Dermatology of the head and neck: skin cancer and benign skin lesions.

Skin lesions are extremely common, and early detection of dangerous lesions makes skin cancer one of the most highly curable malignancies. By simply becoming aware of common lesions and their phenotypic presentation, dental professionals are empowered to detect suspicious dermatologic lesions in unaware patients. This article serves as an introduction to skin cancer and benign skin lesions for dental professionals.

The combined use of forced cold air and topical anesthetic cream for analgesia during the treatment of palmar hyperhydrosis with botulinum toxin injections.

BACKGROUND: Palmar hyperhidrosis is an uncomfortable condition that can severely affect a patient's quality of life. Injections of botulinum toxin have proven to be an efficient treatment modality, however the pain associated with palmar injections has limited the use of this therapy. OBJECTIVE: The authors describe a novel method of analgesia combining topical analgesic cream and forced cold air during botulinum injection treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. CASE REPORT: This is a case report of a patient with a 10-year history of palmar hyperhidrosis. Both hands were pretreated with topical anesthetic cream and the right hand was additionally treated with forced cold air at a distance of 1 cm for up to 30 seconds before injection administration. After the botulinum injection was administered to both hands, the patient was subjectively asked about pain during injection. RESULTS: The patient subjectively reported a 75% decrease in the intensity of pain with the combination use of topical anesthetic cream and forced cold air, which she said made the injections more tolerable. No epidermal changes were noted at the time of treatment or at follow-up. CONCLUSION: The use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis is limited due to the pain associated with injections of the palm. In this case report, we describe the successful use of forced cold air with topical anesthetic cream to lessen the pain of botulinum toxin injections during the treatment of hyperhidrosis.

Ecthyma gangrenosum caused by Escherichia coli bacteremia: a case report and review of the literature.

Ecthyma gangrenosum (EG) is a serious and well-recognized cutaneous condition. Development of EG is most commonly associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa septicemia. Other organisms, such as Escherichia coli, have been identified less often as the cause of EG. We describe a 50-year-old man previously diagnosed with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who developed an E coli-colonized EG lesion secondary to E coli bacteremia. This case represents the seventh of its kind in the literature and the first case in a patient with AML. In addition, a brief review of the etiopathology and management of EG is presented.

Community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infection.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most common pathogens in skin and soft tissue infections, as well as in potentially serious nosocomial infections in patients who acquire it when hospitalized. Penicillin was introduced in the 1940's as an effective treatment against S. aureus. However, shortly after penicillin's introduction, penicillin resistance to S. aureus emerged due to a plasmid-mediated beta-lactamase enzyme. In 1959, a semisynthetic penicillin, methicillin was introduced to overcome the resistance problem. However, within a year, bacteria resistant to methicillin and other penicillinase stable beta-lactams, were present. Worldwide emergence of methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) was established by the 1980's. Since that time, MRSA has become widespread in hospitals and long-term care facilities around the world, accounting for numerous nosocomial infections. Recently, there has been an alarming increase in the incidence of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA). Patients with CA-MRSA began to be reported in the early 1990's and its prevalence has continued to increase. This paper summarizes the current information known about CA-MRSA as it relates to skin infections including populations at risk, clinical presentation, and treatment options.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis and intravenous immunoglobulin: a review.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN, Lyell's syndrome) is a rare, life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction to certain medications, such as sulfonamides, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and anti-convulsants. The incidence of TEN is 0.4-1.2 cases per million per year in the general population and 1 case per thousand per year in the HIV+ population. It is characterized morphologically by ongoing apoptotic keratinocyte cell death that results in the separation of the epidermis from the dermis. TEN carries a mortality of upwards of 40%, with the vast majority of patients succumbing to sepsis or multiorgan failure. Recent insights into the pathogenesis of TEN revealed that keratinocytes undergo Fas-FasL mediated apoptosis. No specific treatment for TEN exists to date. Attempts have been made to decrease mortality in TEN patients through supportive care and adjuvant therapies. Since 1988, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been shown to interfere with the interaction of Fas and FasL, and can be used as a treatment for TEN. This paper reviews the recent studies in the literature that have looked at the use of IVIG to treat TEN.

Open-label pilot study of alitretinoin gel 0.1% in the treatment of photoaging.

Alitretinoin (9-cis-retinoic acid) is an FDA-approved topical therapy for the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma. Alitretinoin is a naturally occurring endogenous retinoid that binds to and activates all known intracellular retinoic acid receptor (RAR) subtypes alpha, beta, and gamma and retinoic X receptor (RXR) subtypes alpha, beta, and gamma. Photoaging of the skin is the result of accumulated exposure to solar UV radiation. Several topically applied retinoids have been proven clinically effective for treating the appearance of photoaging. Tretinoin and tazarotene, which have been shown to improve photodamaged skin, bind RAR subtypes only. The theoretic benefit of alitretinoin gel 0.1% (Panretin) in the treatment of photoaged skin stems from the binding and activation of both RARs and RXRs, which promote the repair mechanisms in damaged skin. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of topical alitretinoin gel 0.1% in the treatment of photodamaged skin. The treatment was well tolerated by participants (N=20) and subjectively showed improvement of benign skin lesions (eg, seborrheic keratoses) and precancerous lesions (eg, actinic keratoses). Larger, blinded, controlled trials are needed to investigate the role of this novel retinoid in the treatment of photoaging.

Pilot study of the safety and efficacy of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) for treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Botulinum toxin type B (BTX-B, Myobloc, San Francisco, CA, USA) was FDA-approved for the treatment of cervical dystonia in December 2000. It has since been used off-label for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. However, there are sparse data in the medical literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) for this indication. OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety, efficacy and duration of action of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) in the treatment of bilateral axillary hyperhidrosis. METHODS: This study was a double-blinded, randomized, pilot study conducted in an outpatient office setting at a private academic medical center beginning in November 2001. Twenty-three male and female volunteers between the ages of 18 and 80 were screened for participation; 20 participants with primary axillary hyperhidrosis were enrolled. Participants were injected subcutaneously with either Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) (2500 U, or 0.5 ml, per axilla) or 0.5 ml vehicle (100 mM NaCl, 10 mM succinate, and 0.5 mg/ml human albumin) into bilateral axillae. Participants who received placebo were rolled over and received Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) at subsequent visits. All participants were followed until sweating returned to baseline levels. This trial was initially conceived as a placebo-controlled study; however, owing to the insufficient size of the placebo group, the placebo arm of this trial was dropped during data analysis. The main outcome measures were safety, efficacy, and duration of effect. RESULTS: According to participant assessment of axillary hyperhidrosis improvement (A-HI) and quality of life (A-HQOL) scores and the physician assessment scores, a significant difference was observed in treatment response at Day 30 in the participants receiving Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) injections. Duration of action ranged from 2.2 to 8.1 months (mean 5.0 months). The adverse event profile included bruising, flu-like symptoms, and dry eyes. CONCLUSION: Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) proved to be safe and efficacious for the treatment of bilateral axillary hyperhidrosis. More studies are needed to assess the duration of response using different doses of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B).

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study of the safety and efficacy of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B) for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Palmar hyperhidrosis is a problem of unknown etiology that affects patients both socially and professionally. Botulinum toxin type B (Myobloc), approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the treatment of cervical dystonia in the United States in December 2000, has subsequently been used effectively in an off-label indication to treat hyperhidrosis. There are sparse data, however, in the literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of BTX-B for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the safety and efficacy of Myobloc in the treatment of bilateral palmar hyperhidrosis. This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study to report on the safety and efficacy of Myobloc. METHODS: Twenty participants (10 men, 10 women) diagnosed with palmar hyperhidrosis were injected with either Myobloc (5,000 U per palm) or a 1.0 mL vehicle (100 mM NaCl, 10 mM succinate, and 0.5 mg/mL human albumin) into bilateral palms (15 Myobloc, 5 placebo). The participants were followed until sweating returned to baseline levels. The main outcome measures were safety, efficacy versus placebo, and duration of effect. RESULTS: A significant difference was found in treatment response at day 30, as determined by participant assessments, between 15 participants injected with Myobloc and 3 participants injected with placebo. The duration of action, calculated in the 17 participants who received Myobloc injections and completed the study, ranged from 2.3 to 4.9 months, with a mean duration of 3.8 months. The single most reported adverse event was dry mouth or throat, which was reported by 18 of 20 participants. The adverse event profile also included indigestion or heartburn (60%), excessively dry hands (60%), muscle weakness (60%), and decreased grip strength (50%). CONCLUSION: Myobloc proved to be efficacious for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. Myobloc had a rapid onset, with most participants responding within 1 week. The duration of action ranged from 2.3 to 4.9 months, with a mean of 3.8 months. The adverse event profile included dry mouth, indigestion or heartburn, excessively dry hands, muscle weakness, and decreased grip strength.

Botulinum toxin-B and the management of hyperhidrosis.

A new serotype of botulinum toxin has recently arrived in the US. Botulinum toxin type B (BTX-B), known as Myobloc in the United States and as Neurobloc in Europe, is one of seven different antigenic members of the botulinum toxin family, five of which the human nervous system is susceptible to. Like botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A), BTX-B has been used for a myriad of both dermatologic and nondermatologic problems since its recent approval by the FDA for the treatment of cervical dystonia in December 2000. It is currently not approved however, for a cosmetic use but has been used for this purpose in an "off-label" fashion. It has followed in the therapeutic footsteps of BTX-A in the prevention and treatment of facial wrinkles such as crow's feet and glabellar frown lines. In addition, one of its current and popular uses is in the management of hyperhidrosis, a disease in search of a long needed treatment. This past year researchers have been investigating the efficacy as well as defining the dosing and application regiments of BTX-B in the treatment of hyperhidrosis. In addition, recent studies have been examining its side effect profile, which may be very different than that seen with BTX-A. There are only a handful of studies in the literature examining the cosmetic applications of BTX-B. This chapter will review what is currently known about BTX-B and its current use in regards to the treatment of hyperhidrosis.

Cryoanalgesia with dichlorotetrafluoroethane lessens the pain of botulinum toxin injections for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Hyperhidrosis is a troublesome problem that can be embarrassing in both social and professional situations. Botulinum toxin injections have proven efficacious in the treatment of hyperhidrosis. However, when treating palmar hyperhidrosis, pain at the injection site limits this therapy. We describe a method of cryoanalgesia using dichlorotetrafluoroethane to lessen the pain of botulinum toxin injections during the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. OBJECTIVE: To show the successful use of dichlorotetrafluoroethane or Frigiderm in the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. METHODS: This is a case report of a patient with a 20-year history of palmar hyperhidrosis who had previously tried several unsuccessful techniques to control pain during botulinum toxin injections to his palms. The left hand of the patient was pretreated with a spray of Frigiderm for 5 seconds before each of the botulinum injections. Two to 3 seconds of dichlorotetrafluoroethane at a distance of 2 to 4 inches were sprayed before each palmar injection. There was 1 to 2 seconds of frosting on the skin before the botulinum toxin was administered. After the botulinum toxin injection was administered, the patient was subjectively asked about pain during injection. RESULTS: The patient subjectively reported a 75% decrease in the intensity of pain with the Frigiderm application, which he said made the injections much more tolerable. No epidermal changes were noted at the time of treatment or at the telephone follow-up visit. The patient presented for follow-up 3 months later. He stated that the sweating had minimally returned but that he had not yet returned to baseline. CONCLUSION: The use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis is often limited because of the pain of multiple injections. In this case report, we describe the successful use of cryoanalgesia with dichlorotetrafluoroethane or Frigiderm to lessen the pain of botulinum toxin injections during the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.

A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study of the safety and efficacy of Myobloc (botulinum toxin type B)-purified neurotoxin complex for the treatment of crow's feet: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Crow's feet develop with age and are one of the earliest signs of the normal aging process. Botulinum toxin type A, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of glabellar wrinkles in April 2002, has been used off-label to treat facial wrinkles since 1981. Botulinum toxin type B (BTX-B, Myobloc) was Food and Drug Administration-approved for use in cervical dystonia in the United States in December 2000 and has subsequently been used in an off-label indication to treat facial wrinkles. There are sparse data in the literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of BTX-B for the treatment of facial wrinkles. In this pilot study, participants with moderate or severe crow's feet wrinkles were treated with Myobloc versus placebo. The duration of correction and side effect profile are reported.

Lip silicone granulomatous foreign body reaction treated with aldara (imiquimod 5%).

We report a case of a lip granulomatous reaction after injection of silicone being treated successfully with topical Aldara (Imiquimod 5%). Silicone granulomas and the inflammatory foreign body reaction that can occur are some of the complications that arise from using silicone for cosmetic enhancement. The inflammatory reaction of this patient first appeared shortly after silicone injection of both the upper and lower lips. Histopathologic examination revealed a foreign body inflammatory reaction that is consistent with silicone granuloma. Although this reaction has been described extensively in the dermatologic literature as one of the disfiguring side effects of silicone injection, its treatment has plagued cosmetic dermatologists. We report the use of an immunomodulatory cream Aldara (Imiquimod 5%) to treat this type of reaction.