Acitretin-induced periungual pyogenic granulomas and review.

Periungual pyogenic granulomas are benign vascular tumors that present as painful, round, spontaneously bleeding lesions composed of rapidly proliferating capillaries and excess tissue. The vast majority of pyogenic granulomas are caused by physical trauma or infectious agents and they may resolve spontaneously. Herein, we highlight a very rare case of periungual pyogenic granulomas induced by the regularly prescribed oral retinoid acitretin during treatment for congenital palmoplantar keratoderma. This unique case showed that it is feasible to continue acitretin therapy in the presence of pyogenic granuloma development if proper dose reduction and topical therapies are utilized. The patient's lesions resolved within two weeks of this protocol's initiation and the pyogenic granulomas did not recur over the course of a six-month follow-up observation period. In addition, we performed a systematic review of the literature using PubMed databases for the clinical features and treatments in other reported acitretin-induced pyogenic granuloma cases; we compiled a comprehensive list of other prescription drugs known to cause pyogenic granulomas up-to-date.

Isotretinoin in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa: a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Isotretinoin has been used off-label in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) patients with variable results, making it difficult to predict which patients with HS are likely to benefit. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of HS patients who presented to UCLA HS clinic between August 2009 and March 2018 and collected data on their demographics, reported history of isotretinoin treatment for HS, and treatment response. A number of patient variables were analyzed between the responders and non-responders to see if any were associated with a higher likelihood of a beneficial response. RESULTS: Of the 209 patients, 39 (18.7%) reported prior treatment with isotretinoin. A beneficial response to isotretinoin was reported by 14 (35.9%) patients, while 25 (64.1%) patients reported no response. When comparing responders to non-responders, responders were more likely to have a history of pilonidal cyst (p = .024). Having a concomitant history of regular or cystic acne did not appear to enhance HS treatment response to isotretinoin. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that for HS patients, having a history of pilonidal cyst is associated with a beneficial response to isotretinoin.

Physical symptoms and psychosocial problems associated with hidradenitis suppurativa: correlation with Hurley stage.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) in hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) patients is negatively impacted by physical and psychosocial problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and severity of HS-specific symptoms and to correlate these with disease severity. Methods We analyzed medical record data from 145 patients seen in an academic HS specialty clinic between August 2009 to March 2018. Results Hurley stage III patients had significantly higher mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores (20.2) compared to patients with Hurley stage I (11.3) and II (13.9), (P<0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). More than 75% of patients reported physical symptoms of drainage, irritation, pain, itching, bleeding, and odor. There were associated psychosocial problems of embarrassment and self-consciousness. Symptom severity was most strongly correlated with disease severity for odor (correlation coefficient 0.4, P<0.001), difficulty moving arms (0.323, P<0.001), negative impact on job/school (0.303, P<0.001), and negative impact on relationships (0.298, P<0.001). Conclusion Our results highlight the significant burden of HS and the need for a more comprehensive, HS-specific evaluation tool to better assess the QOL of this patient population. Limitations A small cohort in a single academic center.

Corrigendum: Thiotepa hyperpigmentation preceding epidermal necrosis: malignant intertrigo misdiagnosed as Stevens-Johnson syndrome-toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap.

The original article was published on February 15, 2020 and corrected on March 15, 2020.The revised version of the article corrects the contact information of the Corresponding Author. The changes appear in the revised online PDF copy of this article.

Thiotepa hyperpigmentation preceding epidermal necrosis: malignant intertrigo misdiagnosed as Stevens-Johnson syndrome-toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap.

Thiotepa is a common alkylating agent known to precipitate cutaneous reactions consistent with toxic erythema of chemotherapy, including erythema and hyperpigmentation. Herein, we describe an atypical case of malignant intertrigo involving preferential erythema and desquamation not only of skin folds but also of occluded areas after thiotepa-based conditioning. The diagnosis was complicated by concurrent stomatitis and oral petechiae in the setting of autologous stem cell transplant 11 days prior for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Histopathological examination from two cutaneous sites demonstrated epidermal dysmaturation and eccrine gland necrosis consistent with thiotepa-induced desquamation and not Stevens-Johnson syndrome or graft-versus-host-disease. Malignant intertrigo can present with extensive cutaneous involvement, as evidenced by our patient who had 25% body surface area affected. Mucosal involvement is common with most chemotherapeutic regimens and its presence should not deter the astute clinician from consideration of a diagnosis of toxic erythema of chemotherapy. No further interventions were needed and the patient healed spontaneously.

Verrucous melanoma masquerading as a seborrheic keratosis.

Seborrheic keratosis is a benign condition that can mimic many different non-melanoma and melanoma neoplasms. There have been several case reports of underlying squamous cell carcinomas or intraepidermal carcinomas appearing within lesions that look analogous to seborrheic keratoses. We present a patient with a verrucous melanoma that could be mistaken for a benign skin tumor like an inflamed seborrheic keratosis. In our patient's case, her verrucous plaque was initially clinically suggestive of a benign seborrheic keratosis. However, given the patient's complaint of pain associated with the lesion, a biopsy was performed and revealed a verrucous-keratotic malignant melanoma, which was subsequently removed through surgical excision. It is important to remain vigilant of this diagnosis, as treatment for inflamed seborrheic keratosis often includes a trial of cryotherapy, which potentially could lead to a delayed diagnosis of an underlying malignant lesion.

The role of biologics in the treatment of chronic granuloma annulare.

BACKGROUND: Granuloma annulare (GA), a benign inflammatory skin disease, is considered a Th1-type delayed hypersensitivity reaction. Localized GA is likely to resolve spontaneously, whereas disseminated GA (DGA) may persist for decades and can be resistant to treatment. Biologics including TNF-α inhibitors have been proposed and utilized as salvage therapy for GA and other related diseases, interstitial granulomatous dermatitis (IGD), and actinic granuloma (AG). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using the combination of search terms "granuloma annulare," "interstitial granulomatous dermatitis," or "actinic granuloma" and either "biologics," "etanercept," "adalimumab," "infliximab," "ustekinumab," "ixekizumab," "secukinumab," "guselkumab," "golimumab," "brodalumab," "tildrakizumab," or "certolizumab" from the years 1970-2017. RESULTS: Review of the literature revealed that 79.3% of the patients with GA, IGD, or AG who had been treated with demonstrated TNF-α inhibitor therapy a clinical response. CONCLUSIONS: TNF-α inhibitor therapy has been used to treat chronic GA, IGD, and AG that involved extensive body surface areas. However, the literature is limited to case series lacking control groups. Randomized, controlled trials are required to establish evidence-based treatment of GA and related cutaneous, granulomatous conditions.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the perineum masquerading as necrotizing hidradenitis suppurativa.

Many cases of superinfected hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) involve multiple species of bacteria, but gas-producing infections are rare and can complicate the clinical picture. Additionally, recognizing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) as a complication of longstanding HS is imperative. Herein, we present a unique case of a severe emphysematous HS that was initially mistaken for Fournier gangrene and eventually diagnosed as superinfected SCC.

RAC1 activation drives pathologic interactions between the epidermis and immune cells.

Interactions between the epidermis and the immune system govern epidermal tissue homeostasis. These epidermis-immune interactions are altered in the inflammatory disease psoriasis; however, the pathways that underlie this aberrant immune response are not well understood. Here, we determined that Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (RAC1) is a key mediator of epidermal dysfunction. RAC1 activation was consistently elevated in psoriatic epidermis and primary psoriatic human keratinocytes (PHKCs) exposed to psoriasis-related stimuli, but not in skin from patients with basal or squamous cell carcinoma. Expression of a constitutively active form of RAC1 (RACV12) in mice resulted in the development of lesions similar to those of human psoriasis that required the presence of an intact immune system. RAC1V12-expressing mice and human psoriatic skin showed similar RAC1-dependent signaling as well as transcriptional overlap of differentially expressed epidermal and immune pathways. Coculture of PHKCs with immunocytes resulted in the upregulation of RAC1-dependent proinflammatory cytokines, an effect that was reproduced by overexpressing RAC1 in normal human keratinocytes. In keratinocytes, modulating RAC1 activity altered differentiation, proliferation, and inflammatory pathways, including STAT3, NFκB, and zinc finger protein 750 (ZNF750). Finally, RAC1 inhibition in xenografts composed of human PHKCs and immunocytes abolished psoriasiform hyperplasia and inflammation in vivo. These studies implicate RAC1 as a potential therapeutic target for psoriasis and as a key orchestrator of pathologic epidermis-immune interactions.

Low rate of dermatology outpatient visits in Asian-Americans: an initial survey study for associated patient-related factors.

BACKGROUND: Asian-Americans represent the fastest growing minority group in the United States, but are under-represented patients in outpatient dermatology clinics. At the same time, skin cancer rates in individuals of Asian descent are increasing, but skin cancer detection appears to be delayed in Asian-Americans compared to white individuals. Some health-care provider related factors for this phenomenon have been reported in the literature, but the patient-related factors are unclear. METHODS: This exploratory study to identify patient-related factors associated with dermatology visits in Asian-Americans was performed after Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. An anonymous, online survey utilizing validated items was conducted on adults who self-identified as Asian-American in Northern California. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression for dermatology visits as indicated by responses to the question of "ever having had skin checked by a dermatologist" were performed on survey responses pertaining to demographic information, socioeconomic factors, acculturation, knowledge of melanoma warning signs and SSE belief and practice. RESULTS: 89.7% of individuals who opened the online survey completed the items, with 469 surveys included in the analysis. Only 60% reported ever performing a SSE, and only 48% reported ever having a skin examination by a dermatologist. Multivariate models showed that "ever performing SSE" (p<0.0001), marital status (p=0.02), family history of skin cancer (p=0.03) and generation in the United States (p=0.02) were significant predictors of the primary outcome of "ever had skin checked by a dermatologist". CONCLUSIONS: Identification of patient-related factors that associate with dermatology clinic visits in Asian-Americans is important so that this potential gap in dermatologic care can be better addressed through future studies.