'HPV vulvitis' revisited: frequent and persistent detection of novel epidermodysplasia verruciformis-associated HPV genotypes.

Background: 'Human papillomavirus (HPV) vulvitis' is a disputed entity where most studies examining for genital-mucosal (GM) HPV have been negative.

Methods: Using degenerate and type specific primers for cutaneous (CU), GM and epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) HPV types, the prevalence of specific HPV types was investigated in biopsy specimens from 19 women with 'HPV vulvitis', seven with asymptomatic vulvar squamous papillomatosis (ASxVSP), and controls of vulvar fibroepithelial polyps (FEP) (15), vulvar condyloma (10) and normal vulva (NV) (10).

Results: HPV DNA/EV HPV/GM HPV/CU HPV were detected in 84/74/47/5% of vulvitis patients, 78/71/0/28% of ASxVSP, 47/20/20/7% of FEP, 10/10%/0/0 of NV and 100/0/100/10% of condyloma.

Molecular diagnostics in melanoma.

Molecular pathology is rapidly evolving, featuring continuous technologic improvements that offer novel clinical opportunities for the recognition of disease predisposition, for identifying sub-clinical disease, for more accurate diagnosis, for selecting efficacious and non-toxic therapy, and for monitoring of disease outcome. Currently, the identification and prognosis of primary cutaneous melanoma is based on histologic factors (tumor depth and ulceration) and clinical factors (number of lymph node and/or distant metastases). However, metastasis can occur in patients with thin melanomas, and sentinel lymph node biopsy does not identify all patients at risk for distant metastasis.

Malignant melanoma 2003: predisposition, diagnosis, prognosis, and staging.

The incidence and mortality of melanoma has seemed to level off for certain groups after a steady increase during the last 50 years. This trend is suspected to be secondary to education efforts aimed at prevention and better detection and removal of thin, biologically benign melanomas. Since no effective systemic therapies exist for metastatic melanoma, early detection and removal of thin melanomas offer the best chance of cure.

Alopecia areata universalis in an infant.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is common during childhood and rarely reported in infants. The four reported cases of AA in infants all exhibited circumscribed patches of alopecia that appeared at birth or shortly thereafter.

Objective: We report a case of alopecia areata universalis that developed after birth along with fingernail changes of shortening (onychomadesis) and onycholysis.