ABSTRACT
A 53-year-old male presented with a 6-year duration of a child's-palm sized hypopigmented patch located on his neck. He had a history of surgical excision of an epidermal cyst on the neck, and the hypopigmented patch developed about one month after the excision next to the surgery site. Application of cold or heat did not make the lesion distinct from the surrounding skin. Pressure on the lesion by a glass slide made the lesion indistinguishable from surrounding uninvolved lesions. Giving friction to the lesion failed to induce erythematous change, making it clearly visible. Histologically, the lesion showed normal findings with adequate numbers of melanocytes in the basal layer. Herein, we present an interesting case of an acquired anemic patch which developed after a cyst excision. We postulate that nerve damage after surgery that regulates the vascular tone of cutaneous vessels may have been an inducing event of the anemic patch in this patient.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Cold Temperature , Epidermal Cyst , Friction , Glass , Hot Temperature , Melanocytes , Neck , Nevus , SkinABSTRACT
Schwannoma is a benign neoplasm of the nerve sheath origin. It arises from the nerve sheath of large peripheral or cranial nerves and occurs at the level of the subcutaneous fat layer or deeper layer. Cutaneous schwannoma occurs more superficially and usually presents as a solitary dermal or subcutaneous nodule. We describe a case of cutaneous schwannoma that presented as an erythematous pedunculated protruding mass on the left flank of a 19-year-old female. It was clinically diagnosed as a granuloma pyogenicum. Shaving biopsy was conducted and histological examination revealed an encapsulated tumor mass containing dense, spindle-shaped cells whose nuclei are arranged back to back representing Verocay body, and a diagnosis of schwannoma was made. This is an unusual case of cutaneous schwannoma that presented as a pedunculated protruding mass.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Young Adult , Biopsy , Cranial Nerves , Granuloma, Pyogenic , Neurilemmoma , Subcutaneous FatABSTRACT
Plexiform neurofibromas are among the most pathognomonic features of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Although characteristically benign, plexiform neurofibroma can cause pain, disfigurement and functional changes, and more importantly, it may turn malignant. We present here the case of a 3-year-old boy with progressive hemifacial hypertrophy that was colocalized with light brown-colored macules. The biopsy specimen showed that the bundles of nerve fibers were arranged in a concentric manner with myxoid changes. On the evaluation of the pigmented lesion, only the basal melanin pigments were increased in the epidermis without any melanin-laden pigmented cells in the dermis. We have demonstrated that neurofbroma needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of hemifacial hypertrophy since this is likely to have implications for the further management of these patients. The absence of other findings does not exclude NF1 as the underlying disease since many NF1 patients have not yet developed cafe-au-lait macules or freckles in early childhood.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biopsy , Dermis , Diagnosis, Differential , Epidermis , Hypertrophy , Light , Melanins , Melanosis , Nerve Fibers , Neurofibroma, Plexiform , Neurofibromatosis 1 , Child, PreschoolABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a distressing condition that affects the majority of adolescents, but the impact of acne vulgaris on the psychological aspects in this age group is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of acne, and the level of emotional, social, and functional impairments among Korean adolescents with acne. METHODS: Five hundred four middle school students (13~16 years) participated. The severity of acne was graded by visual examination using the Korean Acne Grading System. Self-reported questionnaires, including subjective acne severity rating, the Self Image Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Index of Peer Relations, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess psychologic status. RESULTS: There was a prevalence of acne in 78.9% of the study samples, with 10.2% of students having moderate-to-severe acne. Acne was more prevalent and severe in boys than girls. Participants with severe acne and girls had higher levels of emotional and social impairments. The longer the acne persisted, the more stress the students felt. The degree of stress and extent of self-image impairment were related to subjective severity more than objective grading. CONCLUSION: Acne is a common disorder among Korean adolescents and appears to have a considerable impact on mental health. Dermatologists should be aware of the importance of basic psychosomatic treatment in conjunction with early medical, educational intervention in the management of acne.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Acne Vulgaris , Depression , Mental Health , Prevalence , Stress, PsychologicalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a distressing condition that affects the majority of adolescents, but the impact of acne vulgaris on the psychological aspects in this age group is poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of acne, and the level of emotional, social, and functional impairments among Korean adolescents with acne. METHODS: Five hundred four middle school students (13~16 years) participated. The severity of acne was graded by visual examination using the Korean Acne Grading System. Self-reported questionnaires, including subjective acne severity rating, the Self Image Questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, the Index of Peer Relations, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used to assess psychologic status. RESULTS: There was a prevalence of acne in 78.9% of the study samples, with 10.2% of students having moderate-to-severe acne. Acne was more prevalent and severe in boys than girls. Participants with severe acne and girls had higher levels of emotional and social impairments. The longer the acne persisted, the more stress the students felt. The degree of stress and extent of self-image impairment were related to subjective severity more than objective grading. CONCLUSION: Acne is a common disorder among Korean adolescents and appears to have a considerable impact on mental health. Dermatologists should be aware of the importance of basic psychosomatic treatment in conjunction with early medical, educational intervention in the management of acne.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Humans , Acne Vulgaris , Depression , Mental Health , Prevalence , Stress, PsychologicalABSTRACT
Unilateral nevoid telangiectasia is characterized by unilateral occurrence of telangiectases assigned to certain dermatomes. Histologically, numerous thin-walled dilated vessels are seen in the upper and mid dermis without endothelial cell proliferation. Although it may be congenital or aquired, only acquired forms have been frequently reported in association with physiologic states of estrogen increase or estrogenized pathologic states, such as chronic hepatic disease in alcoholism. We report a case of congenital unilateral nevoid telangiectasia with extensive involvement of C4-T2, L1-S3 dermatomes in a 3-year-old girl.
Subject(s)
Alcoholism , Dermis , Endothelial Cells , Estrogens , Child, Preschool , TelangiectasisABSTRACT
Primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) is composed of large cells with anaplastic, pleomorphic cytomorphology and the expression of the CD30 antigen by the majority (more than 75%) of tumor cells. Recently some variants of ALCL with extensive inflammatory cell infiltration have been reported. A 34-year-old male presented with multiple tumors over the arm, groin, and legs. The tumors of the right groin showed ulceration and purulent discharge. The biopsy specimens revealed extensive infiltrate of large atypical lymphoid cells with mixed inflammatory cells consisting of numerous eosinophils and neutrophils. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD3, CD4, and CD30. TCR-gamma gene rearrangement was detected. There was no evidence of extracutaneous involvement. We report a case of primary cutaneous ALCL, associated with marked inflammatory cell infiltration. Diagnosis in such cases is challenging because the large atypical lymphoid cells may be easily obscured by the massive infiltrate of eosinophils and neutrophils.
Subject(s)
Adult , Humans , Male , Ki-1 Antigen , Arm , Biopsy , Eosinophils , Gene Rearrangement , Groin , Leg , Lymphocytes , Lymphoma, Primary Cutaneous Anaplastic Large Cell , Neutrophils , UlcerABSTRACT
The blue nevus consists of papules or a plaque-like aggregate of aberrant dermal melanocytes actively producing melanin in the reticular dermis. The common blue nevus clinically presents as a 2~10 mm sized, well-demarcated, papular, bluish-black lesion, typically on the dorsal surface of the hands or feet. However, it has rarely been reported on the mucosal lesions such as the oral cavity. It is usually seen as an aquired form. We report a case of a large, congenital, common blue nevus on the upper lip.
Subject(s)
Dermis , Foot , Hand , Lip , Melanins , Melanocytes , Mouth , Nevus, BlueABSTRACT
Docetaxel is a taxoid antineoplastic drug widely used for various advanced solid tumors. Docetaxel-induced cutaneous adverse reactions include acral erythema, pigmentaion disorders and nail changes. Herein we report a case of recurrent erythematous dermatitis which was localized on the site of a docetaxel injection in a 48-year-old patient with advanced gastric cancer. Histopathological findings were consistent with erythema multiforme.
