Railway track-like dermatitis: an atypical Mondor's disease?

The cases of two patients with linear, cordlike lesions on the anterolateral chest wall are reported. Both cases suggested a clinical diagnosis of Mondor's disease (i.e., sclerosing periphlebitis of the chest wall) with atypical aspects. The histologic picture showed a diffuse dermal infiltrate, predominantly of eosinophils mixed with lymphocytes and histiocytes, with some evidence of collagen degeneration. No flame figures were seen. Problems of differential diagnosis are discussed.

Unilateral linear basal cell nevus associated with diffuse osteoma cutis, unilateral anodontia, and abnormal bone mineralization.

A case of unilateral linear basal cell nevus, diffuse osteoma cutis, unilateral anodontia, and abnormal bone mineralization is reported. Unlike the anodontia, the unilateral linear basal cell nevus and osteoma cutis began to appear in adulthood. A hamartomatous process is suggested to explain these conditions. This complex syndrome has not been reported in the literature.

[Eccrine angiomatous nevus]. / Nevo eccrino-angiomatoso.

A case of eccrine angiomatous nevus of the leg in a 21 year-old woman is reported. The lesion present since birth was painful on pressure and exhibited hyperhidrosis. Histological examination of the lesion showed an increased number of eccrine structures without structural abnormalities with an angiomatous vascular component. In addition, there were some neural sheets. Problems of differential diagnosis and histogenesis of the eccrine angiomatous hamartoma are discussed.

Solitary plexiform neurofibroma.

A 35-year-old man with a solitary subcutaneous cord running on the abdomen wall is reported. Histologic examination of the lesion permitted a diagnosis of plexiform neurofibroma. In this patient and in his family no other signs of von Recklinghausen's disease were found. The plexiform neurofibroma considered as pathognomonic of neurofibromatosis may occur in a solitary form.

Hair shafts in epidermoid cysts.

17 cases of epidermoid cysts with vellus hairs in their lumen are reported. The clinical diagnosis was usually cysts. In 12 cases the lesions were solitary and in 5 they were multiple, small and closely set. Microscopically, the findings of the wall were those of the epidermoid cyst containing in their lumen hair shafts of lanugo size. The solitary variety of these cysts can be considered as the solitary counterpart of the eruptive vellus hair cyst. Problems of differential diagnosis are discussed.

Parakeratotic horns in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Horny finger-like lesions can be observed in many dermatoses. In some cases the clinical features suggest the diagnosis, but only the histological examination will confirm it. Our purpose here is to describe a case of multiple parakeratotic horns occurring in a patient with Crohn's disease.

Basal cell carcinoma with matrical differentiation. Matrical carcinoma.

Three unusual cases of basal cell carcinoma showing matrical differentiation as evidenced by the focal presence of "shadow cells" within basaloid islands are described. The term basal cell tumor with matrical differentiation seems to be appropriate for this type of tumor. Its differentiation from other tumors, particularly malignant pilomatricoma, is also discussed.

Balloon cell melanoma: a report of two cases.

Two cases of balloon cell malignant melanoma of the skin are reported. The first lesion was pigmented, the second was amelanotic. Histologically, the tumor mass was dermal and intraepidermal and almost exclusively composed of balloon cells. Many of the clear cells demonstrated postivity with the S-100 protein immunostaining. The problems of clear-cell tumor differential diagnosis are discussed.

White sponge nevus with epidermolytic changes.

A 42-year-old man with extensive white spongy lesions of the oral mucosa from childhood is reported. Histologic examination of two punch biopsies revealed many foci of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Similar lesions were present in one of his two brothers but he refused the biopsy. The problems of differential diagnosis are discussed.

Nevus comedonicus with epidermolytic hyperkeratosis.

A 7-year-old girl had a linear nevus comedonicus affecting the right upper limb. Histologic examination of two biopsies specimens showed both the common changes of nevus comedonicus and the presence of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Therefore, nevus comedonicus should be included in the list of dermatoses having the distinctive histologic pattern of epidermolytic hyperkeratosis.