Fatal case of metastatic cellular fibrous histiocytoma: case report and review of literature.

Background: Cellular fibrous histiocytoma was first described in 1994 as a distinct variant of fibrous histiocytoma. Since then, at least 21 cases of cellular fibrous histiocytomas metastasizing to regional lymph nodes and/or lungs have been described, though not all fatal.

Case: We report the case of a 68-year-old male patient who presented with a large ulcerated skin tumor on the left thigh.

Disturbed vasomotion in chronic venous insufficiency.

Background: Vasomotion is the slow rhythmic contraction of the smooth muscles of arterioles, metarterioles, and precapillary sphincters. It improves rheologic function of capillary blood flow and guarantees cellular nutrition and oxygen supply. Oxygen supply to the skin by blood can be quantified by measuring oxyhemoglobin concentration and hemoglobin oxygen saturation.

Modulation of cathepsin G expression in severe atopic dermatitis following medium-dose UVA1 phototherapy.

Background: During the last decade, medium-dose UVA1 phototherapy (50 J/cm2) has achieved great value within the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis (AD). The purpose of our study was to investigate to what extent UVA1 irradiation is able to modulate the status of protease activity by the use of a monoclonal antibody labeling cathepsin G.

Methods: In order to further elucidate the mechanisms by which medium-dose UVA1 irradiation leads to an improvement of skin status in patients with AD, biopsy specimens from 15 patients before and after treatment were analyzed immunohistochemically for proteolytic activation.

Skin changes and tumours after renal transplantation.

Skin involvement in chronic renal failure is characterised by a multitude of different aspects. Apart from the typical yellow-brown discolouration of the skin, most often patients complain of pruritus and xerosis cutis. A marked actinic elastosis is noticed.

Influence of wetness on the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of textiles: in vitro and in vivo measurements.

Background/purpose: Clothing is an important product for sunburn protection and skin cancer prevention. The moisture content of a fabric, which can increase during its wearing, may decrease the fabric's capability of protecting the skin from solar UV radiation, that is, lower its UPF (ultraviolet protection factor). Due to limited data about the effect of fabric wetness on UPF, this study was undertaken to investigate the following: (a) the effect of saturating a variety of fabrics with tap water and with salt water on fabric UPF and (b) whether wetted-fabric UPF values reflect only the fact that the fabric is wet during testing or the fact that the skin is hydrated and the fabric is wet.

Low-dose ultraviolet A1 phototherapy for extragenital lichen sclerosus: results of a preliminary study.

Background: Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease in which numerous therapies have been used, with only limited success. Because low-dose UVA1 phototherapy has been shown to be an effective treatment option for localized scleroderma, which shares several similar clinical and histologic features with LS, we initiated a clinical trial with this phototherapeutic modality in patients with LS.

Methods: Ten patients suffering from extragenital LS were treated with low-dose UVA1 phototherapy 4 times weekly with single UVA1 doses of 20 J/cm(2).