Pink and Orange Tattoo Pigments: Two Occurrences of Squamous Cell Neoplasms.

This case report covers the case of a 56-year-old woman with two separate occurrences of squamous cell neoplasms, one arising in pink tattoo pigment and another arising in orange tattoo pigment. A review of the literature was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of malignancy occurring in tattoos. This is rare and there are a limited number of case reports and no large studies done on this condition. Most malignancies in tattoos occur in red, black, or blue tattoo inks and no cases have been reported thus far of malignancy in pink or orange tattoo pigments. Due to the limited number of cases, more case studies are needed to determine the prevalence, risk, and epidemiology of malignancy arising within tattoos.

The Pathogenesis and Treatment of Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a multifactorial disease involving the skin and subcutaneous tissues characterized by deep-seated, painful nodules and abscesses with draining sinus tracts. It affects mostly younger individuals between the ages of 18 and 34. The discomfort and embarrassment that patients affected by HS experience negatively impact their daily lives. It is associated with decreased quality of life and high rates of comorbid depression and anxiety. The rate of depression in HS was reported to be as high as 26%. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial and as such requires a multimodal approach to treatment, which subsequently is reviewed here. Moreover, the pathogenesis of HS is complex and only partially understood. Autoinflammation is the key driver of disease development and is linked with dysregulated inflammasome activation with the subsequent production of inflammatory cytokines. Genetics and cutaneous microbiome play a role in the development of chronic inflammation and lesion formation. Risk factors such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and smoking also add to the systemic inflammation. Targeting these risk factors is a key aspect of the treatment of HS. Lifestyle modifications are used in conjunction with pharmacotherapy and procedures to effectively manage the disease.

Small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor disguised as an adnexal mass: a source for midgut volvulus.

BACKGROUND: The abdominal cavity has an infinite number of potential pathologies and gynecologic pathology is often intertwined with intestinal disease. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old female believed to have an adnexal mass on prior imaging presented with small bowel obstruction, which failed to resolve with non-operative management. Given her suspected adnexal mass, multidisciplinary operative intervention was arranged. She was found to have a large, extraluminal mass on her small intestines; serving as the lead point for her midgut volvulus and resultant small bowel obstruction. CONCLUSION: Physical exam and radiographic discordance should prompt consideration of alternative diagnoses. Making the appropriate initial diagnosis is key in correct patient management; however, this is not always possible and appropriate pre-operative planning should be arranged for best patient outcomes.

Unifocalization of major aortopulmonary collaterals in single-ventricle patients.

BACKGROUND: Unifocalization of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCAs) in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and intracardiac repair has become the standard of care. However, there are no reports addressing unifocalization of MAPCAs in single-ventricle patients. It is unknown whether their pulmonary vascular bed can be reconstructed and low enough pulmonary vascular resistance achieved to allow for superior or total cavopulmonary connections. METHODS: We reviewed data on all patients with functional single ventricles and unifocalization procedures of MAPCAs. From 1997 to 2005, 14 consecutive children with various single-ventricle anatomies were operated on. RESULTS: Patients had a median of three surgical procedures (range, 1 to 5). Two patients had absent, all others diminutive central pulmonary arteries, with an average of 3.5 +/- 1.2 MAPCAs. Seven patients (50%) had bidirectional Glenn procedures, and 3 of these had Fontan procedures. Median postoperative pulmonary artery pressures measured 12.5 mm Hg (Glenn) and 14 mm Hg (Fontan), respectively. Six patients are alive today (46%), with 1 patient lost to follow-up. Three patients died early and 3 late after initial unifocalization to shunts. One other patient survived unifocalization, but was not considered a candidate for a Glenn procedure and died after high-risk two-ventricle repair. Another patient with right-ventricle-dependent coronary circulation died of sepsis late after Glenn. CONCLUSIONS: In selected patients with functional single ventricles and MAPCAs, the pulmonary vascular bed can be reconstructed sufficiently to allow for cavopulmonary connections. Venous flow to the pulmonary vasculature decreases cardiac volume load and is likely to increase life expectancy and quality of life for these patients.

Prescribing pattern and indicators for performance in a psychiatric practice.

AIMS To assess the prescribing pattern and to measure some specific aspects of the behaviour of the prescribers (psychiatrists) before and after educational interventions using core drug use indicators. METHODS In the present randomized retrospective controlled pre-post intervention prescription survey of schizophrenia and depression, 100 prescriptions each for schizophrenia and depression were obtained before and after each intervention. The prescriptions were analyzed for the following prescriber-specific indicators: number of drugs prescribed, prescribing by generic names, prescriptions for essential drugs, antiparkinsonian and benzodiazepines, nature of drugs and number of combinations prescribed. Based on the results of pre-intervention data, two interactional workshops were conducted 1 and 6 months after pre-intervention data collection. The first workshop focused on the results of the prescription audit feedback and reasons thereof. The second workshop focused, in addition, on appropriate management of schizophrenia and depression using consensus treatment guidelines with the aim of evolving a consensus on the treatment in a given hospital setting. RESULTS Before intervention, the essential drugs accounted for 80.95 and 96.91% of the total number of drugs prescribed in depression and schizophrenia, respectively. Prescription for essential drugs improved further significantly in the post intervention period to 95.26% (P<0.04) for depression; whereas, in schizophrenia, prescriptions for essential drugs declined to 80.95%. The average number of drugs prescribed per encounter marginally declined in both schizophrenia (2.46±0.94 to 2.34±0.65) and depression (2.09±0.79 to 2.00±0.65) after the second intervention. The patients receiving two or more drugs from the same group together declined from 12 to 9% in schizophrenia, but increased from 5 to 10% in depression after intervention. Trihexyphenidyl, an antiparkinsonian drug, was co-prescribed (90%) with antipsychotic agents (98%) in schizophrenia; however, use of benzodiazepines declined significantly after intervention to 28% compared to 48% in the pre-intervention period. Also, benzodiazepine use was high (68%) and remained so (70%) after interventions in depression cases. CONCLUSION The present study demonstrates excessive use of antiparkinsonian agents in schizophrenia and benzodiazepines in depression. Monitoring for the use of antiparkinsonian and benzodiazepines can form an important component for measuring specific aspects of prescriber's behaviour, which can be used as an indicator for comparisons at different time intervals and between health facilities.