Dermatology Practical & Conceptual

Vulvar melanoma is a rare and deadly cancer in women, and the prognosis is often poor. There are limited studies on the dermoscopic features of vulvar melanoma. Described criteria include the presence of blue, gray, or white colors. Herein we present the clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of a hypopigmented and heavily pigmented nodule in a 92-year-old and an 80-year-old woman. Dermoscopy in the former revealed structureless milky-red to white areas, remnants of brown pigmentation at the base and polymorphic vessels, while the latter displayed structureless blue-gray areas with black dots and peripheral lines at the base...

Background: Cumulative data on radiation monotherapy for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is lacking. Objective: We sought to synthesize all available data on treatment outcomes for radiation monotherapy for inoperable stage I-III MCC. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the current literature. Articles published in English in the PubMed database up to July 29, 2016, were evaluated. Results: Eight case reports, 4 case series, and 6 retrospective studies, yielding 68 patients, were included in our analysis...

Background: The incidence of acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) in the white population is low. Dermoscopy enhances diagnosis of ALM; however, diagnostic accuracy may sometimes be poor due to the considerable proportion of amelanotic ALM variants. Objectives: To calculate the proportion of ALM among all melanoma subtypes and to determine the frequency of dermoscopic features of ALM in the Turkish population. Methods: Out of 612 melanomas, there were 70 cases of ALM, of which 46 showed sufficient image quality for retrospective study of dermoscopic features...

Background: Ultraviolet (UV) light may cause dermoscopic changes on melanocytic nevi (MN). Objectives: To investigate the effects of sunscreen cream (SSc) application on dermoscopic changes in MN during narrowband UVB (NBUVB) therapy. Methods: Half of the randomly selected MN in each patient were covered with opaque tape and SSc [SSc(+)], and the rest were covered with only opaque tape [SSc(-)] during NBUVB treatment sessions. Results: More SSc(-) MN displayed dermoscopic changes at end of NBUVB therapy compared to the start of therapy (p=0...

Surgical excision is the first-choice treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Other treatments with topical agents such as 5-fluorouracil or imiquimod have also been suggested for use in superficial BCC (sBCC). Ingenol mebutate (IM) is a novel agent employed in the treatment of superficial actinic keratoses. The drug has been also successfully used in the treatment of sBCC. A case of large nodular BCC (nBCC) of the face in a 100-year-old inoperable woman is described. IM 0.015% gel was applied once daily for three consecutive days...

Spark's nevus is a particular type of melanocytic nevus that on histology shows features of both Spitz's and Clark's nevus. Clinically, it is an asymmetric, irregular, multicolored, pigmented lesion that is not clearly distinguishable from melanoma or dysplastic (Clark's) nevus. Dermoscopic features have not been described yet, and one could speculate that they are similar to those of Clark's nevi because the histopathologic architecture of Spark's nevus is similar to that of a Clark's nevus, resembling Spitz's nevi in the epithelioid morphology of melanocytes...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

The dermoscopic features of solitary storiform collagenomas (sclerotic fibromas) have not been described previously, as these are rare cutaneous soft tissue tumors. The presence of multiple lesions is considered a marker of Cowden syndrome. They can also present as single firm cutaneous nodules. We present an unusual single nodule with distinct dermoscopic and histologic features.

This review aims to give an overview of the current available applications of ex vivo confocal microscopy (EVCM) in dermatology. EVCM is a relatively new imaging technique that allows microscopic examination of freshly excised unfixed tissue. It enables a rapid examination of the skin sample directly in the surgery room and thus represents an alternative to the intraoperative micrographic control of the surgical margins of cutaneous tumors by standard microscopic examination on cryopreserved sections during Mohs surgery...

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the frequency of nevus-associated melanomas and to better characterize the preexisting nevus from a histopathologic, clinical and dermatoscopic point of view. Methods: We reviewed the histopathologic slides of a consecutive series of 357 melanomas and corresponding clinical and dermatoscopic images, if available. Results: We found that 31 (8.7%) melanomas were associated with a preexisting nevus, 284 (79...

Screening for melanoma has been advocated for many years because early detection and excision have been regarded as the most important measure to lower mortality from that neoplasm. In the past decade, concern has been raised by epidemiologists that screening might result in excision chiefly of "inconsequential cancer," i.e., melanomas that would never have progressed into life-threatening tumors, a phenomenon referred to by the misleading term "overdiagnosis." Without any firm evidence, that speculation has been embraced worldwide, and incipient melanomas have been trivialized...

Background: Seborrheic dermatitis is an inflammatory skin disease that affects 1-3% of the general population. The Malassezia species has been implicated as the main causative agent; however, the bacterial flora of the skin may also play role in the etiopathogenesis. Therefore, we investigated the most common bacterial agent of the skin flora of patients with seborrheic dermatitis. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients with seborrheic dermatitis and 50 healthy individuals are included in this study...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Periumbilical perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PPPXE) usually presents with well-defined periumbilical yellowish atrophic plaques with keratotic papules at the periphery. It is considered a variant of hereditary pseudoxanthoma elasticum or a localized acquired cutaneous dermatosis. The lesions usually occur in the periumbilical area in obese, multiparous women. Here, we report an additional case of periumbilical perforating pseudoxanthoma elasticum with its dermoscopic features.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant skin cancer. Its genital localization is rare, and the diagnosis in this site could be challenging. Here, we report two patients with vulvar BCC and describe their clinical, dermoscopic and in vivo and ex vivo reflectance confocal microscopic (RCM) features. Dermoscopy and RCM can be useful tools for helping the clinical diagnosis of vulvar BCC and for identifying the correct surgical margins.

Eruptive melanocytic nevi (EMN) is an unusual phenomenon characterized by the abrupt development of multiple melanocytic nevi over weeks to months in association with an underlying trigger. The underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, however, they have been associated with a variety of conditions. EMN is relatively uncommon and might be underreported due to the absence of close monitoring, insufficient recognition, and the presumed benign course of the condition. We describe the first case report of acral EMN associated with a burn wound on a 2-year-old child...

There have been limited reports describing reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) features of Bowen's disease (BD). Herein, we describe the RCM features of a pigmented BD with atypical dermoscopic features, mimicking a melanoma. This case highlights the importance of RCM in a challenging BD.

LEOPARD syndrome, also known as Gorlin syndrome II, cardiocutaneous syndrome, lentiginosis profusa syndrome, Moynahan syndrome, was more recently coined as Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML), inside the RASopathies. Historically, the acronym LEOPARD refers to the presence of distinctive clinical features such as: lentigines (L), electrocardiographic/conduction abnormalities (E), ocular hypertelorism (O), pulmonary stenosis (P), genital abnormalities (A), retardation of growth (R), and sensorineural deafness (D)...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.