Early outcome of a 31-gene expression profile test in 86 AJCC stage IB-II melanoma patients. A prospective multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The clinical and pathological features of primary melanoma are not sufficiently sensitive to accurately predict which patients are at a greater risk of relapse. Recently, a 31-gene expression profile (DecisionDx-Melanoma) test has shown promising results. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the early prognostic performance of a genetic signature in a multicentre prospectively evaluated cohort. METHODS: Inclusion of patients with AJCC stages IB and II conducted between April 2015 and December 2016. All patients were followed up prospectively to assess their risk of relapse. Prognostic performance of this test was evaluated individually and later combined with the AJCC staging system. Prognostic accuracy of disease-free survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis. Results of the gene expression profile test were designated as Class 1 (low risk) and Class 2 (high risk). RESULTS: Median follow-up time was 26 months (IQR 22-30). The gene expression profile test was performed with 86 patients; seven had developed metastasis (8.1%) and all of them were in the Class 2 group, representing 21.2% of this group. Gene expression profile was an independent prognostic factor for relapse as indicated by multivariate Cox regression analysis, adjusted for AJCC stages and age. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective multicentre cohort study, performed in a Spanish Caucasian cohort, shows that this 31-gene expression profile test could correctly identify patients at early AJCC stages who are at greater risk of relapse. We believe that gene expression profile in combination with the AJCC staging system could well improve the detection of patients who need intensive surveillance and optimize follow-up strategies.

Acquired digital arteriovenous malformations: laser treatment of an uncommon vascular abnormality.

Acquired digital arteriovenous malformations (ADAVM) are uncommon acral vascular lesions most often affecting the finger. Treatment usually requires complete excision of the lesion with complex advancement flap or skin graft reconstruction. However, in recent years, some authors have reported satisfactory outcomes with laser treatment. We describe a series of 6 patients with ADAVM, 5 of whom received laser treatment and obtained a good response. The other patient was treated surgically. After an in-depth review of this type of lesion, we conclude that laser treatment is a safe and effective alternative for these malformations, provided the patients are appropriately diagnosed and have Schöbinger stage i lesions.

[Lymphomatoid papulosis: clinical and pathological findings in 18 patients]. / Papulosis linfomatoide: hallazgos clínico-patológicos en 18 pacientes.

BACKGROUND: Lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP) is a CD30(+) lymphoproliferative skin disease that has been described in association with Hodgkin lymphoma. It has also been reported to progress to mycosis fungoides or cutaneous anaplastic large-cell lymphoma. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical and histologic features of LyP and response to treatment in a patient series. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this retrospective, descriptive, observational study of patients with histologically confirmed LyP and sufficient follow-up data on record, we extracted histologic findings on skin biopsy, clinical presentation, clinical course, and response to treatments. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (10 male, 8 female) were identified. Most biopsies (14/18, 78%) showed a wedge-shaped lymphocytic infiltrate with CD30(+), CD3(+), and CD56(-) cells. A type A histologic pattern was present in the biopsies of 83% of the patients. The most common presentation (83%) consisted of papules on the trunk; for 62% LyP resolved after a single episode. Twelve percent of the patients developed mycosis fungoides (mean follow-up, 7 years); no other associations were noted. DISCUSSION: Although few series of patients with LyP have been published in recent years, the findings reported generally coincide with our observations. CONCLUSION: LyP is typically a CD30(+) lymphoproliferative disorder that usually runs a benign course and responds well to treatment.

Granulomas in Dermatopathology: Principal Diagnoses - Part 2. / Granulomas en dermatopatología: principales entidades. Parte II.

Part 2 of this series on granulomatous diseases focuses on skin biopsy findings. Whereas the first part treated noninfectious conditions (metabolic disorders and tumors, among other conditions), this part mainly deals with various types of infectious disease along with other conditions seen fairly often by clinical dermatologists.

Granulomas in Dermatopathology: Principal Diagnoses - Part 1. / Granulomas en dermatopatología: principales entidades. Parte I.

This series of 2 articles on dermatopathologic diagnoses reviews conditions in which granulomas form. Part 1 clarifies concepts, discusses the presentation of different types of granulomas and giant cells, and considers a large variety of noninfectious diseases. Some granulomatous diseases have a metabolic origin, as in necrobiosis lipoidica. Others, such as granulomatous mycosis fungoides, are related to lymphomas. Still others, such as rosacea, are so common that dermatologists see them nearly daily in clinical practice.

Vittaforma Corneae keratoconjunctivitis: An emerging pathology among travelers returning from Southeast Asia. / Queratoconjuntivitis por Vittaforma corneae: una enfermedad emergente entre los viajeros que regresan del sudeste asiático.

Microsporidium keratoconjunctivitis is an very rare disease. It is related to outbreaks in Asia due to exposure to contaminated water or soil. Microsporidium keratoconjunctivitis is a a self-limited disease, but it could have long term courses. We present the case of a 29 year old woman who started with pain, redness and blurred vision after a holiday in Singapore and did not respond to conjunctivitis treatment. PCR sequencing and PAS staining of corneal epithelial biopsy identified Vittaforma corneae as the causative organism. Treatment was initiated with corneal debridement, oral albendazol, and intensive topical voriconazole, levofloxacin and propamidine, but the conjunctival and corneal disease was only resolved 5 months later with the introduction of topical steroids to treat her severe limbitis. Suspicion of Microsporidium keratoconjunctivitis should be raised amongst ophthalmologists in unilateral keratitis with mild conjunctivitis in travelers from Asia.

[Nodular secondary syphilis in a HIV patient mimicking cutaneous lymphoma]. / Sífilis secundaria nodular en paciente VIH positivo simulando linfoma cutáneo.

We report the case of a 61-year old man who, already for a month, had infiltrated plaques on the chest, back, neck and face as well as axilar lymphadenopathy, bearing a striking resemblance to lymphoma. During his stay in the hospital he had fever, sore throat, macules on the palms and soles and a depapilated plaque on the tongue and alopecia. A test for syphilis confirmed the diagnosis. The HIV serology was also positive. The nodular secondary syphilis is an unusual form that was first documented more than 20 years ago. Since then, only a few cases have been reported in which the first diagnosis included lymphoreticular malignancy. This form of secondary syphilis was found in the HIV-infected as well as non-infected patients. We discuss the atypical clinical course, the inappropriate serological reactions and the therapy in HIV infected patients with secondary syphilis.

[Efficacy of dapsone in disseminated granuloma annulare: a case report and review of the literature\]. / Eficacia de la dapsona en el granuloma anular diseminado: presentación de un caso y revisión de la literatura.

Granuloma annulare is a dermatosis of unknown cause that is generally self-limiting and has several clinical forms of presentation. It may be associated with pruritus or present asymptomatically. The disseminated variant of the disease accounts for 15 % of all cases. Most authors consider that the duration of this form is longer and that treatment response is worse than for localized forms. A range of therapeutic options have been tried for this disease with a wide range of outcomes. We present a patient with disseminated granuloma annulare who started treatment with dapsone after several therapeutic failures. With dapsone therapy, her cutaneous symptoms showed a clear improvement without any relevant side effects. We then review reports in the literature of cases of disseminated granuloma annulare treated with dapsone.

[Exacerbation of skin lesions during fever in a patient with chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous articular (CINCA) syndrome]. / Síndrome CINCA: presentación de un caso con exacerbación febril de sus lesiones cutáneas.

Chronic infantile neurologic cutaneous articular (CINCA) syndrome is a serious chronic systemic inflammatory disease that presents at a young age and that is characterized by skin, joint, and central nervous system disease. Skin symptoms are the first to appear, in the form of a longstanding nonpruritic urticarial rash, with exacerbations coinciding with episodes of fever, arthritis, and enlarged lymph nodes. The findings of biopsy of skin lesions are extremely variable but characterized by perivascular neutrophilic infiltrate. With the discovery of mutations in the CIAS1 gene, which encodes a protein known as cryopyrin, this entity has been classified as one of the cryopyrin-associated autoinflammatory diseases, along with familial cold urticaria and Muckle-Wells syndrome. This discovery has also made available new therapeutic options. We present the case of a boy diagnosed with CINCA syndrome who presented with an outbreak of painful skin lesions and fever. These lesions were thought to be an exacerbation of underlying lesions during an episode of fever.

[Infantile hamartoma of the chest wall]. / Hamartoma infantil de la pared costal.

Although chest wall osseous tumors are frequent in infancy, a few cases have been reported in the last years. Most of these cases had a benign course although in many of them a malignant histological diagnosis was formerly made. We report a case of chest wall tumor in a two months old boy. The histological pattern was similar to that described by McLeod and Dahlin as "chest wall hamartoma of the infancy". Seven months after the tumor resection the child lived well and without recurrence.