Stenotrophomonas maltophilia skin infection in an immunocompetent patient: Primary cutaneous CD30+ T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder or pseudolymphoma?

Cutaneous pseudolymphomas are a wide group of diseases mimicking cutaneous lymphoma. They comprise several skin conditions with different etiopathogenesis, clinical-pathological features, and prognosis, which may occur in the absence of an identifiable trigger factor or after administration of medications or vaccinations, tattoos, infections, or arthropod bites. They present with different manifestations: from solitary to regionally clustered lesions, up to generalized distribution and, in rare cases, erythroderma. They persist variably, from weeks to years, and resolve spontaneously or after antibiotics, but may recur in some cases. CD30+ T-cell pseudolymphomas are characterized by the presence of large, activated lymphoid cells, generally in response to viral infections, arthropod assault reactions, and drug eruptions. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacillus responsible for opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. Infection of intact skin in immunocompetent patients is particularly rare. Here, we report a case of a man presenting an isolated nodule histopathologically mimicking a primary cutaneous CD30+ T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.

Mpox as AIDS-defining event with a severe and protracted course: clinical, immunological, and virological implications.

A 59-year-old treatment-naive patient with advanced HIV infection presented with a severe and protracted course of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) that did not respond to the current mpox treatment options. The patient worsened clinically, and developed new mucocutaneous lesions and necrotic evolution of pre-existing ones, along with multiple bilateral lung nodules and the appearance of a tracheal necrotic lesion. Although severe forms of mpox have been observed in people with severe immune system deficiency, including those with advanced HIV presentation, the immunological mechanisms underlying this observation have not yet been fully explained. To our knowledge, this is the first account of a necrotising mpox in a person living with HIV, with viral shedding for more than 11 months and a comprehensive immunological description. Moreover, we documented the virus' persistence by detecting mpox virus DNA from multiple sites and quantified anti-monkeypox virus IgA, IgM, IgG, and neutralising antibodies in serum samples. The severe HIV-driven immune depression and the presence of other co-infections might skew and impair immune responses, thus contributing to the persistence of monkeypox virus infection. Further investigations of immune responses to monkeypox virus infection in people with severe immunosuppression are required to improve management and prevention.

Cutaneous Basal Cell Carcinoma: Does Noninvasive Ventilation Accelerate Tumor Progression?

A 56-year-old woman presented to the emergency to be department with diarrhea, asthenia, cough, and dysgeusia. The patient had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and was found infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On physical examination, a small basal cell carcinoma (BCC) lesion was identified on her scalp; however, following the administration of noninvasive ventilation, the appearance of both macroscopic and microscopic BCC worsened dramatically. Our findings point to positive pressure noninvasive ventilation used to treat COVID-19 associated with COPD as a possible causative agent for the progression of cutaneous BCC. (SKINmed. 2022;20:463-465).

Gliptin-associated bullous pemphigoid shows peculiar features of anti-BP180 and -BP230 humoral response: Results of a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, several case-control studies demonstrated an association between gliptins and bullous pemphigoid (BP) occurrence. However, data on the clinical and immunologic features of gliptin-associated bullous pemphigoid (GABP) are controversial. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clinically and immunologically characterize a large cohort of GABP patients to get an insight into the pathophysiology of this emerging drug-induced variant of BP. METHODS: Seventy-four GABP patients were prospectively enrolled and characterized from 9 different Italian dermatology units between 2013 and 2020. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated the following in the GABP patients: (1) a noninflammatory phenotype, which is characterized by low amounts of circulating and skin-infiltrating eosinophils, is frequently found; (2) immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgE, and IgA humoral responses to BP180 and BP230 antigens are reduced in frequency and titers compared with those in patients with idiopathic BP; (3) IgG reactivity targets multiple BP180 epitopes other than noncollagenous region 16A. LIMITATIONS: A limitation of the study is that the control group did not comprise only type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with BP. CONCLUSION: GABP patients show peculiar features of anti-BP180 and -BP230 humoral responses, laying the foundation for diagnostic improvements and getting novel insights into understanding the mechanism of BP onset.

Hair and nail manifestations of COVID-19.

Emerging literature evidence shows that the manifestations of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, encompass alterations of the pulmonary, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and neurological system. Moreover, hematologic and dermatologic manifestations have been documented. The aim of this review is to summarize the dermatologic manifestations of COVID-19 involving the hair and nails in a narrative way. A total of 1136 patients have been reported to have de novo hair loss following COVID-19. Notably, 958 patients experienced telogen effluvium (TE) (female/male ratio = 3,86:1), two female patients experienced anagen effluvium, and 176 people had alopecia areata (female/male ratio of 19:3). Ten patients were reported to have ungual changes following the infection with the novel coronavirus: The individuals affected were 6 women and 4 men. COVID-19 can be associated with hair and ungual manifestations. This review summarizes the evidence regarding the hair and ungual manifestations of COVID-19, which could be harnessed to better understand the clinical implications and pathophysiology of this disease that has been burdening society globally since December 2019.

Surveillance of leishmaniasis cases from 15 European centres, 2014 to 2019: a retrospective analysis.

BackgroundSurveillance of human leishmaniasis in Europe is mostly limited to country-specific information from autochthonous infections in the southern part. As at the end of 2021, no integrated analysis has been performed for cases seen across centres in different European countries.AimTo provide a broad perspective on autochthonous and imported leishmaniasis cases in endemic and non-endemic countries in Europe.MethodsWe retrospectively collected records from cutaneous, mucosal and visceral leishmaniasis cases diagnosed in 15 centres between 2014 and 2019. Centres were located in 11 countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Data on country of infection, reason for travelling, infecting species, age and sex were analysed.ResultsWe obtained diagnostic files from 1,142 cases, of which 76%, 21% and 3% had cutaneous, visceral, and mucosal disease, respectively. Of these, 68% were men, and 32% women, with the median age of 37 years (range: 0-90) at diagnosis. Visceral leishmaniasis was mainly acquired in Europe (88%; 167/190), while cutaneous leishmaniasis was primarily imported from outside Europe (77%; 575/749). Sixty-two percent of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases from outside Europe were from the Old World, and 38% from the New World. Geographic species distribution largely confirmed known epidemiology, with notable exceptions.ConclusionsOur study confirms previous reports regarding geographic origin, species, and traveller subgroups importing leishmaniasis into Europe. We demonstrate the importance of pooling species typing data from many centres, even from areas where the aetiology is presumably known, to monitor changing epidemiology.

Immune recovery folliculitis: Case reports in HIV naïve and experienced patients.

Immune recovery folliculitis (IRF) is defined as the development of an inflammatory disorder of the facial pilo-sebaceous unit due to the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). Skin lesions can be related to an immune response against skin saprophyte bacteria (e.g. Demodex folliculorum, Cutibacterium acnes). The rapid reconstitution of T lymphocyte, with a CD8+ predominance, is considered a key pathogenic factor for this phenomenon. IRF is clinically similar to acne vulgaris and can be challenging to treat. Patients with facial pustules can experience social discomfort. Here we report two cases of IRF diagnosed at the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) clinic of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani, in Rome, Italy. The first case occurred in an antiretroviral therapy (ART)-experienced patient, after a treatment simplification; the second one was registered in an ART-naïve patient, diagnosed with acute HIV infection shortly, after ART initiation. To date, an IRF secondary to an ART switch, has not been described yet. IRF should be ruled out and considered in differential diagnosis from antiretroviral drug-related skin effects.

The Role of P-Selectin in COVID-19 Coagulopathy: An Updated Review.

In severe COVID-19, which is characterized by blood clots and neutrophil-platelet aggregates in the circulating blood and different tissues, an increased incidence of cardiovascular complications and venous thrombotic events has been reported. The inflammatory storm that characterizes severe infections may act as a driver capable of profoundly disrupting the complex interplay between platelets, endothelium, and leukocytes, thus contributing to the definition of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. In this frame, P-selectin represents a key molecule expressed on endothelial cells and on activated platelets, and contributes to endothelial activation, leucocyte recruitment, rolling, and tissue migration. Briefly, we describe the current state of knowledge about P-selectin involvement in COVID-19 pathogenesis, its possible use as a severity marker and as a target for host-directed therapeutic intervention.

Dermatological manifestations during COVID-19 and histological picture: Description of two clinical cases.

It is not yet entirely clear what is the relevance of skin symptoms and what clinical implications are related to their appearance in COVID-19 patients. We describe two cases of COVID-19-associated pneumonia, which presented skin manifestations in advanced stage of illness, when nasopharyngeal swabs became negative for SARS-CoV-2. The first case presented erythematous, maculopapular lesions; the second developed petechial, vesicular and blood-encrusted lesions on the limbs. Histopathology documented perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates, with prevalent CD4+ T-cells in both patients. The research of SARS-CoV-2 in tissues with real time RT-PCR was negative. Basal keratinocytes displayed C4d deposits in one case, who developed laboratory signs indicative of a procoagulative condition at the same time as the skin rash. Skin manifestations during SARS-CoV-2 infection seem to be clinically relevant and further studies are necessary to assess if they are linked to systemic complications, lack of viral clearance or cascades of immune responses induced by the virus, even in patients affected by mild pneumonia.

The efficacy of a photolyase-based device on the cancerization field: a clinical and thermographic study.

BACKGROUND: At skin level, a cancerization field (CF) indicates some chronically photoexposed areas in which, besides a primary tumor, histological or biomolecular modifications without clinical signs are present. Active telethermography (ATT) allows us to observe the imaging of a hyperthermic halo (HH) surrounding the tumor . The Authors hypothesize HH as a possible expression of CF. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study were to verify whether HHs have the same histological or immunohistochemical characteristics as the CF and, secondly, to evaluate the efficacy of a device containing the enzyme photolyase in modifying thermographic parameters in these area. METHODS: The study included 30 patients affected by actinic keratosis, evaluated clinically and by ATT at time 0 and after 3, 6 and 9 months. RESULTS: The ATT showed the presence of HHs in all the patients and, after the treatment, a significant modification of both the extension of these areas and the thermal parameters. In 5 patients for whom, while operated, two other biopsies were performed, respectively on the HH and on a perilesional non-hyperthermic area, in the HH, we detected a p53 and Ki 67 over-expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that ATT could represent a useful paraclinic method in identifying CFs in subjects at risk.

Piroxicam and intracavitary platinum-based chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced mesothelioma in pets: preliminary observations.

Malignant Mesothelioma is an uncommon and very aggressive tumor that accounts for 1% of all the deaths secondary to malignancy in humans. Interestingly, this neoplasm has been occasionally described in companion animals as well. Aim of this study was the preclinical evaluation of the combination of piroxicam with platinum-based intracavitary chemotherapy in pets. Three companion animals have been treated in a three years period with this combination. Diagnosis was obtained by ultrasonographic exam of the body cavities that evidenced thickening of the mesothelium. A surgical biopsy further substantiated the diagnosis. After drainage of the malignant effusion from the affected cavity, the patients received four cycles of intracavitary CDDP at the dose of 50 mg/m2 every three weeks if dogs or four cycles of intracavitary carboplatin at the dose of 180 mg/m2 (every 3 weeks) if cats, coupled with daily administration of piroxicam at the dose of 0.3 mg/kg. The therapy was able to arrest the effusion in all patients for variable remission times: one dog is still in remission after 3 years, one dog died of progressive disease after 8 months and one cat died due to progressive neoplastic growth after six months, when the patient developed a mesothelial cuirass. The combination showed remarkable efficacy at controlling the malignant effusion secondary to MM in our patients and warrants further investigations.