Scalp Melanoma: A High-Risk Subset of Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanomas with Distinctive Clinicopathological Features.

Scalp melanomas (SM) have been previously associated with poor overall and melanoma-specific survival rates. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of SM and non-scalp cutaneous head and neck melanoma (CHNM). An observational multi-center retrospective study was designed based on patients with CHNM followed in two tertiary care hospitals. A hundred and fifty-two patients had CHNM, of which 35 (23%) had SM. In comparison with non-scalp CHNM, SM were more frequently superficial spreading and nodular subtypes, had a thicker Breslow index median (2.1 mm vs. 0.85 mm), and a higher tumor mitotic rate (3 vs. 1 mitosis/mm2) (p < 0.05). SM had a higher risk of recurrence and a higher risk of melanoma-specific death (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, scalp location was the only prognostic factor for recurrence, and tumor mitotic rate was the only prognostic factor for melanoma-specific survival. We encourage routinely examining the scalp in all patients, especially those with chronic sun damage.

Multiple Primary Melanomas: Retrospective Review in a Tertiary Care Hospital.

Multiple primary melanomas (MPM) refer to the occurrence of more than one synchronous or metachronous melanoma in the same individual. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of MPM and describe the clinical and histopathologic characteristics of patients with MPM. An observational single-center retrospective study was designed based on a cohort of melanoma patients followed in a tertiary care hospital. Fifty-eight (8.9%) patients developed MPM. Most patients were men (65.5%) and the median age at the time of diagnosis of the first melanoma was 71 years old. The median time of diagnosis of the second melanoma from the first melanoma was 10.9 months, and 77.6% of second melanomas were diagnosed within the first 5 years. In total, 29 (50%) and 28 (48.3%) first and second melanomas were located in the trunk, respectively. Concordance of anatomic site between primary and subsequent melanoma was found in 46.6% of the patients. Proportion of in situ melanomas was increasingly higher in subsequent melanomas (from 36.21% of first melanomas to 100% of fifth melanomas). An increasing rate of melanomas with histological regression was observed within subsequent melanomas (from 60.3% of first melanomas to 80% of third melanomas). Our results support the importance of careful long-term follow-up with total body examination in melanoma patients.

[Treatment adherence and effectiveness of extended-release antipsychotics in a hospital setting]. / Adherencia y efectividad de fármacos antipsicóticos de liberación prolongada en el ámbito hospitalario.

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that affects young patients in which antipsychotic treatment is essential for sympto- matic control and preventing progression. The high rate of relapse in these patients (10%) is mainly due to the abandonment of the medication. It is necessary to find tools to increase adherence. The long acting injectable antipsychotics (depot antipsychotics) represent a useful alternative in the recent years, since there is great evidence that they improve therapeutic compliance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and adherence to pharmacological treatment with depot antipsychotics in patients with psychotic disorders. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective longitudinal observational study was performed on a population of 89 subjects from Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón (HUFA) with psychotic disorders, who received depot antipsychotics since September 2015 until June 2017. The incidences of new symptomatic episodes (assessed as visits to Emergency Department, general hospital admissions and psychiatric admissions) were compared at 6, 12, 24 months before and 6, 12, 14 months after the start of the depot treatment. RESULTS: There is a significant reduction in the relative risk of general and psychiatric admissions with all depot antipsychotics. Paliperidone Palmitate is superior to the others, being the only one that reduces the number of visits to general Emergencies. Aripiprazole only decreased the relative risk of psychiatric admissions. The depot antipsychotics used had a high adherence (73%). Among the causes of non-adherence to treatment (23%), the most important is non-compliance with the prescribed regimen. CONCLUSION: Depot antipsychotics are an effective alternative to improve therapeutic adherence in patients with psychotic disorders, which means a lower incidence of symptoms and lower hospital requirements.