Neurocutaneous disease: Neurocutaneous dysesthesias.

Dysesthesia is a generic term for a cutaneous symptom--such as pruritus, burning, tingling, stinging, anesthesia, hypoesthesia, tickling, crawling, cold sensation, or even pain--without a primary cutaneous condition in a well-defined location that is often caused by nerve trauma, impingement, or irritation. There are multiple types of dysesthesias depending on the body location and the nerves involved. While location, exact symptoms, and etiologies might vary, the underlying theme is that these conditions are of neurologic origin and have dermatologic consequences.

Neurocutaneous disease: Cutaneous neuroanatomy and mechanisms of itch and pain.

Few sources of information exist regarding cutaneous innervation and how to apply this basic neurologic science to the clinical treatment of itch, as often performed on a daily basis by dermatologists. We address the types of nerve fibers that innervate the skin and their different components and discuss the similarities and differences between itch and pain. We hope that increased knowledge of this topic will improve the recognition and treatment of neuropathic itch.

Acquired epidermodysplasia verruciformis in a child with atopic dermatitis.

A 4-year-old girl with an established diagnosis of atopic dermatitis, previously severe and treated with cyclosporine, developed widespread papules that demonstrated changes consistent with epidermodysplasia verruciformis on biopsy. Human papilloma virus (HPV) typing was performed and was consistent with epidermodysplasia verruciformis-type HPV (type 5). These lesions rapidly resolved with a 2-week course of imiquimod.

Nonuremic calciphylaxis associated with histologic changes of pseudoxanthoma elasticum.

Calciphylaxis is a rare condition characterized by medial calcification of small- and medium-sized vessels that subsequently leads to ischemic necrosis. Calciphylaxis most often occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism. We present a unique case of calciphylaxis in which the patient did not have end-stage renal disease.