Pilot study for the evaluation and adaptation of a Four Item-Acne-Scar Risk Assessment Tool (4-ASRAT): a resource to estimate the risk of acne-induced scars.

Background: Acne-induced scarring is associated with a similar burden as acne, i.e. diminished quality of life, and may be avoided if patients receive appropriate and timely acne treatment. In 2017, a four item-Acne-Scar Risk Assessment Tool (4-ASRAT) was designed by Tan et al. to categorise patients with acne into lower-risk or higher-risk for acne scarring. Its applicability outside the initial study population (France, Brazil and United States) remains to be determined.  Methods: A study protocol was developed to create a systematic approach for validating and adapting 4-ASRAT to different populations, Ecuador in this case. The protocol was reviewed by 11 local and international dermatologists and pilot-tested in an Ecuadorian population using a sample of 10 participants who currently had or had had acne. Feedback from the pilot study was used to improve the study protocol. The results of the pilot study are included here, and the final study protocol is available as extended data.  Results: The protocol proved to be applicable. Images taken of participants were a valuable resource for dermatological evaluation about the presence or absence of acne scars. Tangential light is necessary for this evaluation. Although dermatological assessments varied, we concluded that assessment by three local dermatologists for each participant was adequate for reaching a consensus on the presence or absence of acne scars.   Conclusions: Considering the morbidity related to acne and acne scars, tools designed as prevention that alert patients about risk of developing scarring are necessary. The proposed protocol shows a feasible way of validating and adapting 4-ASRAT to different populations.

An adverse effect of an injectable cosmetic procedure: a case of mistaken identities.

Minimally invasive cosmetic procedures are being performed at increasing rates. This is likely due to the combination of a growing aging population, an increased accessibility through non-physician providers, and a common association of "minimally invasive" with the concept of fewer side effects. Despite their overall successes, there are adverse effects associated with these procedures, which are most often related to injection location, amount, and technique. This case describes a patient who sought botulinum toxin injections to smooth the appearance of periorbital lines who presented 12 months later with chronic multiple palpable nodules in the injection sites. Histopathological evaluation demonstrated a foreign body reaction resembling the reaction against semi-permanent or permanent fillers such as poly-L-lactic acid or polymethylmethacralate. Knowledge of the biochemical properties and life cycles of dermal fillers guided the decision to surgically excise the nodules, with cosmetically satisfactory results.

In vivo confocal microscopy in clinical practice: comparison of bedside diagnostic accuracy of a trained physician and distant diagnosis of an expert reader.

BACKGROUND: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is an imaging tool that allows the visualization of cellular details without biopsy. To our knowledge, RCM sensitivity and specificity has not been studied in a telemedicine setting. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess RCM diagnostic accuracy in a support teleconsultation setting. METHODS: Between June 2010 and September 2011, 340 lesions were imaged using a confocal scanning microscope. The images were evaluated by 2 readers, one on site, and the other at a distance. RESULTS: A total of 334 cases were included. For each reader the sensitivity was greater than 90% and specificity for each reader was greater than 60%. Both readers had a combined sensitivity of 98.6% and 44% specificity. LIMITATIONS: RCM may be limited in the correct classification of epithelial tumors. CONCLUSIONS: RCM is a tool in the clinical diagnosis of skin lesions, providing a high diagnostic accuracy in teleconsultation use.

In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy features of discoid lupus erythematosus.

BACKGROUND: Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is an inflammatory condition characterized by round demarcated lesions with varying amounts of erythema, telangiectasia, scaling, follicular plugging, dyspigmentation, atrophy, and scarring. Clinical diagnosis can be confirmed through biopsy samples; reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is also emerging as an accurate diagnostic tool. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Our objective was to examine the features of discoid lupus erythematosus on reflectance confocal microscopy. Two patients presenting with discoid lupus erythematosus were imaged using RCM. Features seen in RCM were correlated with those seen in histopathology. RESULTS: Reflectance confocal microscopy images of discoid lupus erythematosus yielded features characteristically seen in histopathological samples including inflammatory cells, inflammation at the dermo-epidermal junction, pigment incontinence, and vacuolar degeneration. CONCLUSION: Reflectance confocal microscopy is a useful tool in the diagnosis of discoid lupus erythematosus. Features described in these two cases as well as prior research have yielded sufficient data to allow for the formulation of useful RCM diagnostic algorithms. Further studies with a larger patient population will help in confirming and describing new features of DLE on RCM.