From bedside to genetic analysis: New insights into pathophysiology of melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and other cancers.

Objective: Patients with myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD) were observed to have numerous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and abnormal dysplastic nevi (DN) on non-sun exposed skin. Simultaneously a large study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) illustrated that patients with MMD have "overall" an increased risk for cancer development. Based on these findings, this author in 2010 postulated that dysregulation of RNA binding proteins (RBP), responsible for clinical manifestations of MMD, is also responsible for the development of BCC and melanoma.

Skin ultrasonography and magnetic resonance; new clinical applications and instrumentation.

Background: Technological advances in skin ultrasonography and magnetic resonance are discussed.

Methods: Literature review.

Results: 40 publications cited.

Proposed guidelines for appropriate utilization of superficial radiation therapy in management of skin cancers. Zemtsov-Cognetta criteria.

Objective: To develop appropriate use criteria (AUC) for the treatment of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma by superficial radiation therapy (SRT) technique.

Material And Methods: Delphi-type discussion of the experts.

Results: Presented in Figure 1.

Lichenoid Reaction Pattern with Pseudoepitheliomatous Hyperplasia - A Rare Tattoo Reaction: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia is a benign histologic reaction pattern that in rare cases can occur shortly after a tattooing procedure. We describe a case of pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in two tattoos on the same patient 1 year after filling with the same batch of red ink.

Porphyria cutanea tarda presenting as scleroderma.

Sclerodermatous skin changes were observed in a patient with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) who initially was diagnosed as having progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS). In extremely rare circumstances, patients with PCT initially are misdiagnosed as having generalized morphea, or PSS, because they lack the typical skin findings of PCT, such as blisters, skin fragility, scarring on the dorsal aspects of the hands, and facial hypertrichosis. However, even in cases of PCT that clinically mimic and are misdiagnosed as PSS, the sclerodermatous skin changes primarily occur in v-shaped areas of the neck.

Association between basal, squamous cell carcinomas, dysplastic nevi and myotonic muscular dystrophy indicates an important role of RNA-binding proteins in development of human skin cancer.

Myotonic muscular dystrophy (MMD) is caused by an abnormal function of RNA-binding proteins (RBP) resulting in DNA spliceopathy. A case of a patient, with MMD multiple basal and squamous cell carcinomas and dysplastic nevi, is described. The association between MMD and non-melanoma skin cancer has been reported before; however, this association was described before the genetic defect of myotonic dystrophy has been fully elucidated.

Topically applied growth factors change skin cytoplasmic creatine kinase activity and distribution and produce abnormal keratinocyte differentiation in murine skin.

Background/purpose: The skin has a functional and active phosphocreatine (PCR)/creatine kinase (CPK) system that regenerates adenosine triphosphate energy reserves during periods of ischemia. The objective of this study was to evaluate how topically applied growth factors affect CPK activity and distribution, and what histological changes growth factors induce in murine skin.

Methods: Epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) and suramin (growth factor inhibitor) were applied to murine skin for nine days before mice were sacrificed and CPK level and distributions were measured.

Skin phosphocreatine.

Background/purpose: The skin has the unique ability to survive ischemia associated with skin grafts, flaps and hair transplantation procedures. Spectroscopic data later confirmed by chromatography, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology techniques identified the presence of large quantities of phosphocreatine in human skin. Phosphocreatine molecules regenerate ATP cellular reserves during ischemia.