Nail Unit Blue Nevi: A 11-Case Series and Review of the Literature.

Background: Blue nevus of the nail apparatus is a rare entity and only isolated cases are reported in the literature.

Objective: The aim of this study was to better characterize blue nevus at the nail unit.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of all nail unit blue nevi from the Nail Group of the French Society of Dermatology was compared to the literature.

Treatment of Ingrowing Toenails With Phenol 88% or Trichloroacetic Acid 100%: A Comparative, Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind Study.

Background: Phenol is the gold standard for chemical matricectomy in ingrowing toenail. Recently, trichloroacetic acid (TCA) was used as cauterant. Both agents have high success rates but a postoperative healing time claimed to be faster for TCA rather than phenol.

Diagnosis using nail matrix.

Diagnosing nail matrix diseases requires knowledge of the nail matrix function and anatomy. This allows recognition of the clinical manifestations and assessment of potential surgical risk. Nail signs depend on the location within the matrix (proximal or distal) and the intensity, duration, and extent of the insult.

Nail tumors.

Most neoplasms of the nail apparatus have different clinical appearances, courses, and biological behaviors as compared with similar tumors located elsewhere on the skin. Some of these tumors are unique to the nail, such as onychomatricoma. As a general rule, benign lesions respect the general architecture of the nail apparatus, whereas malignant ones are destructive.

Associated pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum diutinum, and Sweet's syndrome: the concept of neutrophilic disease.

Background: The association of three neutrophilic dermatoses supports the concept of "neutrophilic disease" as a syndrome representing a continuous spectrum of clinical entities.

Results: This report describes three neutrophilic pathologies arising in the same patient, in association with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis. The successive occurrence of erythema elevatum diutinum, pyoderma gangrenosum, and Sweet's syndrome illustrates the concept of "neutrophilic disease" developed by Wallach et al.

Chronicle of a pigmented superficial Basal cell carcinoma.

Dermoscopic patterns of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are well defined, but the dynamics of dermoscopic changes in time were apparently never described so far. In this paper, prominent changes were observed over a 8-week period, allowing to establish a close connection between spoke wheel areas and maple leaf-like aspects, through progressive thickening of the former ones. A chronobiological phenomenon ruling synchronous apoptosis in some of the most superficial BCC nests is suggested, leading to a wax and wane process of millimetric crusts, taking part in the spontaneous BCC regression/progression process.

[A pin-point pattern of rapid occurrence on the skin of adolescents].

In some instances, a dermatosis exhibits a rapid and focal surge of seemingly similar tiny lesions. We report a few typical exemples occurring in adolescents.

Dynamics of skin barrier repair following preconditioning by a biotechnology-driven extract from samphire (Crithmum maritimum) stem cells.

Background:   With aging, the barrier repair kinetics following any weakening of the epidermal permeability barrier function is commonly slowed down.

Objective:   To assess the recovery rate of the epidermal permeability barrier function following controlled stripping and applications of samphire and control formulations.

Method:   In 12 healthy subjects older than 50 years, controlled stratum corneum (SC) strippings were used to increase the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) just above 15 g/m(2) /h.

[How I explore ... the diagnosis of syphilis].

The versatility of the clinical presentations of syphilis is large. A laboratory diagnosis is required in any case where a clinical assumption is raised. Two main diagnostic methods are available according to the lesion aspects and the staging of the disease.

Vulvar basal cell carcinoma: report of a case involving the mucosa and review of the literature.

We report the case of woman who presented a vulvar basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the inner part of the labium majus, treated with local resection. Vulvar BCC is a rare cancer but can be long misdiagnosed due to a non-specific presentation. Though even rarer, BCC involving the mucosal side of the labium majus has to be considered in the differential diagnosis of the vulvar tumors.

[Behind the scenes of breast cancer].

A 55 year-old women presented with lesions simulating cysts of the scalp. The dermatopathological examination revealed a metastasis of a breast adenocarcinoma. At the diagnosis disclosure, the patient recognized having concealed for 7 years a neoplastic wound replacing one of her breasts.

The appearance of angiolipomatosis after using laptop computer on the thighs: a relationship?

A 56-year-old patient developed angiolipomatosis of the anterior part of the thighs after repeated laptop contact localisation. Histological findings exhibit an unusual inflammatory infiltrate. We postulate that the computer could favour lipoma development by a physiopathological mechanism that remains to be clarified.

Recent trends in specular light reflectance beyond clinical fluorescence diagnosis.

Under specific light illumination, particularly ultraviolet (UV) and near-UV light stimulation, the skin produces both specular light reflectance and, possibly, specific fluorescent emission. These properties offer diagnostic clues and disclose some peculiar functions of the skin. A series of superficial infections (erythrasma, some tinea capitis types, tinea/pityriasis versicolor, dermatophytoses, etc.

[Chilblains, differential diagnosis and risk factors].

Chilblain results from environmental nonfreezing cold exposure. It is a localized inflammatory lesion most frequently localized on the toes and fingers. Chilblains are often idiopathic, but they may be part of lupus erythematosus.

Intense pulsed-light therapy for proliferative haemangiomas of infancy.

Infantile haemangioma therapy has long been a wait-and-see policy. Since recent development of laser and light therapy, pulsed dye laser has been successfully used for treating superficial haemangiomas. Few studies have been published about treatment with intense pulsed light (IPL) to assess the risk/benefit of IPL in the treatment of infantile haemangiomas during their early proliferative phase.

Photodynamic therapy for multi-resistant cutaneous Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare group of proliferative disorders. Beside cutaneous involvement, other internal organs can be affected. The treatment of cutaneous lesions is difficult and relies on topical corticosteroids, carmustine, nitrogen mustard, and photochemotherapy.

[Pruritus, a frequent worry].

Pruritus is a frequent symptom expressed locally or generalized. Its origin may be found locally in the skin or may prove to be systemic. The clinical examination and history are important in the establishment of the etiologic diagnosis which governs the treatment.

[When creams turn into a burden].

Topical treatment is the cornerstone of therapy for patients suffering from psoriasis. Its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in a large number of publications. However, in daily life, the treatment outcome is often less satisfactory than the results published in the literature.