Survival and tumor characteristics of patients presenting with single primary versus second primary melanoma lesions.

BACKGROUND: Patients with single primary melanomas have an increased risk of developing subsequent melanomas. Secondary tumors diagnosed within and after 3 months are termed "synchronous" and "asynchronous," respectively. OBJECTIVE: To compare tumor distributions and survival characteristics between patients with second primary melanomas and those with single primary melanomas. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Data were collected from an institutional database from 14,029 patients with a diagnosis of a primary melanoma seen between 1970 and 2004. RESULTS: The synchronous and asynchronous cohorts demonstrated significantly improved survival probabilities compared with the single primary cohort (P = .04 and .002, respectively). Single primary lesions (2.2 ± 2.3 mm) were significantly thicker than the first-identified synchronous (2.0 ± 1.7 mm) and asynchronous (1.7 ± 1.3 mm) lesions. Synchronous lesions were more likely to be anatomically concordant compared with asynchronous lesions (55.7% vs 38.2%, P < .001). LIMITATIONS: Single-center study design and incomplete records for second primary melanoma Breslow depth and histopathology. CONCLUSION: Patients with second primary melanomas demonstrated a significant survival advantage and thinner lesions compared with those with single primary melanomas. Our reported tumor distributions support the role of full body skin examinations, with attention to the region of initial diagnosis.

Atopic dermatitis leading to failure to thrive: A case report.

We present an infant with severe atopic dermatitis, protein loss, and subsequent failure to thrive. With proper management, the patient's laboratory findings normalized, and he gained weight appropriately. In this report, we highlight the impact that severe atopic dermatitis may have growth and development and review the genetic conditions that can result in a similar clinical presentation.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Surgical Outcomes after Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Women of color with breast cancer are less likely to undergo post-mastectomy reconstruction compared with White women, but it is unclear whether their perioperative outcomes are worse. The goal of this study was to investigate differences in preoperative comorbidities and postoperative complications by race/ethnicity among women with breast cancer undergoing postmastectomy reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Data were collected from the National Inpatient Sample database of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project from 2012 to 2016. Patient demographics, types of reconstruction, comorbid conditions, Charlson-Deyo Combined Comorbidity (CDCC) scores, length of stay (LOS), and perioperative complications were abstracted. Multivariate linear and logistic regression were performed to model LOS and likelihood of postoperative complications, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with White women (n = 19,730), Black women (n = 3,201) underwent autologous reconstruction more frequently (40.7% vs 28.3%), had more perioperative comorbidities (eg diabetes: 12.9% vs 5.8%), higher CDCC scores (% CDCC ≥ 4: 5.5% vs 2.7%), and longer LOS (median 3 vs 2 days, all p < 0.001). Being Black (vs White: +0.13 adjusted days, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.19) was also associated with longer LOS and an increased likelihood of surgical complications (vs White: odds ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.42, both p < 0.01), but this association did not persist when outcomes were limited to microsurgical complications. CONCLUSION: Disparities in postmastectomy breast reconstruction between Black and White women extend beyond access to care and include perioperative factors and outcomes. These findings suggest an important opportunity to mitigate inequities in reconstruction through perioperative health optimization and improved access to and co-management with primary care.

SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with autoimmune blistering disorders: A case series and retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune blistering disorders (AIBDs) are rare, potentially life-threatening conditions often requiring immunosuppression. Throughout the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, infection risk and mortality in patients with AIBDs are unknown. OBJECTIVE: We report the outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infections in patients with AIBDs and determined if patients on rituximab have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We examined clinical outcomes in 10 patients with AIBDs who developed SARS-CoV-2 infections at an American hospital. We performed a retrospective analysis of 132 patients with AIBDs enrolled in a clinical trial. RESULTS: Patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 (n = 4) or death (n = 2) trended to be older. These patients had higher mortality than the national average (20% vs 1.6%). Our cohort included 52 patients with a history of rituximab treatment, 35 of whom were immunosuppressed by rituximab during the pandemic, and 45 patients never treated with rituximab. We found no difference between the rates of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in patients with AIBDs immunosuppressed by rituximab and those not on rituximab (9.1% vs 12.1%). LIMITATIONS: Testing for SARS-CoV-2 was performed on demand rather than surveillance. Overall transmission varied over time, and outcomes depended on accepted treatments. The small sample size of our cohort limits the generalizability of our results. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that rituximab does not increase the risk of SARS-CoV-2 test positivity in patients with AIBDs. However, these results should be interpreted with caution due to our relatively small sample size.