Vulvar syringomas in a 9-year-old child with review of the literature.

Syringomas are benign tumors of the eccrine sweat gland that are most common to the periorbital location. Less common and under-recognized is their potential involvement of the vulvar skin, where they may cause significant pruritus. In this location, lesions often develop just prior to or during puberty, with symptoms of pruritus sometimes correlating with pregnancy or menstruation.

Reticulate Hyperpigmentation secondary to 5-fluorouracil and idarubicin.

Although cutaneous reactions from antineoplastic therapy are common, a reticulate pattern of hyperpigmentation has not been frequently reported in the literature. We report 2 cases of reticulate hyperpigmentation associated with cancer chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and idarubicin. These 2 cases serve to raise awareness of this particular pattern of hyperpigmentation as a potential side effect of chemotherapeutic regimens.

Advancement flaps: a basic theme with many variations.

Background: The advancement flap involves the linear advancement of tissue in one direction. Despite its straightforwardness and simple concept, it can be used to close a variety of defects, ranging from small defects on the scalp or extremities to large, complicated defects involving cosmetic units on the face.

Objectives: To provide a basic and useful review for the indications, advantages, disadvantages, and techniques for the use of advancement flaps in the reconstruction of defects in dermatologic surgery.

Unusual infectious complications of dermatologic procedures.

Because dermatologic procedures disrupt skin integrity, they alter the body's protective barrier and predispose individuals to cutaneous infection. Postoperative wound infections--even with common pathogens such as S. aureus--seldom complicate dermatologic procedures; however, unusual infections have been reported to complicate excisions, biopsies, skin grafts, chemical peels, dermabrasion, laser resurfacing, liposuction, blepharoplasty, and injections (eg, with anesthetic solutions or botulinum toxin).

On glomus tumors, warts, and razors.

Background: Occam's razor encourages ascribing a set of clinical findings to a single diagnosis.

Objective: To present a patient with a subungual wart and a glomus tumor of the same nail unit and to review the literature regarding these conditions.

Methods: We describe a 58-year-old female with a 2-year history of nail dystrophy and related symptoms that were initially attributed to verruca but recalcitrant to extensive therapies.

The cutaneous manifestations of HIV infection.

Dermatologic disease is extremely common and varied in HIV-infected patients. While some cutaneous findings are nearly exclusive to HIV-seropositive individuals, many are found in the general population. However, HIV-infected individuals often have an increased prevalence or severity, atypical presentations, or difficulty with treatment of the disease.