Basal cell carcinoma with halo phenomenon in a young female: significance of dermatoscopy in early diagnosis.

Halo phenomenon of nevus may be observed as a circular reaction, although it is unusual around tumors. A 29-year-old woman presented with a pigmented lesion on the cheek since three years. She noted whitening of the skin around the lesion almost after a year following its appearance. Dermatologic examination revealed a pigmented nodular lesion with a hypopigmented halo on the left infraorbital region. The clinical impression was halo nevus, whereas basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was considered in dermatoscopic differential diagnosis. The diagnosis was infiltrative-type BCC histopathologically. The persistence of a perilesional halo around an enlarging pigmented lesion should be carefully examined with accompanying dermatoscopic findings even in young patients for early diagnosis of tumoral lesions.

Primary cutaneous angiosarcoma on the nose in a patient with multiple nonmelanoma skin cancers.

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is an uncommon, potentially metastatic and highly aggressive vascular tumor that may arise as de novo or be associated with previous radiotherapy. A 70-year-old female with a solitary lesion on the nose was initially diagnosed as actinic keratosis. However, when the recurring lesion at the same region within 6 months was reexcised, the histological diagnosis was definitively established as well-differentiated angiosarcoma. This case was presented in order to increase awareness of this rare malignancy in an uncommon localisation, especially in the light of pathological findings. Moreover, occurrence of cutaneous angiosarcoma within a short period following a previous excision in a patient with a history of multiple nonmelanoma skin cancers was interestingly pointed out.

Immunohistochemical galectin-3 expression in non-melanoma skin cancers.

Galectin-3 is a ss-galactoside-binding lectin. It participates in a variety of normal and pathologic processes, including cancer progression. In this study, we evaluated the pattern of expression of galectin-3 in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and its correlation with the grade of differentiation in SCC and tumor size. Galectin-3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 31 SCCs, 30 BCCs, and 29 non-tumoral skin samples. Galectin-3 expression was higher in normal epidermis than in non-melanoma skin cancers, except for cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in SCC. Cytoplasmic galectin-3 immunoreactivity was significantly higher than nuclear immunoreactivity in non-melanoma skin cancers. Cytoplasmic galectin-3 immunoreactivity was significantly higher in SCC than in both circumscribed and infiltrative BCCs, but no difference was detected between these two types of BCC. Cytoplasmic galectin-3 immunoreactivity predominated within SCCs (p=0.000), and a positive correlation was detected between tumor size and cytoplasmic immunoreactivity (r=0.385, p=0.043). There was no correlation between galectin-3 staining and tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Decreased nuclear galectin-3 expression and cytoplasmic immunoreactivity in tumors are important factors in the progression from the normal to the cancerous state in non-melanoma skin cancers. We speculate that cytoplasmic galectin-3 expression may be one of the factors that contribute to tumor aggressiveness in SCC.

A case of multiple, eruptive pyogenic granuloma developed on a region of the burned skin: can erythromycin be a treatment option?

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a common, acquired, benign angiomatous proliferation of the skin and mucous membranes that develops spontaneously or traumatically. PG usually occurs in children and young adults and predominantly located on neck, hands, and extremities. There are numerous theories about the pathogenesis of PG, but the etiology is not clear. Although the occurrence of PG after trauma to the skin is very common, multiple lesions of PG secondary to burn are rare in the literature. In this report, we present a case of multiple, eruptive PG that developed on the burned skin of a 17-month-old boy. After oral erythromycin treatment for 8 weeks, the lesions clearly improved.