[Cutaneous hyperpigmentation as a manifestation in acute on chronic liver failure]. / Hiperpigmentación cutánea como manifestación poco reconocida en falla hepática aguda sobre crónica.

Background: The acquired cutaneous pigmentation represents a little recognized clinical manifestation in liver disorders, both acute and chronic, and can occur in the exacerbation processes of preexisting hepatopathies, as in the context of acute-on-chronic liver failure. Several hypotheses about the increase in pigment at skin and mucous membranes have been developed; some try to explain it as a defect in the degradation of melanin with secondary accumulation at tissues; others, on the other hand, describe it as a consequence of the release of fibroblast growth factors like endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, which are produced under the stimulation of liver regeneration and cause a melanogenesis stimulation. The aim of this article is to study pigmentary skin changes in the background of liver diseases. Clinical cases: We described two clinical cases of patients with acuteon chronic liver failure secondary to different clinical scenarios are presented, who have in common the development of acquired pigmentary skin changes. Conclusion: In hepatopathies, the cutaneous hyperpigmentation is a sign with unknown etiology, so further studies are required to know the accurate pathophysiology. Reporting this finding is useful for physicians, since timely identification can help in the early diagnosis of underlying liver diseases.

Introducción: la hiperpigmentación cutánea adquirida representa una manifestación clínica poco reconocida en los trastornos hepáticos, tanto agudos como crónicos, y puede presentarse tanto en procesos de agudización de hepatopatías preexistentes como en el contexto de la falla hepática aguda sobre crónica. Se han desarrollado diversas hipótesis sobre el aumento de pigmento a nivel piel y mucosas, algunas tratan de explicarlo por un defecto en la degradación de la melanina, lo cual genera su acumilación en los tejidos; otras, en cambio, describen la liberación de factores de crecimiento derivados de fibroblastos, como el factor de crecimiento endotelial y el factor de crecimiento de hepatocitos, los cuales son producidos bajo el estímulo de la regeneración hepática y, a su vez, provocan una estimulación de la melanogénesis. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la hiperpigmentación cutánea en el contexto de enfermedades hepáticas. Casos clínicos: se presentan dos casos clínicos de pacientes con falla hepática aguda sobre crónica secundaria a diferentes escenarios clínicos, quienes tienen en común el desarrollo pigmentación cutánea adquirida. Conclusiones: en las enfermedades hepáticas, la hiperpigmentación cutánea es un hallazgo presente cuya etiología aún no es dilucidada, por lo que se requieren más estudios para conocer la fisiopatología exacta. El reporte de este hallazgo es de utilidad para el personal médico, ya que la identificación oportuna puede ayudar a el diagnóstico temprano de hepatopatías subyacentes.

Incidence of complications in dermatological surgery of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with multiple comorbidity and/or antiplatelet-anticoagulants. Five year experience in our Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Surgery is performed more frequently now at days, due to the increasing incidence of melanoma and no-melanoma skin cancer. There are different opinions among dermatologic surgeons between to continue or discontinue antithrombotic therapy prior to the procedure, which increases the risk of thromboembolic events. Prophylaxis with oral antibiotics in the postsurgical period is controversial. OBJECTIVE: To report the safety of surgery without suspending antithrombotic therapy and without oral antibiotic prophylaxis in dermatology surgery of patients with multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy. METHOD: We designed a retrospective study. We included a total of 655 patients; 96.6% had at least one comorbidity; 27.7% used aspirin and 4.3% some type of antithrombotic therapy. The most common type of skin tumor was basal cell carcinoma with 69.8. RESULTS: The complication rate was 4.2%; the most was wound dehiscence (1.1%), followed by partial necrosis (0.9%), infection (0.9%), reaction to foreign body (0.6%), complete necrosis (0.3%), bleeding (0.2%) and fistulae (0.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the literature and our experience, dermatologic surgery is safe without suspending antithrombotic therapy or antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with multiple comorbidity.

INTRODUCCIÓN: La cirugía es uno de los procedimientos que se realizan con mayor frecuencia en dermatología debido a la mayor incidencia de cáncer de piel melanoma y no melanoma. Se han encontrado distintas posturas entre los cirujanos dermatólogos sobre continuar o suspender antiagregantes y anticoagulantes antes del procedimiento, lo cual incrementa el riesgo de eventos tromboembólicos, además de la preferencia de utilizar profilaxis antibiótica de forma posquirúrgica por algunos dermatólogos. OBJETIVO: Reportar nuestra experiencia en cuanto a la seguridad de la cirugía dermatológica sin la suspensión de anticoagulantes/antiagregantes y sin profilaxis antibiótica en pacientes con múltiple comorbilidad y polifarmacia. MÉTODO: Se revisaron 655 pacientes. El 96.6% tenían al menos otra enfermedad. El 27.7% utilizaba ácido acetilsalicílico y el 4.3% algún tipo de anticoagulante. El tipo de neoplasia más frecuente fue el carcinoma basocelular con 69.8%. RESULTADOS: La tasa total de complicaciones fue del 4.2%. La complicación más frecuente fue la dehiscencia de la herida (1.1%), seguida de la necrosis parcial (0.9%), la infección (0.9%), la reacción a cuerpo extraño (0.6%), la necrosis total (0.3%), la hemorragia (0.2%) y la fístula cutánea (0.2%). CONCLUSIONES: Basándonos en la literatura y nuestra experiencia, la cirugía dermatológica es segura sin suspender antitrombóticos ni indicar profilaxis antibiótica en pacientes con múltiple comorbilidad.

Incidence of complications in dermatological surgery of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with multiple comorbidity and/or antiplatelet-anticoagulants. Five year experience in our Hospital. / Incidencia de complicaciones en cirugía dermatológica de cáncer de piel melanoma y no melanoma en pacientes con múltiple comorbilidad o antiagregantes-anticoagulantes. Experiencia de nuestro hospital durante 5 años

Introduction: Surgery is performed more frequently now at days, due to the increasing incidence of melanoma and no-melanoma skin cancer. There are different opinions among dermatologic surgeons between to continue or discontinue antithrombotic therapy prior to the procedure, which increases the risk of thromboembolic events. Prophylaxis with oral antibiotics in the postsurgical period is controversial. Objective: To report the safety of surgery without suspending antithrombotic therapy and without oral antibiotic prophylaxis in dermatology surgery of patients with multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy. Method: We designed a retrospective study. We included a total of 655 patients; 96.6% had at least one comorbidity; 27.7% used aspirin and 4.3% some type of antithrombotic therapy. The most common type of skin tumor was basal cell carcinoma with 69.8% . Results: The complication rate was 4.2%; the most was wound dehiscence (1.1%), followed by partial necrosis (0.9%), infection (0.9%), reaction to foreign body (0.6%), complete necrosis (0.3%), bleeding (0.2%) and fistulae (0.2%). Conclusions: Based on the literature and our experience, dermatologic surgery is safe without suspending antithrombotic therapy or antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with multiple comorbidity.

Introducción: La cirugía es uno de los procedimientos que se realizan con mayor frecuencia en dermatología debido a la mayor incidencia de cáncer de piel melanoma y no melanoma. Se han encontrado distintas posturas entre los cirujanos dermatólogos sobre continuar o suspender antiagregantes y anticoagulantes antes del procedimiento, lo cual incrementa el riesgo de eventos tromboembólicos, además de la preferencia de utilizar profilaxis antibiótica de forma posquirúrgica por algunos dermatólogos. Objetivo: Reportar nuestra experiencia en cuanto a la seguridad de la cirugía dermatológica sin la suspensión de anticoagulantes/antiagregantes y sin profilaxis antibiótica en pacientes con múltiple comorbilidad y polifarmacia. Método: Se revisaron 655 pacientes. El 96.6% tenían al menos otra enfermedad. El 27.7% utilizaba ácido acetilsalicílico y el 4.3% algún tipo de anticoagulante. El tipo de neoplasia más frecuente fue el carcinoma basocelular con 69.8%. Resultados: La tasa total de complicaciones fue del 4.2%. La complicación más frecuente fue la dehiscencia de la herida (1.1%), seguida de la necrosis parcial (0.9%), la infección (0.9%), la reacción a cuerpo extraño (0.6%), la necrosis total (0.3%), la hemorragia (0.2%) y la fístula cutánea (0.2%). Conclusiones: Basándonos en la literatura y nuestra experiencia, la cirugía dermatológica es segura sin suspender antitrombóticos ni indicar profilaxis antibiótica en pacientes con múltiple comorbilidad.

[Oral squamous cell carcinoma and lichen planus vs. lichenoid lesions. Case report]. / Carcinoma escamocelular y liquen plano frente a lesiones liquenoides en boca. Reporte de caso.

BACKGROUND: The development of squamous cell carcinoma from oral lichen planus is controversial. We report a case of intraoral squamous cell carcinoma, which presents together with lesions of oral lichen planus. The aim of this report was to analyze the problem to distinguish between the incipient changes of squamous cell carcinoma from the features described in oral lichen planus, in order to establish an accurate diagnosis of both entities. CLINICAL CASE: A 57-year old man with a history of smoking and chronic alcohol intake, who had an ulcerated tumor mass located in the tongue, and bilateral white reticular patches on buccal mucosa and borders of the tongue. The histopathological report was moderately differentiated invasive squamous cell carcinoma and lichen planus respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The premalignant nature of OLP is still indeterminate and controversial, this is primarily due to inconsistency in the clinical and histological diagnostic criteria used to differentiate cases of oral lichen planus from lichenoid reactions or other lesions causing intraepithelial dysplasia with high potentially malignant transformation. Oral lichenoid reactions are possibly most likely to develop malignant transformation as compared to the classic OLP lesions.

Introducción: el desarrollo de carcinoma escamocelular a partir del liquen plano bucal es controversial. Describimos un caso con carcinoma escamocelular intrabucal, que cursa con lesiones de liquen plano bucal y se analizan las dificultades para distinguir los cambios incipientes del carcinoma escamocelular de las lesiones por liquen plano intrabucales que lleven a establecer un diagnóstico certero de ambas entidades. Caso clínico: hombre de 57 años, con antecedente de tabaquismo y hábito alcohólico crónico, que presenta lesión tumoral ulcerada en borde lateral izquierdo de lengua y placas blancas reticulares bilaterales en mucosa yugal, bordes laterales y vientre de lengua. El reporte histopatológico fue de carcinoma escamocelular invasor moderadamente diferenciado y liquen plano respectivamente. Conclusiones: la naturaleza premaligna del liquen plano bucal es controvertida, esto por inconsistencia en los criterios diagnóstico clínicos e histológicos que permitan diferenciar los casos de liquen plano bucal de otras lesiones como las reacciones liquenoides o displasias intraepiteliales con alto potencial de malignización. Posiblemente las reacciones liquenoides bucales tienen un mayor riesgo de transformación maligna al compararse con el clásico liquen plano bucal.

Morphological clues in the diagnosis of sclerodermiform dermatitis.

In this report, we review 5 sclerodermiform cutaneous conditions: eosinophilic fasciitis, systemic nephrogenic fibrosis, scleredema, scleromyxedema, and toxic oil syndrome. We emphasize the morphological differences between the conditions and some morphological clues that are important to differential diagnosis.

The progressive elevation of alpha fetoprotein for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common cause of primary liver neoplasms and is one of the main causes of death in patients with liver cirrhosis. High Alpha fetoprotein serum levels have been found in 60-70% of patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma; nevertheless, there are other causes that increase this protein. Alpha fetoprotein levels > or =200 and 400 ng/mL in patients with an identifiable liver mass by imaging techniques are diagnostic of hepatocellular carcinoma with high specificity. METHODS: We analysed the sensitivity and specificity of the progressive increase of the levels of alpha fetoprotein for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis. Seventy-four patients with cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma and 193 with hepatic lesions diagnosed by biopsy and shown by image scans were included. Sensitivity and specificity of transversal determination of alpha fetoprotein > or = 200 and 400 ng/mL and monthly progressive elevation of alpha fetoprotein were analysed. Areas under the ROC curves were compared. Positive and negative predictive values adjusted to a 5 and 10% prevalence were calculated. RESULTS: For an elevation of alpha fetoprotein > or= 200 and 400 ng/mL the specificity is of 100% in both cases, with a sensitivity of 36.3 and 20.2%, respectively. For an alpha fetoprotein elevation rate > or =7 ng/mL/month, sensitivity was of 71.4% and specificity of 100%. The area under the ROC curve of the progressive elevation was significantly greater than that of the transversal determination of alpha fetoprotein. The positive and negative predictive values modified to a 10% prevalence are of: 98.8% and 96.92%, respectively; while for a prevalence of 5% they were of 97.4% and 98.52%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The progressive elevation of alpha fetoprotein > or =7 ng/mL/month in patients with liver cirrhosis is useful for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients that do not reach alphaFP levels > or =200 ng/mL. Prospective studies are required to confirm this observation.

In whom, how and how often is surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma cost-effective?

BACKGROUND: Despite well known worldwide differences in hepatocellular carcinoma incidence, which reflect different risk profiles, current recommendation of surveillance with ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein twice-a-year has been restricted to cirrhotic patients. To evaluate the generalizability of this recommendation, we reviewed the clinical charts of hepatocellular carcinoma cases in a Mexican scenario. To evaluate efficiency, we performed a literature based cost-effectiveness analysis. METHODS: Charts pertaining to 174 consecutive patients with histologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma, seen at a tertiary health care centre were analysed. A decision tree, based on the surveillance and recall algorithm of the European Association for the Study of the Liver was constructed. Ultrasound and/or alpha-fetoprotein, performed every six or twelve months were the diagnostic alternatives, and accurate diagnoses, direct medical costs and cost-effectiveness ratios were the outcomes of interest. RESULTS: Male:female ratio was 1.2:1, underlying liver disease was secondary to alcohol in 44% and to hepatitis C virus in 26%, documented cirrhosis was present in 42%. Cost-effectiveness ratios for twice-a-year ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein ranged from $303.09 to $346.22 U.S. dollars per accurate diagnosis, and for annual ultrasound from $115.86 to $116.42 U.S. dollars. CONCLUSIONS: Male gender, hepatitis C and cirrhosis were not predominant characteristics in our series. If a hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance program were to be instituted in our setting, or where patient characteristics are similar to ours, it probably should not be restricted to cirrhotic patients. Recommended performance of ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein every six months is the least cost-effective surveillance strategy. Instead, annual ultrasound optimises diagnoses and costs.

Expresión de CD-34 en el elastofibroma. Estudio clinicopatológico, histoquímico e inmunohistoquímico de cuatro casos / Cd-34 expression in elastofibroma. Histochemical, immunohistochemical and clinopathological study of four cases

Objetivo. Explorar la expresión imunohistoquímica de células en casos de elastofibroma y evaluar cuatro técnicas histoquímicas para fibras elásticas. Material y métodos. Se obtuvieron cuatro elastofibromas de los archivos del departamento de patología del Hospital ABC. Todos los pacientes fueron mujeres cuyas lesiones se encontraron en la región subescapular. Se realizó inmunohistoquímica para CD34, actina, desmina, vimentina, proteína S-100 y bcl-2 y se evaluaron cuatro métodos para fibras elásticas (Verhoff, Gallego, Reyes-Mota y Russel-Movat). Resultados. En los cuatro casos habían numerosos miofibroblastos (positivos a la vimentina/actina/desmina). Además encontramos células dendríticas distribuidas irregularmente, positivas al CD34. Las tinciones de Verhoff y Reyes-Mota son las que mejor resaltan el componente elástico. El método de Russel-Movat es útil para distinguir diferentes componentes de tejido conectivo. Conclusión. Las células del elastofibroma originalmente se consideraron fibroblastos. La presencia de vimentina/actina/desmina sugiere que existe una población de miofibroblastos. Describimos por primera vez, células fusiformes y dendríticas, positivas al CD34 (QBend/10) distribuidas irregularmente en toda la lesión. Estas células pueden ser población reactiva de células del ®sistema dendrítico dérmico¼. No encontramos inmunorreactividad para bcl-2 en las células fusiformes y dendríticas