[Melanoma within naevus spilus: 5 cases]. / Mélanome sur naevus spilus: 5 observations.

BACKGROUND: Nevus spilus is defined as café-au-lait macules with dark maculopapular speckles. Histologically, it has the aspect of lentigo associated with nevocellular nevus. There are 3 types of nevus spilus: small or medium-sized (<20 cm), giant and zosteriform. Malignant transformation of nevus spilus is rare. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed the cases of 5 patients presenting melanoma within nevus spilus as well as 20 published cases. The evaluation criteria were: for nevus spilus: size, type, topography, age of onset and presence of dysplastic nevi within the nevus spilus; for melanoma: clinical aspect, histological type, thickness, level and age at diagnosis. The presence of other risk factors for melanoma was noted. RESULTS: The 14 women and 11 men had a mean age of 49 years at melanoma diagnosis. Type of nevus spilus was: small or medium-sized (15 cases), zosteriform (6 cases) and giant (4 cases). Only 3 nevi spili were<4 cm in diameter. Nevus spilus was present since birth (11 cases), childhood (7 cases), after the age of 20 years (3 cases) and was unspecified in 4 cases. Three of our five patients had other risk factors for melanoma. Two patients were presenting 2 melanomas within nevus spilus. The histological type of melanoma was not specified in 8 cases but SSM was the most common type (13 cases). Median Breslow thickness was 1.25 mm (0.27 to 8 mm) for the 19 cases in which it was specified. CONCLUSION: The following criteria appeared to be associated with risk of developing melanoma in nevus spilus patients: nevus spilus present since birth, nevus spilus over 4 cm in diameter, and giant or zosteriform nevus spilus. Development of melanoma within nevus spilus is a rare event. Consequently, guidelines for follow-up of nevus spilus cannot be defined. However, follow-up is recommended, and in particular, self-examination.

[Particular histological features of a case of Sweet's syndrome induced by G-CSF]. / Particularités histologiques d'un cas de syndrome de Sweet déclenché par le G-CSF.

BACKGROUND: Sweet's syndrome may occur during medullar aplasia, especially after treatment with exogenous growth factors such as G-CSF. In this context, Sweet's syndrome presents particular histological features that we detail in this observation. CASE REPORT: A 50 year-old man was treated for multiple myeloma with a mobilizating chemotherapy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation. Four days after the onset of G-CSF, he presented with a febrile generalized eruption of erythematous infiltrated lesions. Histological examination of a skin biopsy showed a neutrophilic infiltrate associated with atypical xanthomized histiocytes and vascular hyperplasia with marked endothelial turgescence. Treatment with a short cause of oral corticosteroids was efficient. DISCUSSION: The classical histological features of Sweet's syndrome consist in a dermal neutrophilic infiltrate with edema. In our patient, we noticed the presence of atypical histiocytes among the dermal neutrophilic infiltrate. These histiocytes are described in maculo-papular eruptions induced by G-CSF, and should not be confused with a malignant infiltrate associated with a hemopathy. Vascular hyperplasia may be related to the angiogenic properties of G-CSF. Knowledge of these histological features would enable clinicians and histologists to recognize the appropriate diagnosis.

[Fatal myocardiopathy due to adriamycin in spite of a reportedly non-dangerous cumulative dose]. / A propos d'une myocardiopathie mortelle à l'adriamycine malgré une dose cumulative réputée non dangereuse.

We report a case that illustrates the risk of major, irreversible heart failure despite theoretically safe cumulative doses of adriamycin. We discuss risk factors for cardiotoxicity, predictive methods among which echocardiography is the most useful, and preventive measures. Data are still lacking concerning long term consequences on cardiac function. Until less cardiotoxic adriamycin derivatives become available, modifications in the treatment regimen can be proposed, including a tolerance test, lower doses approximating 20 mg per week instead of 60 mg every three weeks, and administration by continuous infusion through a deep catheter or a pump as cardiotoxicity seems more dependent on drug level peaks than on total dose. These measures should reduce the hazards of adriamycin, a drug that also has potent antimitotic properties.