Toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with severe cytomegalovirus infection in a patient on regular hemodialysis.

Primary illness with cytomegalovirus leads to latent infection with possible reactivations especially in the immunocompromised patients. Toxic epidermal necrolysis is an immune mediated cytotoxic reaction.A fifty years old female diabetic hypertensive patient with end stage renal disease was admitted with fever of unknown origin, constitutional symptoms, vague upper gastrointestinal symptoms and skin rash. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsy confirmed her diagnosis with cytomegalovirus esophagitis and duodenitis. Cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G levels were negative but polymerase chain reaction showed fulminant viremia. Biopsy of the skin rash was consistent with toxic epidermal necrolysis. Despite treatment with Ganciclovir, intravenous immunoglobulins, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor the patient's condition rapidly deteriorated and she died due to multiorgan failure, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and overwhelming sepsis.Probably there is a true association linking toxic epidermal necrolysis to fulminant reactivation of cytomegalovirus. The aim of this anecdote is reporting a newly recognized presentation of cytomegalovirus.

A novel PTCH1 germline mutation distinguishes basal cell carcinoma from basaloid follicular hamartoma: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by numerous basal cell carcinomas, odontogenic keratocysts of the jaws and developmental defects. The disorder results from mutations in the PTCH1 gene. CASE PRESENTATION: A 15-year-old boy presented to our dental clinic with multiple jaw cysts. The patient had broad confluent eyebrows, a broad base of the nose, frontal bossing and palmoplantar pits. Examination of the jaw cysts revealed many keratinizing cysts without granular cell layers a finding that raised the suspicion of nevoid basal cell carcinoma. Radiological examinations showed calcification of the falx cerebri, spina bifida, bifid thoracic ribs and frontal bossing. Histopathological examination showed basaloid proliferation in the upper dermis with follicular differentiation surrounded by a loose mucinous stroma and retraction artifacts. These features make it difficult to differentiate between nevoid basal cell carcinoma and basaloid follicular hamartoma, especially the presence of these findings on a non-hairy area. BCL-2 staining was positive in the periphery of the basaloid proliferation, which is typical of basaloid follicular hamartoma, and not in a diffuse pattern, which is typical of nevoid basal cell carcinoma. The proband's siblings and parents were healthy with no family history of this condition in the extended family. Since histology was equivocal and palmoplantar pits are seen in both basaloid follicular hamartoma and nevoid basal cell carcinoma, molecular genetic investigation was necessary to differentiate between the two potential diagnoses. After sequencing the entire PTCH1 gene, we detected a single nucleotide deletion (c.1291delC) in codon 431 of the PTCH protein, which resulted in a premature stop translation at residue 431. This de novo mutation was not detected in both parents and in 100 normal volunteers of matching ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Screening the PTCH1 gene for mutations helped to differentiate between basaloid follicular hamartoma and nevoid basal cell carcinoma and confirmed the diagnosis.