Unusual teeth in unusual places: Criteria for identifying teratomatous dental elements in archeological contexts.

Objective: This paper describes the dental elements (i.e., teeth and incomplete tooth-like structures) formed by mature cystic teratomas and provide some diagnostic criteria to aid in their paleopathological identification and analysis.

A case of oral foreign-body granuloma due to diatoms.

Diatoms are photosynthetic algae with a siliceous exoskeleton. Diatoms are utilized by a wide array of industries for applications such as filtration and pest control. Unsubstantiated claims have also propelled their societal reach to trendy oral and topical uses.

Amelanotic melanoma: a unique case study and review of the literature.

Amelanotic melanoma (AM) is a rare form of melanoma which lacks visible pigment. Due to the achromic manifestation of this atypical cutaneous malignancy, it has been difficult to establish clinical criteria for diagnosis. Thus, AM often progresses into an invasive disease due to delayed diagnosis.

Cutaneous Balamuthia mandrillaris infection as a precursor to Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE) in a healthy 84-year-old Californian.

Soil and freshwater-dwelling amoebae may opportunistically infect the skin and evoke a granulomatous dermatitis that camouflages their underlying morphology. Amoebic infestations are incredibly rare in the U.S.

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) caused by phenytoin.

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition with high mortality. Diagnosis is challenging due to variable clinical presentation and a protracted latency period following initiation of the offending drug. DRESS is a complex interplay that starts by introduction of the offending drug, reactivation of viruses and activation of the immune system.

High-Velocity Paint Gun Injuries.

Cutaneous injuries due to industrial high-pressure paint guns are well-documented in the literature; however, the histologic characteristics are uncommonly described, and facial involvement has not been previously reported. Histopathologic features of paint gun injuries vary depending on the time since injection and type of material. Early lesions display an acute neutrophilic infiltrate, edema, and thrombosis, with varying degrees of skin, fat, and muscle necrosis.

Neoplasm or not? General principles of morphologic analysis of dry bone specimens.

Unlike modern diagnosticians, a paleopathologist will likely have only skeletonized human remains without medical records, radiologic studies over time, microbiologic culture results, etc. Macroscopic and radiologic analyses are usually the most accessible diagnostic methods for the study of ancient skeletal remains. This paper recommends an organized approach to the study of dry bone specimens with reference to specimen radiographs.

Dermal Titanium Dioxide Deposition Associated With Intralesional Triamcinolone Injection.

Cutaneous discoloration secondary to dermal deposition of titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles is recognized but seldom reported in the literature. In this report, the authors describe the case of a 61-year-old gentleman, with a long history of alopecia areata, who presented with numerous, discrete dark blue macules on the scalp. Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis ultimately identified the macules as deposits of TiO2.

Giant Basal Cell Carcinomas Express Neuroactive Mediators and Show a High Growth Rate: A Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis of Etiopathogenic and Prognostic Factors.

Background: Giant basal cell carcinomas (GBCCs), (BCC ≥ 5 cm), are often painless, destructive tumors resulting from poorly understood patient neglect.

Objectives: To elucidate etiopathogenic factors distinguishing GBCC from basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and identify predictors for disease-specific death (DSD).

Methods: Case-control study examining clinicopathologic and neuroactive factors (β-endorphin, met-enkephalin, serotonin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and neurofilament expression) in GBCC and BCC.

Ischemic fasciitis: enhanced diagnostic resolution through clinical, histopathologic and radiologic correlation in 17 cases.

Ischemic fasciitis is a pseudosarcomatous nodule or mass resulting from sustained or repeated pressure and consequent ischemia of soft tissue. Fibrin and hemorrhage expand its hypocellular epicenter bordered by enlarged (atypical, ischemic) fibroblasts and reactive vascular prominence resulting in diagnostically important histologic zonation. Although classically in bedridden patients, ischemic fasciitis owing to posture-related intermittent pressure in ambulatory adults is not well characterized; there has not been a thorough review of its presentation in ambulatory patients in the dermatology/dermatopathology literature.

Mutations Affecting Keratin 10 Surface-Exposed Residues Highlight the Structural Basis of Phenotypic Variation in Epidermolytic Ichthyosis.

Epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI) due to KRT10 mutations is a rare, typically autosomal dominant, disorder characterized by generalized erythema and cutaneous blistering at birth followed by hyperkeratosis and less frequent blistering later in life. We identified two KRT10 mutations p.Q434del and p.

Pemphigus vulgaris in pregnancy.

We report the case of a 34-year-old woman who was diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) during pregnancy. The patient presented with widespread blistering dermatitis and associated burning and pruritus. At 6 weeks' gestation the patient was admitted to the hospital to expedite her diagnosis and initiate treatment.

Calcific periarthritis: more than a shoulder problem: a series of fifteen cases.

Background: Calcific periarthritis, referring to a circumscribed juxta-articular deposit of minute non-birefringent mineral grains, is rarely the clinical diagnosis accompanying a pathologic specimen. Familiarity with the clinical, pathologic, and radiologic manifestations of calcific periarthritis, particularly when encountered adjacent to joints other than the shoulder, facilitates diagnosis and may obviate biopsy, avoid confusion with other entities, and speed appropriate treatment.

Methods: Pathologic specimens that fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosis of calcific periarthritis were prospectively collected.

Mixed Pneumocystis and Cryptococcus cutaneous infection histologically mimicking xanthoma.

Cutaneous Pneumocystis jirovecii infection is rare. It is thought that the disease emerges from a latent infection delivered via hematogenous and/or lymphatic dissemination from a primary lung infection in immunocompromised individuals. A 32-year-old human immunodeficiency virus-positive male was admitted for headache and vomiting.

Conidiobolomycosis in a young Malaysian woman showing chronic localized fibrosing leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a case report and meta-analysis focusing on clinicopathologic and therapeutic correlations with outcome.

Background: Conidiobolomycosis (also known as rhinoentomophthoramycosis) is a rare cutaneous/mucosal fungal infection seen mainly in the tropical rain forest regions of the world that can be associated with disfiguring facial elephantiasis, and rarely, death.

Objective: To present an exemplary case report and perform a systematic review of the world's literature to more accurately describe the natural history and the effect of therapy on outcome in conidiobolomycosis.

Methods: Case report and meta-analysis of published case reports and series of conidiobolomycosis to determine which clinical, pathologic, mycologic, and treatment factors impact on prognosis.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid presenting as periauricular cystic nodules: a series of four cases.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma is a relatively common neoplasm of the major and minor salivary glands that can secondarily involve skin. In the vicinity of the ear lobe, mimicry of a benign cyst, both clinically and histopathologically is a diagnostic pitfall to avoid. The clinical manifestations, diagnostic histopathology, and clinical course of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the parotid gland presenting as a clinically benign periauricular cystic nodule in four patients ranging in age from 11 to 63 years, are analyzed in the present report.

Surfer's toe: trauma-induced idiopathic acro-osteolysis in the toes of a 46-year-old surfer: a case report.

Acquired acro-osteolysis (AOL) is defined as the resorption of bone from the tufts or shafts of the terminal phalanges. Acquired acro-osteolysis can manifest as a primary osteolysis syndrome and also appears in a number of disease states including rheumatologic disorders, neuropathic diseases, the result of prolonged exposure to polyvinyl chloride, and in rare cases, as a response to repeated mechanical stress. In this report, a 46-year-old surfer was evaluated for AOL as a complication of sports-related repetitive trauma to the right second and third toes.

Frontal sinus osteoma with osteoblastoma-like histology and associated intracranial pneumatocele.

Osteomas of the cranial sinuses are rare, benign bony tumors that can be complicated by the formation of an intracranial pneumatocele. If not treated promptly, a pneumatocele can lead to abscess formation, meningitis, or ventriculitis. In the present case, an intracerebral pneumatocele was formed when an 18 cm(3) osteoma breached the posterior wall of the frontal sinus creating a one-way valve through which air could enter the intracranial cavity.

Large neglected ulcerated melanoma mimicking extramedullary plasmacytoma.

Amelanotic melanoma, a renowned impersonator, has taken on a new persona. A 63-year-old woman was seen in the emergency room with a chief complaint of back pain after a fall and was discovered to have a 15-cm fungating mottled gray mass independent of bone on the right elbow. Initial workup discovered lytic calvarial lesions, anemia (Hb 7; Hct 20%), and circulating plasma cells consistent with plasma cell myeloma.

Digital dermatofibromas--common lesion, uncommon location: a series of 26 cases and review of the literature.

Dermatofibroma (DF), also referred to as cutaneous fibrous histiocytoma (CFH), is a common tumor of the skin presenting as a firm nodule located predominantly on the limbs and shoulder and pelvic girdles that often extends into superficial subcutaneous tissue. This is a retrospective study of 26 DFs located on digits. All case slides were retrieved from saved files for diagnostic verification.

Cutaneous metastasis of osteosarcoma in the scalp.

As a primary malignant bone tumor, osteosarcoma is second only to chondrosarcoma. Although it commonly metastasizes and is aggressive in nature, it rarely colonizes the skin. This is a report of a 22-year-old male with osteosarcoma of the pelvis and metastasis to the lungs and chest wall who developed a clinically unsuspected solitary cutaneous metastasis in the scalp.

Plastic bag clip discovered in partial colectomy accompanying proposal for phylogenic plastic bag clip classification.

A plastic bag clip was incidentally found anchored in the mucosa of a partial colectomy specimen 2.6 cm proximal to a ruptured diverticulum for which the patient, a mentally retarded, diabetic, 58-year-old man, underwent surgery. Over 20 cases of accidental ingestion of plastic bag clips have been published.