[Comparative study of 2 topical steroids preparations: desoximetasone and betamethasone dipropionate]. / Estudio comparativo entre dos preparados con esteroides tópicos: desoximetasona y dipropionato de betametasona.

Effectiveness of two creams, one containing desoxymethasone 0.25%, the other betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% was compared double blind, intraindividually. The preparations were used in symmetric areas of psoriasis. Final evaluation shows desoxymethasone cream to be significantly more active concerning reduction of erythema and overall improvement of lesions.

[Neurotropic melanoma]. / Melanoma neurotropo.

Neurotropic melanoma is a variant of desmoplastic melanoma with a distinctive neural or Schwannian appearance of amelanotic spindled melanocytes. We report a 81 years old woman with a neurotropic melanoma on her left superciliary region. The lesion began as a lentigo maligna melanoma, Clark's level V, 4,08 mm. in thickness. The tumor relapsed on seven instances over a follow-up period of five years. Microscopic study showed a spindle cell pattern with marked neurotropism. Patient's general condition is good notwithstanding her evolution and relapses. This type of melanoma usually occurs on the face and, as we observed in our cases, exhibits a marked tendency for peripheral nerve invasion.

[Spiradenoma, cutaneous cylindroma and familial multiple trichoepithelioma]. / Espiroadenoma, cilindroma cutáneo y tricoepitelioma múltiple y familiar.

Multiple spiradenoma, trichoepithelioma and traits of cylindroma in three members of a family are studied. The relationships among these tumors are discussed. Spiroadenoma and cynlindroma have shown a close interrelation. Both conditions may exist with multiple lesions in genetic autosomal dominant inherited association with multiple trichoepitelioma.

[Leukocyte aggregation activity in the serum of a patient with Sweet's syndrome]. / Actividad agregante para los leucocitos en el suero de un paciente con síndrome de Sweet.

In the blood serum of a patient with Sweet's syndrome an aggregation activity of polimorphonuclear leucocytes was found in vitro. The aggregation response occurs with a latent period of one minute after the stimulation and was slow but sustained. The aggregation was totally inhibited by the hydrocortisone (500 mg./ml.). Although the polymorphonuclears of the patient aggregate normally being stimulated with C5a (ZAS), FMLP and the degranulant PMA, they remain unchanged with the patient's serum. A particular state of "leucocytic stimulation" induced by a serum agent, different from the common chemotactic factors, perhaps an immunocomplex, is postulated.

[Reticulated pigment anomaly of the skinfolds]. / Anomalía pigmentaria reticulada de los pliegues.

We report a case of reticulate pigmented anomaly of the flexures in a 54 years-old white male patient. His lesions had developed during the last 30 years, involving neck, axillae, groins, anterior chest wall, scrotum, buttocks and thighs. The abnormality is characterized by pigmented epidermal downgrowths, with similar lesions developing around dilated pilosebaceous follicles. The condition may be compared with acanthosis nigricans. For this reason it is important to recognize this new genodermatosis in order to avoid unnecessary investigations to exclude visceral malignancy.

[Achromic malignant lentigo]. / Léntigo maligno acrómico

A case of achromic lentigo maligna is presented. The rarity and the importance of the differential diagnosis is emphasized.

[Post-transfusion graft vs. host reaction in aplastic anemia]. / Reacción de injerto contra huésped postransfusional en anemia aplástica.

The case of a 34 years old white female patient with severe bone marrow aplasia is reported. Treated with blood product transfusions, she developed cutaneous lesions consistent with graft versus host reaction. Skin biopsy revealed "satellite-cell" necrosis. The patient condition did not improve with high dose steroid therapy, and a fatal outcome was observed.

Endovascular papillary angioendothelioma in children.

A 15-year-old boy had a tumor in his right thigh of two years' duration. A diagnosis of endovascular papillary angioendothelioma of childhood was made. This condition was first categorized as a low-grade malignancy in 1969, and was called malignant endovascular papillary angioendothelioma of the skin in childhood. Microscopically, the neoplasm is characterized by intravascular proliferation with glomerularlike appearance. The cells are small and regular, with ovoid or round nuclei; some of them show hyperchromasia and pyknosis. For the superficial form we prefer to avoid the use of the word "malignant" due to the usually good prognosis after surgical treatment.

Papillary adenoma of the nipple: analysis of fifteen new cases.

Fifteen cases of papillary adenoma (florid papillomatosis, erosive adenomatosis) of the nipple were compared with forty examples of syringadenoma papilliferum, twenty-four of hidradenoma papilliferum, and one hundred of breast carcinoma metastatic to skin. Clinically, papillary adenoma of the nipple typically occurred in a female patient as an erosion, ulceration, or mass that was sometimes accompanied by serous or bloody discharge from the nipple and was frequently misdiagnosed as Paget's disease. Histologically, there was usually a papillary and adenomatous growth in the corium that connected with the surface and showed a lining of apocrine type secretory epithelium, a sometimes plasmacytic stroma, and horn cysts in the upper corium. Papillary adenoma of the nipple is often histologically misinterpreted as syringadenoma papilliferum, hidradenoma papilliferum, or low-grade adenocarcinoma, but it has received almost no attention in the dermatology literature.

Clinical behavior of 100 cutaneous malignant melanomas.

The last 100 patients with malignant melanoma were studied following actual methodology, with these results: mean age at diagnosis was 55.3 years; mean age at the beginning of disease was 51.8 years. Lesions were more frequent in patients with pale skin; there was no predominance of any color of eyes. Forty-nine percent of the patients were referred with a previous nevus which was confirmed only in 7%. One tumor developed on a giant pigmentary congenital nevus. Lesions showed no preponderance in one sex. Four percent of patients had multiple lesions. Familial background was found in 5%. The localization was most often to the head and neck, trunk, and legs. The most frequent types were SSMM and NMM; the first one on trunk and the second one on legs. The SSMM was observed in younger people than NMM. Level IV was seen in the greatest number of cases, with an average thickness of 3.07 mm. In SSMM, level III predominated, while in NMM, level IV predominated. The average thickness of SSMM was 1.82 mm; that of NMM was 6.25 mm. Our data are representative of malignant melanoma in Argentina. Therapy and evolution of lesions will be analyzed with an appropriate long-term follow-up.

Umbilical polyps.

We report three patients, ages 5 years, 3 years, and 4 days, with umbilical polyps. In the third child the polyp was associated with an umbilical enteric fistula. An umbilical polyp is the result of incomplete closure of the omphalomesenteric duct and becomes apparent after the umbilical cord is detached. It is a reddish tumor of a few millimeters; it seldom bleeds or is exudative. We consider it important to study every case in detail in order to exclude possible underlying embryologic anomalies such as Meckel's diverticulum and umbilical enteric fistula.

Acquired and inherited porphyria: clinical and biochemical features.

Inheritance in 30 cases of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) and their relatives was investigated. Seventeen families were studied using the clinical criteria, quantitation, and thin layer chromatography of urinary porphyrins. Thirteen families (13 propositus and 48 relatives) were investigated by using the above criteria and in vitro porphyrin biosynthesis by erythrocytes from delta-aminolevulinic acid. Three different types of PCT were identified: overt, subclinical, and latent. Among 61 members examined, 13 had overt PCT. In six families, ten members had subclinical PCT and six latent PCT showing that in these six families PCT was a hereditary disorder. In seven other families inheritance could not be demonstrated.