Diagnosis and Management of Acral Pigmented Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Survival outcomes in acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) are worse than for cutaneous melanoma. Diagnostic delays are believed to contribute to worse outcomes in ALM, including advanced-stage disease at initial presentation. Acral lentiginous melanoma, especially in its early stages, may be difficult to discern from benign pigmented acral lesions. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the diagnosis and management of acral pigmented lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was performed. The outcomes included were the clinical and dermoscopic features and the management frameworks and considerations for acquired and congenital melanocytic nevi, acral melanosis, nonmelanocytic pigmented lesions, and ALM. RESULTS: Original research studies were primarily included. The use of dermoscopy, such as the 3-step algorithm and blotch (irregular), ridge pattern (parallel), asymmetry of structures, asymmetry of colors, furrow pattern (parallel), fibrillar pattern (BRAAFF) checklist, increases the diagnostic accuracy of acral pigmented lesions with high specificity and sensitivity. Short-term digital dermoscopic surveillance can be used to manage acral lesions, and histopathology should be collected when there is a concern for ALM. CONCLUSION: The use of dermoscopy and an understanding of how to manage acral lesions may limit the number of biopsies performed on the acral skin, decrease the time to diagnosis, and facilitate early detection of ALM.

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma: A United States Multi-Center Substage Survival Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acral lentiginous melanoma is associated with worse survival than other subtypes of melanoma. Understanding prognostic factors for survival and recurrence can help better inform follow-up care. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinicopathologic features, melanoma-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival by substage in a large, multi-institutional cohort of primary acral lentiginous melanoma patients. METHODS: Retrospective review of the United States Melanoma Consortium database, a multi-center prospectively collected database of acral lentiginous melanoma patients treated between January 2000 and December 2017. RESULTS: Of the 433 primary acral lentiginous melanoma patients identified (median [range] age: 66 [8-97] years; 53% female, 83% white), 66% presented with stage 0-2 disease and the median time of follow-up for the 392 patients included in the survival analysis was 32.5 months (range: 0-259). The 5-year melanoma-specific survivals by stage were 0 = 100%, I = 93.8%, II = 76.2%, III = 63.4%, IIIA = 80.8%, and IV = 0%. Thicker Breslow depth ((HR) = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.05-1.21; P < .001)) and positive nodal status ((HR) = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.00-3.22; P = .050)) were independent prognostic factors for melanoma-specific survival. Breslow depth ((HR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.07-1.20; P < .001), and positive nodal status (HR = 2.12; 95% CI = 1.38-3.80; P = .001) were also prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients, acral lentiginous melanoma was associated with poor outcomes even in early stage disease, consistent with prior reports. Stage IIB and IIC disease were associated with particularly low melanoma-specific and recurrence-free survival. This suggests that studies investigating adjuvant therapies in stage II patients may be especially valuable in acral lentiginous melanoma patients.

Real-world outcomes of melanoma surveillance using the MoleMap NZ telemedicine platform.

BACKGROUND: MoleMap NZ is a novel New Zealand-based store-and-forward telemedicine service to detect melanoma. It uses expert review of total body photography and close-up and dermoscopic images of skin lesions that are suspicious for malignancy. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of MoleMap NZ as a melanoma early detection program. METHODS: We conducted a review of 2108 melanocytic lesions recommended for biopsy/excision by MoleMap NZ dermoscopists between January 2015 and December 2016. RESULTS: Pathologic diagnoses were available for 1571 lesions. Of these, 1303 (83%) lesions were benign and 260 (17%) lesions were diagnosed as melanoma, for a melanoma-specific benign:malignant ratio of 5.0:1. The number needed to biopsy to obtain 1 melanoma was 6. Among melanomas with available tumor thickness data (n = 137), 92% were <0.8 mm (range in situ to 3.1 mm), with in situ melanomas comprising 74%. LIMITATIONS: Only lesions recommended for excision were analyzed. Pathology results were available for 75% of these cases. Tumor thickness data were available for 53% of melanomas diagnosed. CONCLUSIONS: This real-world study of MoleMap NZ, a community-based teledermoscopy program, suggests that it has the potential to increase patients' access to specialist expertise via telemedicine. Additional studies are needed to more accurately define its efficacy.

Technological advances for the detection of melanoma: Advances in molecular techniques.

The growth of molecular technologies analyzing skin cells and inherited genetic variations has the potential to address current gaps in both diagnostic accuracy and prognostication in patients with melanoma or in individuals who are at risk for developing melanoma. In the second article in this continuing medical education series, novel molecular technologies are reviewed. These have been developed as adjunct tools for melanoma management and include the Pigmented Lesion Assay, myPath Melanoma, and DecisionDx-Melanoma tests, and genetic testing in patients with a strong familial melanoma history. These tests are commercially available and marketed as ancillary tools for clinical decision-making, diagnosis, and prognosis. We review fundamental principles behind each test, discuss peer-reviewed literature assessing their performance, and highlight the utility and limitations of each assay. The goal of this article is to provide a comprehensive, evidence-based foundation for clinicians regarding the management of patients with difficult pigmented lesions.

Technological advances for the detection of melanoma: Advances in diagnostic techniques.

Managing the balance between accurately identifying early stage melanomas while avoiding obtaining biopsy specimens of benign lesions (ie, overbiopsy) is the major challenge of melanoma detection. Decision making can be especially difficult in patients with extensive atypical nevi. Recognizing that the primary screening modality for melanoma is subjective examination, studies have shown a tendency toward overbiopsy. Even low-risk routine surgical procedures are associated with morbidity, mounting health care costs, and patient anxiety. Recent advancements in noninvasive diagnostic modalities have helped improve diagnostic accuracy, especially when managing melanocytic lesions of uncertain diagnosis. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence have also shown exciting potential in changing the landscape of melanoma detection. In the first article in this continuing medical education series, we review novel diagnostic technologies, such as automated 2- and 3-dimensional total body imaging with sequential digital dermoscopic imaging, reflectance confocal microscopy, and electrical impedance spectroscopy, and we explore the logistics and implications of potentially integrating artificial intelligence into existing melanoma management paradigms.

Melanoma risk after in vitro fertilization: A review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The role of female sex hormones in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma (MM) remains controversial. Although melanocytes appear to be hormonally responsive, the effect of estrogen on MM cells is less clear. Available clinical data does not consistently demonstrate that increased endogenous hormones from pregnancy or increased exogenous hormones from oral contraceptive pills and hormone replacement affect MM prevalence and outcome. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine potential associations between in vitro fertilization (IVF) and melanoma. METHODS: A literature review was conducted. Primary outcomes were reported as associations between IVF and melanoma risk compared with the general population. Secondary outcomes included associations stratified by type of IVF regimen and subgroup, such as parous versus nulliparous patients. RESULTS: Eleven studies met our inclusion criteria. Five studies found no increased risk for MM among IVF users compared with the general population. Two studies found an increase in MM in clomiphene users, and 4 studies found an increase in MM among patients who were gravid or parous either before or after IVF. CONCLUSION: The reviewed studies do not reveal consistent patterns of association between IVF and MM among all infertile women. However, the data indicates a potential increased risk for MM in ever-parous patients treated with IVF. High-quality studies including a large number of MM cases that control for well-established MM risk factors are needed to adequately assess the relationship between IVF and MM, particularly among ever-parous women.

Severe Oral Mucositis: A Rare Adverse Event of Pembrolizumab.

Treatment of malignancy with anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitors can cause mucocutaneous side effects resulting from T cell activation. Due to their recent development, the full side effect profile remains to be fully elucidated, however dermatologic adverse events are most common. The main oral toxicities of these immune checkpoint inhibitors include: xerostomia, dysgeusia, and lichenoid reactions. Oral mucositis occurs more rarely in the setting of PD-1 inhibition, and few other reports of a Grade 3 or higher, severe, stomatitis have been reported in the literature. We present a case of a 78-year-old woman with Grade 3 ulcerative oral mucositis that occurred 13 months after initiation of PD-1 inhibitor, pembrolizumab, for the treatment for lung adenocarcinoma. She was successfully treated with prednisone, and pembrolizumab was temporarily held by her oncologist. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of severe mucositis in the setting of PD-1 inhibitors, as well as the management. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(7):807-809.

Recurrent Palisaded Neutrophilic and Granulomatous Dermatitis in the Setting of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus, who presented with tender nodules on the forearms. The patient reported an 8-year history of pink bumps on the extensor surfaces of the forearms bilaterally that would arise episodically for a few weeks and subsequently resolve with no intervention. Her systemic lupus erythematosus was under good control with oral prednisone 10 mg daily, and the development of these lesions was not associated with concomitant flares of the systemic lupus erythematosus.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae, more than a lung disease.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae-induced rash and mucositis (MIRM) is a recently described clinical entity and should be considered in children who present with oral (94% of patients), ocular (82% of patients), and urogenital lesions (63% of patients). MIRM was first described as a distinct clinical entity from Stevens Johnson syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS)/(TEN) in 2015 [1]. As a new, uncommon diagnosis it frequently poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for pediatricians and dermatologists. We report a case of MIRM in a previously healthy 15-year-old boy.

Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides.

Folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (MF) is a distinct subset of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). The disease is typically marked by an aggressive course and is often recalcitrant to skin-direct therapy. We report a case of an 83-year-old woman with folliculotropic MF characterized by erythematous, scaly plaques on the forehead along with poliosis and alopecia of the right medial eyebrow.

Botulinum toxin for treatment of Raynaud phenomenon in CREST syndrome.

Calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia (CREST) syndrome is a form of a rare, clinical subtype of systemic sclerosis, known as limited systemic sclerosis. Limited systemic sclerosis, including CREST syndrome, manifests as fibrotic skin changes restricted to the hands and face, with vascular, musculoskeletal, and visceral involvement. We present a case of a 75-year-old woman with a longstanding history of CREST syndrome complicated by a digital ulceration and persistent pain associated with recalcitrant Raynaud phenomenon. After failing a number of first-line pharmacologic therapies such as diltiazem, sildenafil, and topical nitropaste, the patient was started on a trial of botulinum toxin for the left second digit, with 10 unit injections into both webspaces for a total of 20 units. Following injection, the patient reported no further baseline pain in the affected finger and an over fifty-percent improvement in discomfort with manipulation of the digit at a follow-up time of one week. The ulceration started healing within the following three weeks. This result was maintained at a follow-up time of six weeks.

Dermoscopic Findings of an Unusual Acral Nevus on the Hand of a Child.

Distinguishing benign acral nevi from small early acral melanomas may be challenging in certain cases. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive imaging technique that can help clinicians better visualize deeper lesion structures and thus more easily differentiate benign nevi from melanoma. We report the case of a 13-year-old girl with a changing dark brown to black macule with a central papular component on the volar surface of the right third finger. Dermoscopy revealed asymmetrically distributed irregular black blotches on a bluish-black background. Histopathology revealed a traumatized compound melanocytic nevus. Certain melanocytic nevi, although histologically benign, may not conform to the limited selection of reassuring benign dermoscopic patterns. Nevi in children are often dynamic and have a high likelihood of dermoscopic change.

Generalized eruptive syringomas.

Eruptive syringoma is a rare variant of syringoma, benign neoplasms of the eccrine sweat ducts that appear on the face, neck, chest, and axillae of predominately Asian and African American women before or during puberty [1, 2]. Lesions appear as small skin-colored or slightly pigmented, flat-topped papules [2]. The condition can be cosmetically disfiguring and difficult to treat, especially in dark-skinned patients. The investigators report a 52-year old Guyanese woman who presented with widespread, chronic, non-pruritic and nontender, skin-colored papules that arose approximately 20 years earlier. A punch biopsy of affected skin was obtained and the histological diagnosis was eruptive syringoma. The patient pursued no further treatment, after discussion of costs and risks.

Acquired elastoma in a subungual location.

Elastomas are connective tissue nevi or hamartomas. They may occur in isolation or can be associated with familial syndromes such as Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome. Elastomas typically present in childhood as small ivory papules or firm skin-colored nodules that can coalesce into larger yellow plaques. These lesions are typically distributed over the extremities, abdomen, and back. Herein, we report an unusual case of a renal transplant recipient who presented with an acquired subungual papule with associated koilonychia and distal nail plate dystrophy. Histopathologic findings were consistent with subungual elastoma.

Pemphigus foliaceus exacerbated by radiation, in association with myasthenia gravis.

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is a sporadic autoimmune blistering disease of unknown etiology. The production of immunoglobulin G4 antibodies against desmoglein-1 is responsible for the clinical manifestation of PF. We present a case of a woman with a recent diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG), who was also recently treated with radiation therapy for breast cancer. The clinical exam, supported by biopsy and direct immunofluorescence, were consistent with PF. We present this case to increase the awareness of the potential exacerbation or induction of PF with radiation, and of the association of PF and myasthenia gravis. Only five prior cases of radiation-exacerbated or radiation-induced PF have been reported in the literature to date. Furthermore, the co-existence of the autoimmune entities of myasthenia gravis and PF has been reported in the literature in only 9 cases and was also noted in this patient.

Unilateral indurated plaque in the axilla: a case of metastatic breast carcinoma.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women and is also the most common internal malignancy to metastasize to the skin. Rarely, cutaneous metastases represent the first indication of breast carcinoma, putting dermatologists in an instrumental position to make the diagnosis of breast carcinoma. We report the case of a 71-year-old woman with a 10-year history of a slowly-enlarging, indurated plaque in the right axilla. Review of symptoms was significant only for occasional numbness and tingling that extended from the right axilla to the right hand. Biopsy revealed cells infiltrating in a single-file between the collagen bundles in the dermis and subcutis and immunohistochemical staining consistent with a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma. Subsequent work up revealed a primary breast lesion and extensive bony metastases.