Cutaneous ultrasound of the nuchal-type fibroma: diagnostic clues and surgery planning.

Nuchal-type fibroma is a rare, benign tumour, arising from the connective tissue and characterized by their usual location in the posterior neck, although extra-nuchal locations may also occur. The excision of nuchal-type fibroma is curative, although it presents as a large poorly circumscribed lesion in the dermal and subcutaneous fat layer, with adipose tissue and muscle fascicles entrapment, what can lead to partial excisions and relapses. Due to its rarity, little is known about the sonographic appearances of nuchal-type fibroma. An early identification and correct extension evaluation is essential to facilitate adequate treatment. Through two clinical cases, we illustrate in this article the utility of cutaneous ultrasound in the early diagnosis of these tumours, highlighting its role in the diagnosis but also in the pre-surgical evaluation improving margins assessment and delimitation.

Serum Amyloid A as a Potential Biomarker for Disease Activity in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria.

BACKGROUND: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is an inflammatory skin disease with a complex physiopathology. Serum amyloid A (SAA), an acute-phase reactant, has been proposed as a potential biomarker in urticaria but has yet to be studied in a population with CSU or correlated with disease activity as indicated by the Urticaria Activity Score summed over 7 days (UAS7). OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine SAA-1 levels in patients with CSU and correlate them with its activity and control, as well as with clinical features of CSU and other potential blood biomarkers. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study of 67 patients with CSU, from whom we obtained demographic and clinical data, UAS7 as an indicator of CSU activity, and blood and serum markers. RESULTS: SAA-1 levels positively correlated with UAS7 (rs = 0.47, P < .001). SAA-1 levels were higher in patients with noncontrolled (UAS7 > 6) CSU than in those with controlled (UAS ≤ 6) CSU (P < .001) and were also higher in patients with concomitant angioedema (P = .003) or delayed pressure urticaria (P = .003). CONCLUSION: We propose SAA-1 as a potential biomarker for activity in CSU. Further studies are required to evaluate its potential role as a biomarker for other CSU outcomes, such as response to treatment.

Generalized morphea following the COVID vaccine: A series of two patients and a bibliographic review.

The appearance of morphea after vaccination has been reported to date as single and deep lesions that appear exactly at the site of the skin puncture. It was therefore postulated that the origin could be the trauma related to the injection. The aim of this article is to review the various hypotheses offered in the published literature about generalized morphea following vaccination. We present two cases of generalized morphea after COVID-19 vaccination and review the published literature on immune-related cutaneous reactions. As previously reported, antigenic cross-reactivity between vaccine spike proteins and human tissues could cause certain immune-mediated diseases, including generalized morphea. Herein we report two cases of generalized morphea probably induced by the COVID-19 vaccine, given the temporal relationship with its administration. In summary, environmental factors such as vaccination against SARS-COV-2 could induce an immune system dysregulation, which would have an important role in the pathogenesis of morphea. We present two cases of generalized morphea probably induced by the COVID-19 vaccine, given the time elapsed between vaccination and the onset of the skin lesions.

Granuloma annulare subtypes: sonographic features and clinicopathological correlation.

PURPOSE: Diagnosis of granuloma annulare (GA) is based on the clinical and histopathological findings. However, only sporadic case reports of subcutaneous GA sonography have been published to date. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic patterns of the different clinical variants of GA: localized, generalized, subcutaneous, and perforating. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed and correlated the clinical, histopathological, and sonographic features of 15 patients diagnosed with GA. RESULTS: We included 8 women and 7 men with a mean age of 48.4 years (8-77 years). We found three different sonographic patterns depending on the clinical variant of GA: poorly defined hypoechoic band including the dermis (dermal pattern), irregularly shaped hypoechoic hypodermal lumps (hypodermal pattern), and ill-defined hypoechoic dermal and subcutaneous lesions (mixed pattern). Five cases showed increased blood flow signal on Doppler interrogation. CONCLUSION: Although our findings are broadly consistent with the previous reports of subcutaneous GA, the sonographic features in localized, generalized, and perforating GA have not been previously reported.

A Comparative Study of Sex Distribution, Autoimmunity, Blood, and Inflammatory Parameters in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria with Angioedema and Chronic Histaminergic Angioedema.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent idiopathic histaminergic angioedema is currently classified as a subtype of angioedema, as well as a subtype of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), based on the fact that both are mast cell-mediated and respond to the same treatments. OBJECTIVE: In the present work, we sought to verify whether chronic histaminergic angioedema (CHA) is an entity distinct from CSU or represents a CSU subtype that lacks hives. METHODS: We performed a prospective study comparing 68 CHA patients, angioedema without hives, with 63 CSU patients, with hives and angioedema, from whom we collected demographic and clinical data, as well as blood and serum markers. RESULTS: We found key pathogenic features that differentiate CHA from CSU: gender distribution, basophil number, and antibodies against the IgE receptor. The male/female ratio in CHA was 0.78, whereas in CSU it was 0.36 (P = .0466). Basopenia was more often seen in CSU (n = 13 [20%]) than in CHA (n = 5 [7%]). Finally, 31.15% of CSU sera induced basophil activation, whereas no CHA sera were able to activate normal basophils. By contrast, nonspecific inflammation or immune markers, for example, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, or IgG antithyroid antibodies, were very similar between both groups. IgE anti-IL-24 could not be assessed because a control population did not differ from CSU. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of CHA as part of the spectrum of CSU is an assumption not evidence-based, and when studied separately, important differences were observed. Until there is further evidence, CHA and CSU should not necessarily be considered the same disorder, and it is our opinion that review articles and guidelines should reflect that possibility.

Primoinfección por parvovirus B19: análisis de 46 pacientes / Acute parvovirus B19 infection: analysis of 46 patients

INTRODUCCIÓN: La infección por parvovirus B19 (PVB19) tiene una incidencia elevada y distribución mundial. Su espectro clínico es amplio, destacando las manifestaciones cutáneas, articulares y hematológicas. El objetivo del presente estudio fue estudiar epidemiología y manifestaciones clínico-analíticas de la primoinfección por PVB19. Pacientes y método: Estudio retrospectivo (10 años) de pacientes con serología IgM positiva para PVB19. Se incluyeron 46 pacientes y se estudiaron sus características demográficas, clínicas y analíticas. RESULTADOS: La primoinfección fue más prevalente en mujeres (ratio 2,2:1), y en edad media de 41años. La afectación articular fue la más frecuente (65%). En más de la mitad de los pacientes (24 casos) se observaron alteraciones cutáneas: exantema (28%), megaloeritema (9%), afectación «en guantes y calcetines» (6,5%), afectación periflexural (4%) y edema (4%). De entre las alteraciones hematológicas destacó la anemia (35%). El cuadro clínico se autolimitó en 1-2 semanas en la mayoría de los pacientes. CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de que existe un espectro clínico variable, las poliartralgias y el exantema maculopapular generalizado junto con fiebre y anemia son las manifestaciones típicas y más frecuentes de la primoinfección por PVB19 y suelen autolimitarse

INTRODUCTION: Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) infection has a high incidence and worldwide distribution. It has a broad clinical spectrum, with skin, joint and haematological manifestations being the most common. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology and clinical-analytical manifestations of acute PVB19 infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with a positive IgM serology for PVB19 (10 years). Forty-six patients were included and their demographic, clinical and analytical characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: Primary infection was most prevalent in women (ratio 2.2:1) aged 41 (mean age). Joint involvement was the most common manifestation (65%). Skin abnormalities were observed in more than half of patients (24 cases): rash (28%), megalerythema (9%), "gloves and socks" involvement (6.5%), periflexural rash (4%) and oedema (4%). Anaemia was the main haematological alteration (35%). The symptoms were self-limiting and resolved in 1-2 weeks in most patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is a variable clinical spectrum, polyarthralgias and generalized maculopapular rash with fever and anaemia are the typical and most frequent manifestations of primary infection by PVB19 and are usually self-limiting

A case of unilateral linear capillaritis.

Unilateral linear capillaritis is a rare variant of the pigmented purpuric dermatoses that can be misdiagnosed due to confusion with other cutaneous diseases that follow a linear distribution. We present the case of an 8-year-old boy with hyperpigmented patches linearly distributed on the right arm, initially diagnosed with segmental neurofibromatosis.