[Corneofungimetry: A bioassay for dermato-mycology.].

Corneofungimetry is a bioassay in dermatomycology evaluating the antifungal effect of drugs. It is based on the method of culture of fungi on human stratum corneum harvested by cyanoacrylate skin surface strippings. Using corneofungimetry, it is possible to establish a classification of topical antifungals according to their spectrum of activity and their fungitoxicity.

Familial Kufs' disease presenting as a progressive myoclonic epilepsy.

Kufs' disease is the adult form of a group of disorders referred to as neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis or Batten's disease. We report here the clinical and anatomopathological features of two young brothers presenting with a progressive myoclonic epilepsy corresponding to type A of the disease according to Berkovic. The first clinical manifestations occurred before 20 years of age.

Treatment of onychomycosis: traditional approaches.

Fungal infections account for approximately 20% of all nail diseases, and the incidence of onychomycosis is increasing. Traditional therapies are often ineffective. The activity, clinical efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and patient acceptability of griseofulvin and ketoconazole, the two "traditional" oral agents, are reviewed and compared with two new agents, terbinafine and itraconazole.

Structure of the dermis in type VIIC Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

This report is the first to study histological, immunopathological, ultrastructural, and morphometric aspects of the abnormal structure of the dermis in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, type VIIc. This disease, resulting from a defect in procollagen peptidase, resembles dermatosparaxis in animals. Dermal cells were abnormal in many aspects, including their large number, their strong argent affinity, and the occasional presence of oligocilia.

CD68 and factor XIIIa expressions in granular-cell tumor of the skin.

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic studies support a Schwann cell origin for most of the granular-cell tumors of the skin. We studied 9 granular-cell tumors by immunohistochemistry, using antibodies to CD68, S-100 proteins, factor XIIIa, L1 antigen, desmin and vimentin. The CD68 monocyte-macrophage-associated lysosomal antigen was expressed in granular cells which however had no Mac 387 reactivity.

Nuclear planimetry and DNA flow cytometry of verruga peruana.

Verruga peruana is a vascular hyperplasia that is sometimes histologically mistaken for a malignant neoplasm. An infiltrative pattern with nuclear pleomorphism and mitoses is prominent in some lesions. From a series of lesions of verruga peruana, we selected five atypical lesions, two of them closely resembling epithelioid angiosarcoma.

Immunohistochemical identification of Penicillium marneffei by monoclonal antibody.

We present an experimental study on the immunohistochemical identification of Penicillium marneffei in paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue. The monoclonal antibody EB-A1 detects a specific galactomannan that appears to have at least one epitope identical in P. marneffei and Aspergillus sp.

Cutaneous manifestations in systemic trichosporonosis.

Trichosporonosis due to Trichosporon beigelii is increasingly recognized in neutropenic immunocompromised patients. We report the clinical and histological presentation of three cases, as well as a study of the prevalence of T. beigelii colonization of normal-looking skin in patients receiving intensive chemotherapy for cancer.

Oral cyclosporin and alopecia areata.

A 30-year-old woman with severe alopecia areata of the scalp was treated with oral cyclosporin for 3 months. Clinical, histological and immunohistochemical assessments failed to reveal any improvement.

Dendrocytes in verruga peruana and bacillary angiomatosis.

Verruga peruana and bacillary angiomatosis are two cutaneous diseases characterized by angiomatous growths linked to the presence of rickettsia-like organisms. These lesions are currently considered to be endothelial hyperplasias and to share many features. By immunohistochemistry and computerized image analysis, we studied the presence of factor-XIIIa-positive dendrocytes in these lesions and compared our data with similar research in capillary angiomas and normal skin.

Immunohistochemical expression of galactomannan in the cytoplasm of phagocytic cells during invasive aspergillosis.

The monoclonal antibody EB-A1 to galactomannan is apparently specific for detecting Aspergillus species and Penicillium marneffei in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. It reveals hyphae, remnants of filaments, and organisms in the cytoplasm of some phagocytic cells.

[Immunohistochemistry of Borrelia type spirochetes].

We have looked for the presence of Borrelias by immunohistochemistry in cutaneous biopsies taken from patients with positive Borrelia serology. We used the monoclonal antibody "P41 Borrelia burgdorferi flagellin". We found Borrelias in the dermis of Pick-Herxheimer disease (3/3), erythema chronicum migrans (6/9), lymphocytoma (1/3), and morpheas (2/5).

Immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptors in nuclei of a subpopulation of keratinocytes and sweat gland cells.

We have raised a polyclonal antibody to the 170-kD epidermal growth factor receptor. We found an intercellular pattern of immunoreactivity in the epidermis as well as a positivity of the cytoplasm of keratinocytes and eccrine secretory cells. In some samples, a nuclear labelling was evidenced in these type of cells.

Dermal dendrocytes and photochemotherapy.

We studied the fate of dermal dendrocytes in patients treated with psoralens and ultraviolet light by combining immunohistochemistry and computerized image analysis. Factor-XIIIa-positive dermal dendrocytes were found to be altered in these patients. When compared with controls, dermal dendrocytes were often increased in number and had an uneven size and tissue distribution.

Histogenesis of recurrent nevus.

We report an immunohistochemical study of eight cases of recurrent nevi. S-100 protein-positive and Factor XIIIa-negative fibroblast-like cells were found in and around the scar. Some cells were adjacent to vessels whereas others were dispersed in the fibrotic tissue.

Early dermato-pathological signs during bath-PUVA therapy.

The combination of trioxsalen bath and long-wave UV-A is used in dermatology to treat selected patients with psoriasis. Such treatment induces side effects whose clinical aspects have already been described. We report the histological aspects of these lesions.