Juvenile melanocytic acral nevus: A comparative study between MANIAC and non-MANIAC nevus and its clinicopathological characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Melanocytic acral nevi have a series of distinguishing features, including their location, patient age at onset, clinical progression, and histological findings. In particular, histopathological analysis often reveals a melanocytic acral nevus with intraepidermal ascent of cells (MANIAC nevus), which in some cases can be mistaken for atypia or malignancy. AIM: This study describes the clinicopathological characteristics of acral nevi in patients under 18 years old and contrasts the clinical and histological features between MANIAC vs non-MANIAC nevi. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study, performed in our department in the decade between January 2007 and January 2017. We included patients younger than 18 years of age who were subjected to the removal of melanocytic acral nevi. RESULTS: A total of 70 patients were studied. 54.2% (38/70) were females and 45.8% (32/70) were males. With regard to the type of nevus, 34 were compound, 27 were junctional, and 9 were predominantly intradermal lesions. We identified a total of 41 MANIAC nevi and 29 non-MANIAC nevi. Statistically significant differences between these two groups were identified in nevus size (larger in MANIAC) and the frequency of compound nevi (higher in the MANIAC group), but not in the remainder of the histological parameters studied.

Dermatitis of the Foot: Epidemiologic and Clinical Features in 389 Children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Footwear dermatitis is a form of contact dermatitis resulting from exposure to shoes. There have been only small studies regarding foot contact dermatitis in children. The present study was undertaken to define the prevalence and epidemiologic and clinical features of shoe dermatitis in children. METHODS: A retrospective study was undertaken of all children referred for patch testing between 1996 and 2015. Children with dermatitis limited to the feet were selected. RESULTS: We collected data from 389 children younger than 16 years, 52 of whom (13.4%) were referred with dermatitis exclusively on the feet. Diagnosis after patch testing was allergic contact dermatitis in 23 children (44.2%), atopic eczema in 12 (23.1%), juvenile plantar dermatosis in 8 (15.4%), dyshidrotic eczema in 6 (11.5%), irritant contact dermatitis in 2 (3.8%), and tinea pedis in 1 (1.9%). The most frequent allergens were potassium dichromate, thimerosal, cobalt chloride, mercapto mix, colophonium, mercury, and nickel(II) sulfate. CONCLUSION: Allergic contact dermatitis caused by footwear is a common cause of foot dermatitis in children. Children with foot dermatitis should be referred for patch testing when an allergic origin is suspected.

Longitudinal risk of suicide outcomes in people with severe mental illness following an emergency department visit and the effects of suicide prevention treatment.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI), including bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD), are at high risk for suicide. However, suicide research often excludes individuals with SMI. The current research examined differences in suicide outcomes (i.e., suicide attempt or death) for adults with and without BD and SSD diagnoses following an emergency department (ED) visit and investigated the efficacy of the Coping Long Term with Active Suicide Program (CLASP) intervention in reducing suicide outcomes among people with SMI. METHODS: 1235 adults presenting with recent suicidality were recruited from 8 different EDs across the United States. Using a quasi-experimental, stepped wedge series design, participants were followed for 52-weeks with or without subsequent provision of CLASP. RESULTS: Participants in the SSD group and the BD group had significantly shorter time to and higher rate of suicide outcomes than participants with other psychiatric diagnoses in all study phases and in non-CLASP phases, respectively. Participants with BD receiving the CLASP intervention had significantly longer time to suicide outcomes than those not receiving CLASP; these differences were not observed among those with SSD. LIMITATIONS: Study limitations include self-reported psychiatric diagnosis, exclusion of homeless participants, and small sample size of participants with SSD. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with SMI were at higher risk for suicide outcomes than participants with other psychiatric diagnoses. CLASP was efficacious among those participants with BD. Psychiatric diagnosis may be a key indicator of prospective suicide risk. More intensive and specialized follow-up mental health treatment may be necessary for those with SSD.

Means to an end: Characteristics and follow-up of emergency department patients with a history of suicide attempt via medication overdose.

OBJECTIVE: Availability and accessibility of a wide range of medications may be a contributing factor to rising medication-related overdose (OD) rates. Treatment for both suicide attempts (SAs) and ODs often occurs in the emergency department (ED), highlighting its potential as a screening and intervention point. The current study aimed to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of individuals who reported SA via medication OD compared to other methods and to examine how these patients' suicide severity and behaviors differed over 12-month post-ED follow-up. METHODS: Data were analyzed from Phases 1 and 2 of the Emergency Department Safety Assessment and Follow-up Evaluation multicenter study (N = 1376). Participants with a history of SA (n = 987) were categorized based on whether they indicated a past medication-related SA via OD. RESULTS: Of participants with history of SA, 62.7% (n = 619) reported medication OD for either their most serious or their most recent SA. Multivariate analyses indicated female birth sex, diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and having some college education were significantly associated with membership in the medication OD attempt group (p <0.05). Of those who attempted suicide over the 12-month follow-up, nearly 60% of participants in the medication OD attempt group reported a subsequent SA via OD over follow-up. However, nearly half (46.5%) of participants with no medication OD at baseline also reported medication OD at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients presenting to the ED, females, individuals with bipolar disorder, and patients with a college education, respectively, may be at highest risk for SAs via medication OD. Prospectively, medication OD appears to be a frequent method, even among individuals with no prior attempt via OD, as demonstrated by the high percentage of patients who did not have a medication OD at baseline, but reported a medication OD during follow-up.

Pandemic Paranoia Scale for Adolescents (PPS-A): An Initial Psychometric Evaluation and Prevalence Study of Adolescents in the United States and United Kingdom.

Paranoid thoughts have been reported in 20-30% of adolescents, and preliminary research has shown that paranoia and psychotic-like experiences have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, previous research has typically used general measures to assess paranoia, rather than those specific to COVID-19, which may overlook particular facets of paranoia related to the pandemic and result in an under-reporting of paranoia prevalence rates during this time. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Pandemic Paranoia Scale for Adolescents (PPS-A), which was adapted from the original scale to be appropriate for younger respondents, and to assess the prevalence of pandemic paranoia among adolescents. Adolescents (N = 462) recruited on Qualtrics from the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) completed an online survey consisting of the PPS-A and measures of general paranoia and negative affect. A subset of adolescent's parents (N = 146) also completed an online survey providing dyadic data. Findings showed that the PPS-A shared the same three factor structure as the adult PPS (i.e., persecutory threat, paranoid conspiracy, and interpersonal mistrust) and across participant nationality, race, gender, and mental health diagnosis. It also demonstrated strong psychometric properties. The overall prevalence rate of pandemic-related paranoia among adolescents was 21% and prevalence rates were higher among US participants than UK participants. This study provides the most comprehensive psychometric evaluation of a pandemic paranoia scale designed for adolescents and highlights the continued prevalence of pandemic paranoia in this age-group nearly two years after COVID-19 began.

A Hybrid Type 1 trial of a multi-component mHealth intervention to improve post-hospital transitions of care for patients with serious mental illness: Study protocol.

BACKGROUND: The transition from acute (e.g., psychiatric hospitalization) to outpatient care is associated with increased risk for rehospitalization, treatment disengagement, and suicide among people with serious mental illness (SMI). Mobile interventions (i.e., mHealth) have the potential to increase monitoring and improve coping post-acute care for this population. This protocol paper describes a Hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation study, in which a randomized controlled trial will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of a multi-component mHealth intervention (tFOCUS) for improving outcomes for adults with SMI transitioning from acute to outpatient care. METHODS: Adults meeting criteria for schizophrenia-spectrum or major mood disorders (n = 180) will be recruited from a psychiatric hospital and randomized to treatment-as-usual (TAU) plus standard discharge planning and aftercare (CHECK-IN) or TAU plus tFOCUS. tFOCUS is a 12-week intervention, consisting of: (a) a patient-facing mHealth smartphone app with daily self-assessment prompts and targeted coping strategies; (b) a clinician-facing web dashboard; and, (c) mHealth aftercare advisors, who will conduct brief post-hospital clinical calls with patients (e.g., safety concerns, treatment engagement) and encourage app use. Follow-ups will be conducted at 6-, 12-, and 24-weeks post-discharge to assess primary and secondary outcomes, as well as target mechanisms. We also will assess barriers and facilitators to future implementation of tFOCUS via qualitative interviews of stakeholders and input from a Community Advisory Board throughout the project. CONCLUSIONS: Information gathered during this project, in combination with successful study outcomes, will inform a potential tFOCUS intervention scale-up across a range of psychiatric hospitals and healthcare systems. CLINICALTRIALS: govregistration: NCT05703412.

Palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous dermatitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis.

Palisaded neutrophilic granulomatous dermatitis (PNGD) is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis that shows a broad clinical and histopathological spectrum. The clinical presentation of PNGD varies from asymptomatic papules, to nodules, to annular plaques. The most common clinical presentation is erythematous papules on the extensor surface of extremities, especially fingers and elbows. Histopathological findings demonstrate a spectrum of changes that reflect the evolution of the lesions, from only sparse mixed perivascular infiltrates to interstitial or palisaded granuloma formation with dermal fibrosis. The cause of PNGD is unknown, but there is a prominent association with systemic conditions, particularly with autoimmune diseases, representing rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common associations. It has also been described associated to systemic sclerosis, sarcoidosis, systemic vasculitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and lymphoproliferative disorders, and also drugs have been implicated. Recently, it has been described the potential association with tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors. This dermatosis should be considered as a marker of systemic disease and particularly it should be considered in patients with history of autoimmune disorders who present with papular eruptions on the extremities.

Microphthalmia with linear skin defects syndrome.

Microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) or microcornea, dermal aplasia and sclerocornea (MIDAS) syndrome is a rare X-linked-dominant disorder. We present a patient with agenesis of corpus callosum, ocular abnormalities, and multiple skin defects. The cytogenetic studies of the MLS critical region (Xp22.2) were normal, but a skewed X-chromosome inactivation pattern (85:15) was observed.

Dermal melanocytosis of the scalp associated to intracranial melanoma: malignant blue nevus, neurocutaneous melanosis, or neurocristic cutaneous hamartoma?

Intracranial invasion of cellular blue nevus is extremely rare, and its malignant transformation is even less common. The differential diagnosis includes neurocutaneous melanosis and neurocristic cutaneous hamartoma. A 50-year-old female presented with intracranial melanoma in contiguity with a congenital blue nevus on the scalp. The patient showed a wide pigmented lesion on the scalp that had grown in the last few years over the congenital blue nevus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intracranial tumor lying contiguous to the nevus. Despite aggressive surgery, the tumor relapsed and the patient developed systemic metastases. We report a rare case of cellular blue nevus showing an unexpected aggressive behavior with extensive extra- and intracranial expansion and distant metastases.

The Use of Intensive Longitudinal Methods in Research on Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Intensive longitudinal methods (ILM), such as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and daily diary, involve repeatedly assessing individuals over short periods of time and have been increasingly used to study suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Suicidal thoughts have been shown to vary over short periods of time and reports of STBs are subject to negative biases. Therefore, ILM are important methodological tools for studying STBs, ones that capture enhanced precision and realism of data compared to traditional survey methods. The present systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of ILM used to study STBs, including the various EMA and daily diary methodologies used, the feasibility of those methodologies, and the ethical considerations in this line of research. This review also summarizes the characteristics of descriptive STB outcomes specific to the ILM data collection period. METHODS: A thorough search of PubMed and PsycINFO was conducted up to May 2020, resulting in twenty-eight papers reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The review of the studies showed that ILM are largely feasible and do not have a negative impact on participants. In addition, the reviewed studies revealed unique aspects of STBs, such as the variability of suicidal thoughts, that suggest that ILM are important methodologies to use when studying STBs. Gaps in the research and recommendations for future research are discussed.HighlightsIt is feasible to use ILM to study suicidality.ILM do not have a negative impact on participants with suicidality.Few studies have used ILM to study suicidality in diverse samples.

Psychosocial treatment for panic disorder: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Panic disorder is a common and disabling psychiatric condition marked by sudden onset of physiological sensations that are appraised as dangerous. A number of studies and reviews have examined the efficacy of psychosocial treatments for PD; however, there is a lack of overarching reports that discuss the strength of evidence for the different psychosocial treatments for PD. This umbrella review provides an overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on psychosocial treatments for PD. METHODS: A systematic search and review of the literature was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 38 reviews (31 meta-analyses and 7 systematic reviews) were included in the umbrella review. Most of the 38 reviews were focused on the use of CBT, both in-person and internet-based, to treat PD among adults, generally finding it to be an efficacious treatment compared to control conditions. A limited number of the 38 reviews included other age ranges or examined other forms of psychosocial treatments. The methodological quality of most included reviews was rated as critically low according to the AMSTAR-2 rating system. CONCLUSIONS: Future reviews should focus on improving their methodological quality. Although the included reviews supported CBT as an efficacious treatment for reducing panic symptoms among adults, future research could focus on how CBT compares to other psychosocial treatments and the efficacy of CBT for PD among other populations (e.g., children and adolescents) and among diverse cultural groups.

Exposure Therapy for Misophonia: Concepts and Procedures.

Misophonia, a condition marked by extreme intolerance to certain classes of sounds (e.g., respiratory or gustatory noises), has recently attracted increased research attention. As yet there are no evidence-based treatments, although some promising options are under empirical consideration. This paper presents a stress management and exposure therapy-based treatment protocol for adults with misophonia. The protocol details considerations specific to exposure therapy for misophonia, including unique considerations for developing hierarchies and example misophonia exposure exercises and exposure homework. Stress management approaches employed to facilitate engagement with exposure are also described. Two case examples are included, which illustrate the application of the misophonia treatment protocol. The first case describes treatment for a client whose misophonia symptoms are the primary focus and the second case describes treatment for a client whose misophonia symptoms are secondary to relationship difficulties. This protocol can be used to stimulate further treatment research for misophonia and guide treatment for individuals with misophonia.

Suicidal ideation among transgender and gender diverse adults: A longitudinal study of risk and protective factors.

INTRODUCTION: Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people experience greatly heightened levels of suicidal ideation (SI) compared to the general population. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the risk and protective factors for SI within this population. METHODS: The present study explored how victimization, discrimination, community connectedness, and pride impact SI cross-sectionally and longitudinally in a sample of TGD adults (N = 180, 55% transgender women, 76.7% Caucasian, M age = 26.01 years). RESULTS: Cross-sectional results showed that experiencing more types of victimization and discrimination at baseline predicted higher SI severity at baseline, while community connectedness and pride at baseline were not predictive of SI severity at baseline. Longitudinal analyses showed that experiencing fewer types of victimization and discrimination during the 1-month follow-up period were associated with a decrease in SI severity from baseline to follow-up. Medium and high levels of community connectedness were also associated with a decrease in SI severity from baseline to follow-up. Pride was not associated with change in SI from baseline to follow-up. LIMITATIONS: Limitations include the limited racial/ethnic diversity of the sample and that frequency of experiencing victimization and discrimination was not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest victimization and discrimination are strong predictors of SI severity within this population, and the factors of victimization, discrimination, and TGD-community connectedness impact change in SI severity across time. These findings provide evidence for the importance of anti-discrimination laws that apply to TGD people, as well as the utility of connecting TGD clients to the TGD community.

Alone but not lonely: The relationship between COVID-19 social factors, loneliness, depression, and suicidal ideation.

OBJECTIVE: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been concerns that social distancing may negatively impact mental health, particularly with regards to loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. The current study explored how aspects of social distancing, communication, and online support from October 2020 to December 2020 related to loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. METHOD: Participants (n = 216) who self-identified as having mental health diagnoses were recruited and completed questionnaires online. RESULTS: Findings showed that COVID-19 related social contact, particularly electronic social contact, is associated with decreased loneliness, suicidal ideation, and depression. Online emotional support was significantly associated with decreased loneliness and depressive symptoms. Social distancing practices were not associated with increased loneliness, suicidal ideation, and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of leveraging electronic methods of social connection, especially among individuals who are at risk for suicide or depression.

The Influence of State Policies on the Relationship Between Minority Stressors and Suicide Attempts Among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adults.

Purpose: We examined whether the relationship between minority stressors (victimization and discrimination) and suicide attempts (SAs) was moderated by gender identity-specific protective state policies in a sample of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) adults. Methods: TGD adults (n = 133) were recruited online and completed questionnaires. Results: Protective state policies moderated the relationship between minority stressors and SAs, with a significant positive association between minority stressors and SAs at low, but not medium and high, policy scores. Conclusion: A lack of protective state policies may be a risk factor in the relationship between minority stressors and SAs among TGD individuals.

The interaction of dissociation, pain tolerance, and suicidal ideation in predicting suicide attempts.

Pain tolerance and dissociation have individually been shown to be risk factors for suicidal behaviors. The aim of the current study was to investigate how dissociation and physiological pain tolerance influence the relation between suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The sample consisted of 70 undergraduate college students who completed self-report measures of suicidality and dissociation and an electrical stimulation task to measure physiological pain tolerance. Results showed that dissociation and suicidal ideation, but not pain tolerance, were independently associated with increased suicide attempts. A three-way interaction of suicidal ideation, physiological pain tolerance, and dissociation statistically predicted number of suicide attempts, with an increased number of suicide attempts associated with high suicidal ideation and dissociation, regardless of pain tolerance. These results suggest that dissociation plays a significant role in predicting suicide attempts, perhaps by engendering a state of disconnect from one's body.

[Hand eczema in children. Clinical and epidemiological study of the population referred to a tertiary hospital]. / Eccema de manos en niños. Estudio clínico-epidemiológico de la población remitida a un hospital terciario.

INTRODUCTION: Hand eczema is a frequent disease in adults. Diagnosing the cause of hand eczema is difficult due to different classifications. There is lack of evidence on hand eczema and its causes in children. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A total of 389 children between 0 and 16 years were identified between 1996 and 2016, from whom 42 (10.8%) with exclusively hand eczema were selected. In all cases a standard battery of epicutaneous patch tests was performed, as well as additional batteries depending on the clinical suspicion. The clinical and epidemiological features of these children were recorded and compared against children with eczema in other locations. RESULTS: The 42 children with hand eczema included 25 (60.5%) girls, and 17 (40.5%) boys, with a mean age of 10.6 +- 3.9 years, and did not differ from that of children with eczema in other locations. The definitive diagnosis after patch-testing was Atopic Dermatitis in 15 cases, Allergic Contact Dermatitis in 14 patients, Endogenous Vesiculous Eczema in 6 cases, Endogenous Hyperkeratotic Eczema in 5 cases, and Irritant Contact Dermatitis in 2 cases. The most frequent allergens detected were thiomersal (9 cases), nickel (5 cases), mercury (5 cases), and cobalt (4 cases). CONCLUSION: Hand eczema is a common condition in children. The most common cause is atopic dermatitis, although cases of allergic contact dermatitis manifesting as hand eczema are not uncommon. Any child with eczema of hands in whom an allergic cause is suspected should be referred for patch- testing.