Laser resurfacing.

In a society desiring images of beauty and youthfulness, the world of cutaneous surgery offers the gifts of facial rejuvenation for those determined to combat the signs of aging. With the development of novel laser and plasma technology, pigmentary changes, scarring, and wrinkles can be conquered providing smoother, healthier, younger-looking skin. This review highlights five of the most popular resurfacing technologies in practice today including the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) laser, the erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser, combination resurfacing, fractional photothermolysis, and plasma resurfacing.

Traumatic keratoacanthoma arising in a 15-year-old boy following a motor vehicle accident.

Keratoacanthomas appear most commonly in sun-damaged skin in middle-aged and elderly people. We present a 15-year-old boy who developed a rapidly growing nodule within a hypertrophic scar that was the result of trauma suffered in a roll-over motor vehicle accident 8 months prior to presentation. Histologic analysis of a biopsy specimen of the nodule confirmed the presence of squamous cell carcinoma, keratoacanthoma type.

Case reports: successful treatment of Mycobacterium marinum infection with minocycline after complication of disease by delayed diagnosis and systemic steroids.

Mycobacterium marinum, an aerobic, non-tuberculous, environmental mycobacterium, is the etiologic agent responsible for "fish tank granuloma." Found in aquatic environments, particularly where water is relatively still or stagnant, M. marinum produces infection in fish, as well as humans.

Recurrent inflammatory pseudotumors in children.

Background/purpose: pulmonary (PPT) and extrapulmonary pseudotumors (EPPT) are uncommon benign tumors, which, in general, do not recur after complete resection. Recurrence rates for both types of pseudotumors are undocumented in a large population of children, and the salient features of potential recurrences are unspecified.

Methods: This is a report of 15 children with PPT and EPPT; 3 children had a recurrence.

Spectrum of anorectal anomalies in pygopagus twins.

Background/purpose: The literature lacks a concise description of the anorectal anomalies encountered in pygopagus twins.

Methods: This is a retrospective literature review of 34 pygopagus twins highlighting their anorectal malformations.

Results: Overall pygopagus twins represent 17% of all conjoined twins.