Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma: case series and review of histological findings.

Idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma (IFG) is a benign condition that typically presents as asymptomatic nodules on the cheeks of pediatric patients. The underlying etiology of IFG remains unknown; however, increasing evidence supports the theory that IFG may lie on a spectrum with childhood rosacea. Typically, biopsy and excision are deferred due to the benign nature, high spontaneous resolution rates, and cosmetically sensitive location. As biopsy is infrequently used to diagnose IFG, a limited library of histopathologic findings exists to characterize the lesions. We present a single-center retrospective review of five cases of IFG diagnosed by histology after surgical excision.

Kaposi Sarcoma in Afghanistan: A Case Series from a Tertiary Referral Center.

Kaposi sarcoma is a vascular endothelial neoplasm caused by human herpesvirus 8. Although it is a well-studied disease, little is known about the specific characteristics or epidemiology of Kaposi sarcoma in Afghanistan. The data consist primarily of anecdotal reports and epidemiological studies extrapolated from neighboring countries. In this case series, we summarize existing data about Kaposi sarcoma in Afghanistan and present seven histologically confirmed cases with associated clinical features to shed light on the characteristics of Kaposi sarcoma in this unique geographic setting.

Blue nevus with smooth muscle hyperplasia: A rare hamartoma.

A limited number of distinct histopathological variants of blue nevus exist, and hamartomatous proliferations involving melanocytic components, dendritic, or otherwise, have also been described. Blue nevus/smooth muscle hamartomas represent a rarely described entity. In this paper, we add two examples of this unusual hamartoma to the existing literature. These additional blue nevus/smooth muscle hamartomas occurred on the left mid-upper back of a 50-year-old woman and the central upper back of a 54-year-old man. Both lesions were clinically atypical pigmented lesions. Histopathologic review of both specimens revealed proliferations of predominantly spindled and pigmented dermal melanocytes with associated smooth muscle hyperplasia, compatible with blue nevus/smooth muscle hamartoma. Both specimens were accompanied by subtle changes suggesting follicular induction, a phenomenon previously described as occurring in a minority of specimens. A brief re-examination of recently diagnosed blue nevus at our institution did not reveal any additional cases in which a subtle smooth muscle component had been missed, suggesting this type of hamartoma is, indeed, exceedingly rare.