Hypertriglyceridaemia with bexarotene in cutaneous T cell lymphoma: the role of omega-3 fatty acids.

Bexarotene is approved for the treatment of cutaneous T cell lymphomas in patients refractory to at least one prior systemic therapy. Associated hypertriglyceridaemia requires monitoring, but can readily be managed with concomitant medication, such as fenofibrate. Here we report three cases of hypertriglyceridaemia secondary to bexarotene assumption, which was adequately managed with omega-3 fatty acids. If fenofibate-related side effects occur, or a statin is required to control low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, omega-3 fatty acids should be considered as a good alternative therapy to lower lipid levels during bexarotene treatment.

Atypical cutaneous lesions in advanced-stage Hodgkin lymphoma: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous involvement in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a rare finding. Few cases have been reported in literature, most describing paraneoplastic manifestations. Only very few papers have described primary HL skin infiltration, reporting a wide range of clinical presentations that frequently include ulcers; plaques, nodules and papules have also been noticed. CASE SUMMARY: We report the case of a 56-year-old man who presented fever, multiple adenomegalies of neck and axilla and thick serpiginous skin lesions involving bilateral pectoral regions. After an initial diagnostic workup for a suspected active infectious disease, a lymph node biopsy was performed, which showed a neoplastic invasion from a mixed cellularity classical HL. The same histological pattern was described in a cutaneous biopsy of the chest lesions. The other staging procedures performed revealed an advanced disease, with unfavourable clinical prognostic features. The patient was prescribed 6 cycles of ABVD chemotherapy scheme (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine), a regiment that requires demonstration of metabolic response achievement at the interim PET/CT scan to confirm continuation or to change therapeutic strategy. CONCLUSION: Skin involvement in HL is a rare finding and may represent a challenging clinical presentation due to extremely various types of lesions observed.

Dynamics of HIV viral load in blood and semen of patients under HAART: impact of therapy in assisted reproduction procedures.

We examined the efficacy and effect of HAART in HIV-1-infected men confronted with assisted fertilization procedures. We showed that HAART did not always reduce the HIV-1-RNA level in blood and semen compartments, and that a significant upward shift in mitochondrial DNA was observed in spermatozoa from a HAART-treated patient group compared with spermatozoa from HAART-untreated or HIV-1-uninfected groups (P < 0.001). These findings emphasize the negative role of HAART, but not of HIV-1 infection, in determining semen alterations.

Morphologic grading and treatment of facial actinic keratosis.

Actinic keratoses (AKs) represent the earliest stage in the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and represent important biomarkers for individuals at risk for development of invasive SCC. Based on clinical morphology, AK can be subdivided into three different grades, which correspond to specific dermatoscopic, reflectance confocal microscopic, and histopathologic substrates. Given the risk for potential progression toward invasive SCC, AK should be treated at the earliest stage. A wide range of minimal destructive or topical therapies is available for the treatment of AK. The choice of treatment depends on the number, size, clinical grading, duration, and location of lesions, patient's compliance, general health conditions, and cosmetic outcome. Treatment can be divided into lesion-directed and field-directed therapies. Lesion-directed treatment focuses on the treatment of single lesions, whereas field-directed treatment aims to eliminate both clinically visible and subclinical lesions within the field of actinic damage (concept of field cancerization). Noninvasive techniques such as dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy can be helpful in identifying AK potentially progressing toward SCC, as well as in the selection of the adequate treatment and monitoring of the treatment outcome.

Update on non-melanoma skin cancer and the value of dermoscopy in its diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

Dermoscopy has become an integrative part of the clinical examination of skin tumors. This is because it significantly improves the early diagnosis of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) including basal cell carcinoma and keratinocyte skin cancer compared with the unaided eye. Besides its value in the noninvasive diagnosis of skin cancer, dermoscopy has also gained increased interest in the management of NMSC. Dermoscopy has been used in the preoperative evaluation of tumor margins, monitoring of the outcomes of topical treatments and post-treatment follow-up. This article provides an update on NMSC with special emphasis on dermoscopy in the diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, Bowens' disease and squamous cell carcinoma.