Linear basal cell nevus.

We report a case of linear basal cell nervus occurring on the thigh of a forty-five-year-old woman. In this lesion, the characteristic comedones were absent. Linear basal cell nevus is a rare, benign condition that must be differentiated from both basal cell nevus syndrome and linear basal cell carcinoma, either of which can be locally aggressive.

Yellow nail syndrome in patients with acquired immunodeficiency disease.

Eight patients with proved diagnoses of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, some with chronic sinusitis, pleural effusion, tuberculosis, and other pathologic conditions, were serially examined. Four had yellow discoloration of the distal portions of the nails. Nails of some patients showed ridging, loss or decrease in size of lunulae, and opaqueness. These findings indicate the presence of the yellow nail syndrome, a relatively rare condition, in 50% of these examined patients.

Collagen implant in management of perlèche (angular cheilosis).

Perlèche (angular cheilosis) is often caused by the presence of saliva on skin adjacent to mucous membranes. In some cases saliva escapes from the mouth through deep grooves that extend inferolaterally from oral commissures. If the sulci are secondary to a decreased vertical dimension of the lower one third of the face (determined by described measurements), corrective dental measures may be curative. When this approach is not practical and in other cases when the grooves are produced by other causes, the defects can be corrected by use of injections of collagen implant. This has been done successfully in two patients, and angular cheilosis has not reoccurred.

Aspirin blocks nicotinic acid-induced flushing.

Nicotinic acid flushing after placebo and 975-mg oral doses of aspirin was assessed in 29 normal subjects over a range of nicotinic acid doses. Intensity of flushing was assessed by the change in malar thermal circulation index (delta MTCI). Aspirin pretreatment resulted in smaller delta MTCIs at the higher doses of nicotinic acid. At the lower doses the change in the index after pretreatments with both aspirin and placebo remained low, suggesting that very little flushing was provoked by these doses. These results are compatible with the proposed mediation by prostaglandins of the nicotinic acid-induced flush. According to the delta MCTI method, flushing is quantitatively characterized as a nonquantal, dose-response reaction of variable intensity.

Scalpel excision of primary cutaneous malignant melanomas without metastasis.

Views and opinions about surgical treatment of primary malignant melanomas that are without local spread or metastasis are presented. An attempt is made to determine the limitations of office-based dermatologists in the treatment of malignant melanomas of this stage. Using accepted criteria for clinical recognition of malignant melanomas early, it is suggested that surgical excisions of small malignant melanomas that are judged to be complete obviate preliminary biopsies and furnish surgical specimens that can be read histopathologically for confirmation of clinical diagnosis and adequacy of excision.

Squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas: preliminary study of 3,817 primary skin cancers.

A series of patients with 3,817 cutaneous carcinomas of different types observed in a private practice setting is reported. Preliminary computerized analyses indicate that 88% of these squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas were less than 25 mm. Scalpel surgery, curettage and desiccation, or radiation therapy was used for most tumors and an overall cure rate of greater than 98% was obtained. A pretreatment biopsy allowed for selection of the most appropriate management and authoritative instructions for long-term follow-up visits and prophylaxis.