Diversity within US dermatology residency programs and opportunities to care for underserved populations: A 2020 survey study.

Dermatology is the second-least diverse medical specialty. In this survey study, we identified the current proportion of underrepresented in medicine (UIM) residents and faculty in dermatology residency programs, perceptions on the importance of program diversity, and various opportunities for dermatology residents to care for underserved populations. We found that programs that provided greater resident exposure to the care of underserved populations and those that strongly considered residency applicants' desire to work with underserved populations had greater percentages of UIM residents. These findings illustrate the importance of expanding diversity among residency programs as this may be key to improving health disparities among underserved populations. Additionally, we identified various barriers that programs have to incorporating service-oriented curricula, including faculty time and cost.

CD4/CD8 double-negative mycosis fungoides with large cell transformation and involvement of the lungs and leptomeninges.

Mycosis fungoides (MF), the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, classically has an indolent clinical course, with lesions slowly progressing from patch to plaque to tumor stage. In some cases, the late stages of disease involve extra-cutaneous dissemination to lymph nodes or viscera. Although this "Alibert-Bazin" type is the prototypic MF, there are several variants and subtypes of MF that may have different clinical implications for treatment and prognosis. We describe a woman whose disease course involved a variety of histopathologic and immunophenotypic variants including folliculotropic MF, granulomatous MF with loss of CD8, and then finally CD4/CD8 double-negative MF with large cell transformation and extra-cutaneous dissemination. Clinically her disease behaved as classic indolent stage IA MF for nearly two decades before transitioning to tumor stage and then, finally, involving the lungs and leptomeninges. It is important for physicians to be aware of the clinically relevant variants of MF as well as the possibility of transformation of previously stable disease both clinically and histopathologically.

Emerging Nonsurgical Therapies for Locally Advanced and Metastatic Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Locally advanced and metastatic nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) not amenable to surgical resection requires a different approach to therapy. OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy and adverse effects of emerging treatment options for locally advanced and metastatic NMSC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search on PubMed was conducted to identify relevant literature investigating the role of program cell death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, and Hedgehog pathway inhibitors in the treatment of NMSC. RESULTS: PD-1 inhibitor and CTLA-4 inhibitor have shown promising efficacy with tolerable side-effect profiles in the treatment of NMSC, although the number of cases reported is limited. Currently, 3 larger-scale clinical trials are investigating PD-1 inhibitor therapy for NMSC. Similarly, EGFR inhibitor demonstrated marginal success in unresectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas. Hedgehog pathway inhibitors were approved by the US FDA for treatment of locally advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinomas and have shown favorable efficacy. Common adverse effects included muscle spasm, alopecia, and dysgeusia. CONCLUSION: Systemic therapies including PD-1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors have demonstrated early promising results for difficult-to-treat NMSC. Future studies are necessary to optimize treatment outcome.

Primary cutaneous CD4+ small- to medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in a pediatric patient successfully treated with low-dose radiation.

Primary cutaneous CD4+ small- to medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (PCSM-LPD) is a rare and low-grade form of cutaneous T-cell proliferation with the average age of diagnosis of 54 years. Because of its rarity, the etiology or exact clinicopathology of PCSM-LPD remains unclear, with < 10 pediatric cases reported. A 13-year-old boy presented to our clinic with a raised tumor with PCSM-LPD histology and was successfully treated with ultra-low-dose radiation therapy. While no standard of care has been established for pediatric PCSM-LPD, this report represents an example of achieving remission in a pediatric tumor with minimal potential for therapy-related long-term toxicity.

A case report of bosutinib-induced interstitial granulomatous drug reaction in a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia: a case report.

Bosutinib is a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia. We report a case of bosutinib-induced interstitial granulomatous drug reaction in a 50-year-old Caucasian female with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Histologic analysis of a punch biopsy showed diffuse interstitial granulomatous infiltrates consisting of histiocytes amid thickened collagen accompanied by eosinophils. Her lesions improved with clobetasol 0.05% cream. No cases describing BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitor-associated interstitial granulomatous drug reaction were found in a search of the literature. It is important for physicians to be aware of the risk of interstitial granulomatous drug reaction associated with bosutinib treatment.

Polyethylene glycol in spinal cord injury repair: a critical review.

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a synthetic biocompatible polymer with many useful properties for developing therapeutics to treat spinal cord injury. Direct application of PEG as a fusogen to the injury site can repair cell membranes, mitigate oxidative stress, and promote axonal regeneration to restore motor function. PEG can be covalently or noncovalently conjugated to proteins, peptides, and nanoparticles to limit their clearance by the reticuloendothelial system, reduce their immunogenicity, and facilitate crossing the blood-brain barrier. Cross-linking PEG produces hydrogels that can act as delivery vehicles for bioactive molecules including growth factors and cells such as bone marrow stromal cells, which can modulate the inflammatory response and support neural tissue regeneration. PEG hydrogels can be cross-linked in vitro or delivered as an injectable formulation that can gel in situ at the site of injury. Chemical and mechanical properties of PEG hydrogels are tunable and must be optimized for creating the most favorable delivery environment. Peptides mimicking extracellular matrix protein such as laminin and n-cadherin can be incorporated into PEG hydrogels to promote neural differentiation and axonal extensions. Different hydrogel cross-linking densities and stiffness will also affect the differentiation process. PEG hydrogels with a gradient of peptide concentrations or Young's modulus have been developed to systematically study these factors. This review will describe these and other recent advancements of PEG in the field of spinal cord injury in greater detail.

Erythema Ab Igne from Heating Pad Use: A Report of Three Clinical Cases and a Differential Diagnosis.

Erythema ab igne is an asymptomatic cutaneous disorder characterized by erythematous reticulated hyperpigmentation resulting from chronic exposure to infrared radiation in the form of heat. We report three cases of erythema ab igne from chronic heating pad use over a duration of six months to three years. The lesions were asymptomatic in all three patients and were incidental skin findings in two patients, unrelated to their chief complaints. This illustrates the importance of recognizing the morphology and distribution of erythema ab igne. Additionally, knowledge of similarly presenting cutaneous diseases is important to distinguish erythema ab igne from other more worrisome entities that would require further evaluation. Our patients were informed of the benign nature of this condition and were told that cessation of heating pad use would likely result in the resolution of their lesions.

Surgical site identification with personal digital device: A prospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Various means to facilit ate accurate biopsy site identification have been proposed. OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy of biopsy site identification by using photographs taken with a patient's digital device by a dermatologist versus professional medical photography. METHODS: Photographs of circled biopsy sites were taken with personal digital devices by the principal investigator (PI). Another set of photographs was taken by a professional photographer. Secondary photographs were taken of the biopsy site location pointed to by the staff and PI on the basis of the personal digital device image and professional medical photography, respectively. On the basis of secondary photographs, 2 independent dermatologists determined whether the skin biopsy locations pointed out by the staff were consistent with the ones pointed out by PI. RESULTS: Per dermatologist A, the staff correctly identified all 53 biopsy sites. Per dermatologist B, the staff were correct on 51 of 53 observations. Dermatologist C, the final arbiter, concurred with dermatologist A on the 2 cases in which dermatologist B was not certain of the location of the biopsy site. LIMITATIONS: The mean interval from initial biopsy to reidentification of the site was 36.2 days. CONCLUSION: Utilizing patients' personal digital devices is a cost-effective, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-compliant, and readily available means to identify skin biopsy sites.

Treatment of advanced basal cell carcinoma with sonidegib: perspective from the 30-month update of the BOLT trial.

Sonidegib, a hedgehog pathway inhibitor, was approved by the US FDA for the treatment of locally advanced basal cell carcinoma which cannot be readily treated with surgery or radiotherapy. The pharmacology and pharmacokinetics of sonidegib will be discussed in this review. Additionally, an in-depth analysis of the BOLT trial and data from the 30-month update will be included. This will serve as an update to a previously published article which reported the 12-month update of the BOLT trial.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis with late-onset Henoch-Schönlein purpura after trifluridine/tipiracil treatment.

Trifluridine/tipiracil has been approved for the treatment of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer. Adverse effects of this drug combination include leukopenia, neutropenia, fatigue, diarrhea, and vomiting. We present a case of trifluridine/tipiracil-induced leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) with late-onset Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in a 42-year-old man with metastatic appendiceal cancer. The patient's biopsy-proven LCV developed one month after he began trifluridine/tipiracil treatment and resolved after discontinuation of the drug. He presented to the emergency department two months after the appearance of his LCV with shortness of breath, elevated blood pressure, elevated creatinine, hematuria, and proteinuria. A kidney biopsy was performed and the presence of IgA deposits and cellular crescents indicated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis secondary to Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP). Neither LCV nor HSP have been reported as adverse effects of trifluridine/tipiracil treatment. Malignancy as a cause of our patient's HSP is another possibility. The delay between our patient's skin findings and acute renal failure indicates that suspected HSP should be monitored by urinalysis for a period of time owing to the risk of life-threatening renal disease.

The development of primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder at the site of a melanoma excision scar.

Primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (PCSM-LPD) is a rare and low-grade form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), representing 2% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. Because of its rarity, the etiology or exact clinicopathology of PCSM-LPD remains unclear. We present the first case of PCSM-LPD, to our knowledge, arising at a past melanoma excision site. A 72-year-old woman with a past medical history significant for melanoma-in-situ excised 36 years ago presented to our clinic for evaluation of a single, erythematous plaque of the posterior arm within a melanoma excision scar. A biopsy was performed, revealing PCSM-LPD. Reports of the development of other T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders after prior skin trauma such as chemical burns, thermal injury, and mechanical trauma exist in the literature. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of the appearance of T-cell lymphoproliferative disorders at the site of scars or prior trauma with a time lag of months to years.