors that may contribute to the early development of these tumors. Reducing the morbidity and mortality in this high-risk population is contingent on developing better strategies for prevention, education, and treatment.

Surgical management of cardiac liposarcomas.

Cardiac liposarcoma is an uncommon tumor with a poor prognosis. The diagnosis and surgical treatment of this malignant tumor are the subject of this review.