A Case of Atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini Associated with Borrelia burgdorferi Infection Successfully Treated with Oral Doxycycline

Atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini is a form of dermal atrophy that manifests as either single or multiple, sharply demarcated, hyperpigmented, non-indurated patches. These patches are marked by a slight depression of the skin, with an abrupt edge (i.e., the "cliff-drop" borders), usually located on the backs of adolescents or young adults. The pathophysiology of the disease is unknown, but some authors have suggested a role of Borrelia burgdorferi infection. A 35-year-old woman visited our department because of asymptomatic, hypopigmented, depressed patches on her chest and back lasting for three months. Laboratory evaluations were normal, except for positive serum antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi. Histologic examination revealed a significantly decreased thickness of the dermis. The patient underwent treatment with oral doxycycline 200 mg/day for six weeks, after which the depth of depression was improved. Herein, we report a case of atrophoderma of Pasini and Pierini, associated with Borrelia burgdorferi infection, successfully treated with oral doxycycline.

A Case of Schwannoma of the Upper Lip / 대한피부과학회지

Schwannoma, also known as a neurilemmoma, is a benign neurogenic tumor that arises from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath. Usually, it occurs as a slowly-growing, well-circumscribed solitary nodule on the head and neck, trunk, or extremities. However, it is rare on the oral mucosa, especially on the lip. Histologically, the lesion is characterized by an encapsulated nodule that consists of Antoni A cellular tissues with verocay bodies, and Antoni B loose myxoid tissues. Herein, we report a case of a schwannoma of the upper lip, which is a rare location

Clinical Study of Erythema Migrans / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: Lyme disease, an infection caused by Borrelia(B.) burgdorferi, has been reported in many countries. But in Korea, only 5 cases of serologically diagnosed lyme disease have been reported. Because several strains of B. burgdorferi were isolated from Ixodes ticks which were captured in Kangwon and Chungbuk province, there might be more cases of serologically undiagnosed lyme diseases presenting with erythema migrans. OBJECTIVE: To understand the clinical patterns and laboratory findings of erythema migrans in Korea. METHODS: A clinical survey was retrospectively performed on 9 patients with erythema migrans which occurred after tick bites. RESULTS: Among 9 patients with erythema migrans, 3 patients were male and 6 patients were female. The onset age of erythema migrans ranged from 26 to 71 years old (mean, 51.3 years old). The mean duration of erythema migrans after tick bite was 26.4 days and the diameter of the lesion ranged from 6 to 34 cm (mean, 18.3 cm). All cases developed from May to September and systemic symptoms such as fatigue, fever and/or chills, myalgia, palpitation, headache, arthralgia and dyspnea were present at the time of hospital visits of 3 patients. Clinically, 3 patterns of erythema migrans were seen; typical target pattern, homogenous and erythematous plaque pattern, and linear solitary plaque pattern with central postinflammatory pigmentation. Only 2 of the 7 patients (28.6%) were seropositive for IgM and IgG antibody titers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in consecutive serologic tests. PCR for Borrelia DNA in paraffin-embedded tissue showed full negativity in 6 patients with erythema migrans. CONCLUSION: Although lyme disease is not endemic in Korea, some patients with erythema migrans might be undiagnosed as lyme disease serologically with erythema migrans. To take into consideration false negative serelogic results in early erythema migrans, early oral tetracycline therapy should be included through clinical and historical diagnosis.

A Case of Secondary Cutaneous Plasmacytoma, IgDlambda Type on Scalp / 대한피부과학회지

Cutaneous plasmacytoma (CP) is a localized collection of monoclonal plasma cells in the skin. The disease is divided into primary cutaneous plasmacytoma and secondary cutaneous plasmacytoma groups. Secondary cutaneous plasmacytoma, which is so rare as to occur in only 2% of myeloma cases, usually represents terminal expression of the primary diseases and is associated with increased tumor burden. CP can occur at any site of the skin, but we could find only 1 case in English literature related to scalp metastasis alone. Also serum and urine electrophoresis, tissue immunohistochemistry for IgD are not usually conducted in the laboratory. IgDlambda subtype seems to be another value to report. We report a case of secondary cutaneous plasmacytoma, IgDlambda type which developed on the scalp alone of a 41-year-old woman, with a review of related literatures.

A Case of Cutaneous Lymphadenoma / 대한피부과학회지

Cutaneous lymphadenoma (CL) is a rare, benign, epithelial neoplasm with a prominent lymphocyte infiltration of unknown histogenesis. Both pilosebaceous and eccrine origins have been suggested, and the current view is that CL is a variant of trichoblastoma with adamantinoid features. We report a case of cutaneous lymphadenoma which developed on the left postauricular area of a 46-year-old woman, plus a review of the related literature.