[Dermatoses in patients with acute myeloid and lymphoid leukemia. Cohort follow-up in a tertiary care hospital]. / Dermatosis en pacientes con leucemia aguda mieloide y linfoide. Seguimiento de una cohorte en un hospital de tercer nivel.

INTRODUCTION: Cutaneous manifestations in patients with acute leukemia (AL) cover a broad spectrum, including those due to leukemia per se, to chemotherapy and other drugs and those inherent to hospital care. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a cohort study in a tertiary hospital setting where the development of dermatoses was followed for 2 years in 22 patients with the diagnosis of AL. RESULTS: During the study, all patients developed some type of dermatosis, mostly due to chemotherapy.

Warts, malnutrition, and sunshine.

Viral warts are common in poor rural settings but their relationship to malnutrition has not been studied. We sought to determine the prevalence of warts in children of two communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, and compared it with their nutritional status. Children from Santa Catarina Yahuio and Santiago Laxopa of the state of Oaxaca were examined. Localization, number, and type of verruca were noted. Date of birth, height, and weight were obtained to determine nutritional status. A total of 213 children (116 girls and 97 boys), 107 in Yahuio and 106 in Laxopa, were studied. Mean age was 10.24 years. Thirty children (14.1%) had warts and 80% (24/30) of these lived in Yahuio (p = 0.0002). Almost half were teenagers. Most lesions were on sun-exposed areas. First degree malnutrition was found in 24.5%; second degree in 23.6% and third degree in 14.2%. A higher frequency of warts than previously reported was found. Malnutrition was prevalent in both groups but did not correlate positively with verruca. Verruca were more frequent in females, adolescents, sun-exposed areas, and higher altitude. We believe that the higher altitude of Yahuio facilitates greater exposure to ultraviolet light-induced immune suppression.

Immunohistochemistry screening of sebaceous lesions for Muir-Torre syndrome in a 26-year period in a Mexican population.

Muir-Torre syndrome (MTS) is an autosomal dominant genodermatosis defined as the association of rare sebaceous gland skin tumors, keratoacanthomas, and a personal or familial history of malignant visceral tumors. Germline mutations in certain mismatch repair genes (MMR) have been identified in MTS families and their identification is a cornerstone for diagnosis of MTS. We reviewed our series of sebaceous neoplasms and performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) in order to screen for new MTS cases. Sebaceous neoplasms and visceral tumors from the same patient diagnosed between 1980-2006 were included. Immunohistochemistry to determine the presence or absence of MMR gene products in skin and visceral tumors was performed with mouse monoclonal antibodies anti-MSH2, anti-MSH6 and anti-MLH1. Six sebaceous neoplasms were identified in six females. Four patients presented a lack of expression of at least one of the MMR proteins in visceral and cutaneous neoplasms, thus warranting the diagnosis of MTS. Immunohistochemistry is a useful and accessible technique for the characterization of MMR gene expression in patients with sebaceous neoplasms.

Palatal ulcers due to vomiting after gastric band tightening.

Adjustable gastric banding is a widely used modality in some countries for the treatment of morbid obesity, and several complications have been reported. We report the unusual case of a patient who developed bilateral ulcers of the palate after intense vomiting caused by tightening of her gastric band.

Epidemiology of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. A prospective study in hospitalized patients.

BACKGROUND: Drug reactions are commonly present in the skin; however, their frequency in our setting is unknown. METHODS: A 10-month prospective cohort study including all hospitalized patients was designed. Those with adverse cutaneous drug reactions (ACDR) were clinically identified. RESULTS: Thirty five drug reactions (prevalence of 0.7%) were seen among 4785 (2713 females, 2072 males) discharged patients. According to Begaud's imputability criteria, the reactions were most likely attributed to a drug in 4.87%, likely in 41.46% and possible in 53.65%. The most commonly seen dermatoses were morbilliform rash 51.2%, urticaria 12.2% and erythema multiforme 4.9%. Drugs most frequently associated with ACDR were amoxicillin clavulanate (8), amphotericin B (2) and metamizole (4). Expressed as risk by 1000 day-doses (Dd: the risk a patient has of developing an ACDR after receiving 1 day of treatment with the drug): amoxicillin clavulanate Dd 7.7, amphotericin B Dd 4.8 and metamizole Dd 3.7. Immunosuppressed patients were most frequently affected. Notably, patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had a 4.68 higher risk (CI 95% 1.794-12.186 p <0.001) of developing an ACDR. AIDS patients showed a risk of 8.68 (CI 95% 2.18-33.19 p <0.001). Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients also had an increased risk of developing an ACDR. Six of the 35 identified cases were patients who had been hospitalized due to a severe drug reaction (1.3/1000 patients); one died from complications directly related to the ACDR, representing a 16.6% mortality rate among those admitted for an ACDR and 0.02% among the global mortality. CONCLUSIONS: We have a low prevalence of drug reactions compared to data reported in the literature. Pharmacovigilance with special attention to immunosuppressed SLE or AIDS patients is stressed.

Incidence and risk factors for cutaneous adverse drug reactions in an intensive care unit / Incidencia y factores de riesgo en las reacciones adversas medicamentosas de tipo cutáneo en la unidad de cuidados intensivos

Objective. To evaluate the incidence of adverse cutaneous drug reactions in intensive care unit patients. Design. Cohort study. Setting. General adult intensive care unit of an institutional tertiary care hospital. Patients. Patients in the intensive care unit during a consecutive 8-month period were examined for adverse cutaneous drug reactions. Results. Patients in the intensive care unit have an incidence of 11.6% of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. Associated risk factors were female gender, obesity, age over 60 and immune dysregulation (systemic lupus erythematosus, dysthyroidism, and antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome). Few patients had previous history of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. Antimicrobials were the main drug involved. Morbilliform rash followed by urticary were the most frequently observed reactions. Interestingly, over 50% of patients with massive edema -independent of etiology- died. Conclusions. Intensive care unit patients are particularly at risk for developing an adverse cutaneous drug reaction.

Se realizó un estudio de cohorte en la Unidad de Terapia Intensiva (UTI) de un hospital de tercer nivel para evaluar la incidencia de reacciones cutáneas adversas a drogas. Se examinaron todos los pacientes internados en dicha unidad durante un periodo consecutivo de ocho meses. Observamos una incidencia de reacciones adversas a medicamentos de 11.6%. Los factores de riesgo asociados fueron sexo femenino, obesidad, edad mayor a 60 años y alteraciones inmu-nológicas (lupus eritematoso sistémico, distiroidismo y síndrome de antifosfolípido). Los antimicrobianos fueron los principales medicamentos involucrados. La erupción morbiliforme y la urticaria fueron las reacciones más frecuentes. Un hallazgo interesante fue que más de 50% de los pacientes con anasarca fallecieron. Concluimos que los pacientes internados en la UTI son particularmente susceptibles para desarrollar una reacción adversa cutánea a medicamentos.

Incidence and risk factors for cutaneous adverse drug reactions in an intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of adverse cutaneous drug reactions in intensive care unit patients. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: General adult intensive care unit of an institutional tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: Patients in the intensive care unit during a consecutive 8-month period were examined for adverse cutaneous drug reactions. RESULTS: Patients in the intensive care unit have an incidence of 11.6% of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. Associated risk factors were female gender, obesity, age over 60 and immune dysregulation (systemic lupus erythematosus, dysthyroidism, and antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome). Few patients had previous history of adverse cutaneous drug reactions. Antimicrobials were the main drug involved. Morbilliform rash followed by urticary were the most frequently observed reactions. Interestingly, over 50% of patients with massive edema -independent of etiology- died. CONCLUSIONS: Intensive care unit patients are particularly at risk for developing an adverse cutaneous drug reaction.

Tinea imbricata or Tokelau.

Tinea imbricata (TI) or Tokelau is a superficial mycosis caused by Trichophyton concentricum, an anthropophilic dermatophyte. It is endemic in some islands of the South Pacific (Polynesia), South-East Asia, Central and South America, and Mexico, and is most often seen in individuals living in primitive and isolated conditions. The skin lesions are characteristically concentric and lamellar (imbricata: in Latin, tiled) plaques of scale. Predisposing conditions include humidity, inheritance, and immunologic factors. The diagnosis is usually made on clinical grounds, supported by skin scrapings and culture. Tokelau is a chronic and highly relapsing disease and, although no first-line treatment exists, best results are obtained with oral griseofulvin and terbinafine and a topical combination of keratolytic ointments, such as Whitfield's. TI is a disease model that allows the correlation of a series of environmental, genetic, immunologic, and therapeutic conditions.

Superficial mycotic infections of the foot in a native pediatric population: a pathogenic role for Trichosporon cutaneum?

Superficial mycotic infections of the feet are usually caused by Tricophyton rubrum, predominantly affecting adults and resulting from the use of occlusive footwear. We carried out a mycologic study of superficial foot infections in a rural school in Mexico where most people wear a leather, nonocclusive sandal. Forty students had clinical signs of 50 fungal infections of the foot: 39 athlete's foot and 11 onychomycosis. Thirty-one boys and 9 girls were studied. Hyphae were seen in 11 cases of athlete's foot and 5 of onychomycosis. Twenty-one cultures were positive (42%). The most frequently isolated fungi were the opportunistic Trichosporon cutaneum in 42.8%, Candida sp. (23.8%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (23.8%), and Candida glabrata (9.5%). Superficial mycotic infections of the feet and nails were most frequent in children and adolescents who usually wear nonocclusive shoes. The most frequent pathogens were Candida sp. and T. mentagrophytes. It is interesting to note the prevalence of T. cutaneum that has recently been implicated in mycoses of the feet and nails. We did not isolate T. rubrum in any patient.

Two cases of psychogenic purpura

La púrpura psicógena, conocida también como hematomas dolorosos recurrentes o síndrome de autosensibilización eritrocitaria, se asocia usualmente a pacientes con alteraciones emocionales. Es una entidad difícil para el binomio médico-paciente, ya que aún los estudios clínicos y paraclínicos más extensos no orientan al diagnóstico. Presentamos dos mujeres en la tercera década de la vida con hematomas recurrentes dolorosos y diversos síntomas acompañantes que iniciaron posterior a un traumatismo físico. Los psiquiatras diagnosticaron un trastorno de personalidad tipo limítrofe (borderline) en una paciente, y un trastorno facticio en la otras. Las biopsias de piel revelaron un infiltrado inflamatorio perivascular, extravasación de eritrocitos y ausencia de vasculitis. Las alteraciones hemorrágicas psicógenas son poco frecuentes pero deben ser incluidas en el diagnóstico diferencial de las púrpuras para evitar tratamientos mutilantes y agresivos. En su patogenia se implican mecanismos autoinmunes y actividad fibrinolítica cutánea aumentada, pero se requieren más estudios