The Dabska tumor: a thirty-year retrospect.

The Dabska tumor is a rare low-grade angiosarcoma also known as malignant endovascular papillary angioendothelioma of childhood. It primarily affects the skin of children and has a distinctive histologic pattern of anastomosing vascular channels with intravascular papillary outpouchings projecting, sometimes, in a glomerulus-like pattern, into a lumen lined by atypical columnar endothelial cells. Since its original description 30 years ago by one of us, knowledge in this area has expanded.

[Granuloma annulare and carpal tunnel syndrome].

This is a report of 4 cases of cutaneous granuloma annulare associated with carpal-tunnel syndrome. Biopsies of skin lesions and carpal flexor synovialis both show a picture of palisading granuloma consistent with granuloma annulare.

Studies of laminin and type IV collagen in blisters of porphyria cutanea tarda and drug-induced pseudoporphyria.

Blisters from five patients with porphyria cutanea tarda and two patients with drug-induced pseudoporphyria were examined by direct immunofluorescence and by immunofluorescence mapping with antibodies against laminin and type IV collagen to determine the level of subepidermal separation. Primary screening by direct immunofluorescence revealed the characteristic immune deposits in the vessel walls of the upper dermal plexus in all cases and at the dermoepidermal junction in five of seven cases. Type IV collagen and laminin were reactive in six and five cases, respectively, and appeared in the floor of the bulla.

Neurofibrosarcoma of skin and subcutaneous tissues.

In this report, we describe 13 cases of primary neurofibrosarcoma of the skin. The tumor presumably arises from small cutaneous nerves, is locally aggressive, and has a potential for metastasis. Characteristic histopathologic features include proliferating atypical spindle cells with slender wavy and pointed nuclei; hypocellular areas with loose, myxoid stroma; and areas of organoid organization such as palisading, whorly, storiform, and tactile body-like formations.

Lichen planus.

The typical early lesion is a polygonal, flat-topped, shiny papule. In the later stages, fine scales may appear on the surfaces of the lesions. Histopathologic examination may aid in differential diagnosis.