Evaluation of the acceptance and efficacy of a bespoke sun protection package for persons with oculocutaneous albinism living in Malawi.

Introduction: Skin cancer is the main cause of death in persons with albinism (PWA) in Africa. Education would minimize sun damage.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and acceptance of a photoprotection educative and sunscreen (Umozi Max) package designed for PWA in reducing sunburns and skin cancer.

In situ production of ROS in the skin by photodynamic therapy as a powerful tool in clinical dermatology.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinical modality of photochemotherapy based on the accumulation of a photosensitizer in target cells and subsequent irradiation of the tissue with light of adequate wavelength promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and cell death. PDT is used in several medical specialties as an organ-specific therapy for different entities. In this review we focus on the current dermatological procedure of PDT.

Whisker Hair (Acquired Progressive Kinking of the Hair): An Indication for Finasteride 1 mg?

Acquired progressive kinking of the hair (APKH) and whisker hair are relatively rare conditions. To our knowledge, fewer than 25 cases have been reported in the English literature. We present the case of a 23-year-old man whose hair on the parietal and occipital areas changed and turned curlier and shorter.

Mosaic Activating Mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ Are Associated with Phakomatosis Pigmentovascularis and Extensive Dermal Melanocytosis.

Common birthmarks can be an indicator of underlying genetic disease but are often overlooked. Mongolian blue spots (dermal melanocytosis) are usually localized and transient, but they can be extensive, permanent, and associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. Co-occurrence with vascular birthmarks defines a subtype of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, a group of syndromes associated with neurovascular, ophthalmological, overgrowth, and malignant complications.

Phacomatosis pigmentokeratotica is caused by a postzygotic HRAS mutation in a multipotent progenitor cell.

Phacomatosis pigmentokeratotica (PPK) is a rare epidermal nevus syndrome characterized by the co-occurrence of a sebaceous nevus and a speckled lentiginous nevus. The coexistence of an epidermal and a melanocytic nevus has been explained by two homozygous recessive mutations, according to the twin spot hypothesis, of which PPK has become a putative paradigm in humans. However, the underlying gene mutations remained unknown.

Recurrence of infantile hemangiomas treated with propranolol.

Propranolol has shown to be effective in the treatment of infantile hemangiomas (IH), but several cases of recurrences have been reported so far. We describe five cases of IH recurrence after propranolol treatment was stopped in 26 patients treated with propranolol all of whom were observed for at least 9 months after treatment was discontinued. Recurrence was present in 5 of 26 cases, yielding a recurrence rate of 19%.

Hypocellular medallion-like dermal dendrocyte hamartoma (plaque-like CD34-positive dermal fibroma).

Medallion-like dermal dendrocyte hamartoma (MLDDH) is a recently described congenital dermal neoplasm. Only 11 cases have been reported in the English literature and therefore its clinical and pathological manifestations are not completely defined. We report the case of a 20-year-old male presenting with a round, erythematous, atrophic plaque on the midline of the anterior aspect of the neck.

Photodynamic therapy reduces the histological features of actinic damage and the expression of early oncogenic markers.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been shown to be effective in treating nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), especially actinic keratosis (AK). Moreover, there is sufficient evidence of its effectiveness in preventing the appearance of premalignant and malignant lesions in organ transplant recipients.

Objectives: To describe the molecular and genetic changes underlying this preventive effect.

Propranolol for infantile hemangiomas.

Propranolol has been used successfully in a limited number of children with infantile hemangiomas. This multicenter retrospective study describes the efficacy and adverse effects of propranolol in infantile hemangioma. Seventy-one infants with infantile hemangiomas were treated with oral propranolol, 1 mg/kg/12 hours, for at least 12 weeks.

Facial capillary malformation and Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome.

Described here is the case of a girl with a reticulated capillary malformation on the right side of her face, along with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome, as evidenced by microphthalmia and severe associated anomalies in the right eye, and right cerebral hemispheric atrophy and cerebral arteries malformations. Capillary malformations are a novel finding for children with Dyke-Davidoff-Masson syndrome.

Expression of p53 and p16 in actinic keratosis, bowenoid actinic keratosis and Bowen's disease.

Introduction: Bowen's disease (BD) and bowenoid actinic keratosis (bAK) have traditionally been differentiated according to the presence or absence of dysplasia in the follicular epithelium. p16 has been suggested to be a useful tool to make the differential diagnosis between BD and AK and as a marker of bad prognosis.

Materials: Five biopsies of BD, five of AK and five of bAK where stained for p53 and p16.

Oncogenic H-Ras and PI3K signaling can inhibit E-cadherin-dependent apoptosis and promote cell survival after photodynamic therapy in mouse keratinocytes.

Maintenance of E-cadherin mediated cell-cell contacts is often required for the survival of epithelial cells and tissues. Here we report that oncogenic activation of H-Ras in murine keratinocytes can prevent cell death induced by immunological disruption of E-cadherin adhesion. A similar situation was observed in cells showing constitutive activation of the p110 alpha catalytic subunit of class IA PI3K.

Venous malformation of the eyelid treated with pulsed-dye-1064-nm neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet sequential laser: an effective and safe treatment.

Venous malformations of the skin and subcutaneous tissue are compressible, blue-purple tumors that are present at birth. According to the location and symptoms caused, venous malformations can be treated with surgery, sclerotherapy, or a combination of both. Laser therapy can also be used, especially when surgery is contraindicated.