Case of large lentigo maligna melanoma of the scalp treated with 5% and 3. 75% Imiquimod

Abstract The paper presents a case of lentigo maligna melanoma of the scalp in an elderly patient treated for the nodular part with surgery and the residual melanoma in situ with 5% Imiquimod and subsequently with 3.75% Imiquimod (each concentration for 4 months, 5 times per week), with complete regression of the lesion. 3.75% Imiquimod, which is already used for the treatment of actinic keratosis, could be a useful weapon with the same effectiveness and fewer side effects compared to 5% Imiquimod.

Case of large lentigo maligna melanoma of the scalp treated with 5% and 3.75% Imiquimod.

The paper presents a case of lentigo maligna melanoma of the scalp in an elderly patient treated for the nodular part with surgery and the residual melanoma in situ with 5% Imiquimod and subsequently with 3.75% Imiquimod (each concentration for 4 months, 5 times per week), with complete regression of the lesion. 3.75% Imiquimod, which is already used for the treatment of actinic keratosis, could be a useful weapon with the same effectiveness and fewer side effects compared to 5% Imiquimod.

A Nodular Pink Lesion with an Uncommon Diagnosis: A Quiz.

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Blue nevus of the nail: A case report and review.

Blue nevus (BN), in all its clinical variants, rarely affects the nail bed. This leads to difficulty in the diagnosis of BN within the nail bed as well as to challenges with regard to its treatment and follow-up management, not solely attributed to the intrinsic difficulty of the anatomical site. We present the first case in the literature of an acquired cellular BN entirely confined within the nail bed, in a female Caucasian patient. We propose diagnostic and therapeutic options based on personal clinical and surgical experience.

When basal cell carcinomas became giant: an Italian multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Giant basal cell carcinoma (GBCC) is a basal cell carcinoma (BCC) enlarged in a diameter more than 5 cm. Since GBCCs are a highly infrequent entity and the occurrence rate is approximately 0.5-1% out of all BCC types, only anecdotal cases are reported, and causes and characteristics inducing development of this tumor are not defined. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate causative factors and clinico-histological characteristics of GBCCs. METHODS: The study is a 6-month, hospital-based case series study performed in 12 Italian dermatologic centers. RESULTS: A total of 59 cases and 458 control BCCs were collected. No significant differences existed between the two groups if we take into account social or cultural factors. The average duration of GBCCs is considerably longer than controls. GBCCs are located on unexposed areas while BCCs are on areas not usually covered by clothes. Superficial histological subtype was more frequent in the BCCs group, while infiltrative in GBCCs. GBCCs showed significantly higher local invasiveness, and greater metastatic capacity. More than half of GBCCs had been previously treated with one or more treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with GBCCs appear to belong to two categories: (i) those who present with GBCC due to delay in accessing medical attention, and (ii) those who have BCCs previously treated with inappropriate strategies. Only very few cases can be carried out with intrinsic biological features of tumor aggressiveness. Social and cultural conditions do not appear to be involved in the development of GBCCS. These observations may help clinicians in selecting correct therapeutic strategies in the treatment of BCCs, which give rise to GBCC.

A "Yellow Submarine" in Dermoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is an extremely rare, non-Langerhans cell tumor. HS affects especially adults, its etiology is unknown yet. Skin could be interested by papules or nodules, single or multiple. CASE REPORT: A Caucasian man in his late 40s came to our clinic for a naevi evaluation. During the visit, a rose papulonodular lesion was observed in the lumbar region. This lesion was completely asymptomatic, and it had been there for an indefinite period. The clinical evaluation revealed that the lesion appeared elevated, of 9 x 15 mm in dimension, symmetrical and of a homogeneous pinkish colour. The videodermoscopical evaluation revealed a homogeneous yellow central pattern, polymorphic vessels, an eccentric peripheral pigmentation and a white collar. An excisional biopsy was performed. The morphology and the expression of CD163, CD68 and/or lysozyme to the immunophenotypic analysis, revealed the true nature of the lesion. CONCLUSION: HS is usually diagnosed at an already advanced clinical stage and it has a high mortality rate even today. Dermoscopy, showing a yellow and distributed homogeneously colour, can facilitate its hard diagnosis.

Once in a Blue Moon Rare Adnexal Tumor: From the Clinical and Videodermoscopical Aspects to the Mohs Surgery and the Histological Diagnosis.

The adnexal tumours are a very heterogeneous group of lesions, more and more studied in the literature. The squamoid eccrine ductal carcinoma (SEDC) is a rare malignant variant that combines ductal structures with squamous differentiation. We report a case of dermoscopic and histological diagnosis of SEDC, treated with Mohs Surgery and with no recurrence of a tumour after 12 months of follow up.

Lesion presenting with a "blue amber" pattern.

Atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) is a spindle cell neoplasm with low metastatic potential but high tendency to recur after surgery. Because of the rarity of this lesion and its aspecific clinical features, AFX could be easily misdiagnosed and undertreated by many clinicians who encounter them. Dermoscopy represents a valuable tool for easily assessing skin lesions, even though histological examination is required for final diagnosis. We report a case of a cheek lesion with dermoscopic "blue amber pattern", easily recognisable and not observed in others skin tumours, which could represent an additional feature useful in differentiating this tumour from other skin neoplasms.

Comparative study of trichloroacetic acid vs. photodynamic therapy with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid for actinic keratosis of the scalp.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy with 5-methyl-aminolevulinate and photodynamic therapy with trichloroacetic acid 50% are the two techniques utilized in the management of actinic keratosis. This study was planned to compare the efficacy, adverse effects, recurrence and cosmetic outcome of these option therapies in patients with multiple actinic keratosis of the scalp. METHODS: Thirteen patients with multiple actinic keratosis were treated with one of the two treatments on half of the scalp at baseline, while the other treatment was performed on the other half 15 days apart, randomly. Efficacy, adverse effects, cosmetic outcome and recurrence were recorded at follow-up visit at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: Photodynamic therapy with 5 methyl-aminolevulinate was more effective than trichloroacetic acid although less tolerated by patients as it was more painful. Early adverse effects were almost the same even if trichloroacetic acid leads also to crust formation and to a worse cosmetic outcome characterized by hypopigmentation. Recurrence was lower in the area treated with photodynamic therapy. CONCLUSION: Trichloroacetic acid 50% is less effective than photodynamic therapy with 5 methyl-aminolevulinate in the treatment of multiple actinic keratosis of the scalp although better tolerated by patients. As this technique is less painful and less expensive than photodynamic therapy, we hypothesize and suggest that more sequential treatments could lead to better results.

Pigmented epithelioid melanocytoma: report of a case with favourable outcome after a 4-year follow-up period.

BACKGROUND: Pigmented epitheliod melanocytoma (PEM) is a uncommon melanocytoma with unique histopathological features and possibly with a favourable prognosis, because, although sentinel lymph-node metastases may occur, in the great majority of cases described up to now there is no spread beyond regional lymph-nodes. The nature of PEM, its biologic behaviour and its relationships to naevi and melanoma, however, remain to be clearly established, and several Authors suggest that further cases of PEM with long follow-up should be published, in order to better assess the biologic/prognostic characteristics of PEM. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report a new case of PEM, dealing with an oval, regularly marginated, darkly pigmented, asymptomatic nodule. The dermoscopic pattern showed a homogeneous blue-black pigmentation, without any other dermoscopic sign. The histopathologic analysis showed both isolated and nested oval melanocytes at the junctional level, and a mixture of epitheliod and spindle melanocytes, heavily pigmented, together with numerous melanophages in the dermis, with tendency to periadnexal distribution; cellular atypia was pronounced, but only occasional mitoses were identified in the superficial dermis. After a 4-year follow-up period after excision, no persistent lesion or metastases occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The present case suggests that PEM has a distinct histopathologic/diagnostic identity among melanocytic tumours. Although the up-to-now favourable outcome, however, our patient needs a large period of observation, and further studies with long follow-up are needed to better define the biologic/prognostic identity of PEM.