Publications by authors named "Nehal K"

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare cutaneous soft tissue sarcoma and affects an estimated 1,500 people annually in the United States. DFSP frequently exhibits extensive local infiltration. Initial treatment is through surgical excision, and care should be taken to ensure that negative margins are achieved to minimize recurrence.

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Melanoma of the lentigo maligna (LM) type is most commonly located on the head and neck region. This subtype of melanoma poses surgical challenges due to its location on anatomically sensitive areas and frequent presence of subclinical extension. To analyze the reconstruction patterns of LM patients undergoing margin-controlled surgery.

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Melanoma of the lentigo maligna (LM) type and its invasive counterpart, lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), occur in chronically sun-damaged skin and tend to have subclinical extension that makes presurgical margin mapping challenging. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a non-invasive imaging modality that enables in vivo visualization of the skin at the cellular level, allowing for adequate estimation of LM/LMM margins. We aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating RCM's performance compared with histopathology in margin mapping of LM/LMM.

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Article Synopsis
  • - PDEMA, previously known as CCPDMA, allows for complete histologic visualization of tumor margins, which helps in accurately removing cancerous tissue while preserving healthy tissue.
  • - It is the preferred treatment method by NCCN for certain skin cancers due to its high cure rates, with Mohs micrographic surgery being the most common PDEMA technique used in the U.S.
  • - The article discusses the differences between Mohs and Tubingen PDEMA techniques, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between surgeons and pathologists, and includes a step-by-step Tubingen protocol with visual aids.
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Background: In outbreak-prone settings, community-based surveillance (CBS) systems can alert health authorities to respond in a timely manner where suspected cases of disease are being reported. After the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak, the WHO and other stakeholders supported the establishment of CBS in Sierra Leone, for which community health workers (CHW) were trained to collect and report symptoms data of 11 priority health conditions in their communities. Our study objective was to assess feasibility and challenges to sustain CBS in a low resource setting as part of a World Bank evaluation of Sierra Leone's Ministry of Health and Sanitation's (MoHS) CBS and electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance & Response (eIDSR) systems.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focuses on establishing Minimal Important Difference (MID) estimates for the FACE-Q Skin Cancer Module, a tool to measure patient outcomes after facial skin cancer surgery.
  • Conducted at four U.S. hospitals from April 2020 to April 2022, 990 patients undergoing Mohs Micrographic Surgery provided data through various scales assessing satisfaction and distress at multiple time points.
  • The findings indicated specific MID estimates for the scales, which are key for improving the understanding and application of patient-reported outcomes in clinical settings.
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Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical δ-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has efficacy in treating basal cell carcinoma (BCC) but is limited by incomplete penetration of ALA into the deeper dermis. This prospective open-label pilot trial investigated the safety and efficacy of photosensitizer jet injection for PDT (JI-PDT) for BCC treatment. It was performed with 15 patients (n = 15) with histologically confirmed, untreated, low-risk nodular BCCs at a single institution.

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The NCCN Guidelines for Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) provide recommendations for diagnostic workup, clinical stage, and treatment options for patients. The panel meets annually to discuss updates to the guidelines based on comments from expert review from panel members, institutional review, as well as submissions from within NCCN and external organizations. These NCCN Guidelines Insights focus on the introduction of a new page for locally advanced disease in the setting of clinical node negative status, entitled "Clinical N0 Disease, Locally Advanced MCC.

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Background: Amid a movement toward value-based healthcare, increasing emphasis has been placed on outcomes and cost of medical services. To define and demonstrate the quality of services provided by Mohs surgeons, it is important to identify and understand the key aspects of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) that contribute to excellence in patient care.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to develop and identify a comprehensive list of metrics in an initial effort to define excellence in MMS.

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Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) images skin lesions noninvasively at quasi-histological resolution. RCM has improved the diagnosis of skin neoplasms, and recently acquired billing codes in the USA. However, reading RCM images requires training, imposing a major barrier to its widespread adoption.

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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer in the United States. Due to the high frequency, BCC occurrences are not typically recorded, and annual rates of incidence can only be estimated. Current estimated rates are 2 million Americans affected annually, and this continues to rise.

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Background: Lentigo maligna (LM) can mimic benign, flat, pigmented lesions and can be challenging to diagnose.

Objective: To describe a new dermatoscopic feature termed "perifollicular linear projections (PLP)" as a diagnostic criterion for LM on the face.

Methods: Retrospective study on reflectance confocal microscopy and dermatoscopy images of flat facial pigmented lesions originating from 2 databases.

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Introduction: Melanoma of the lentigo maligna (LM) type is challenging. There is lack of consensus on the optimal diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

Objectives: To obtain general consensus on the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up for LM.

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Background: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the ear is associated with poor outcomes. No studies have evaluated current staging system performance in this specific location.

Objective: Describe clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of ear cSCC and evaluate the performance of current staging systems.

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Purpose: Keratinocyte carcinomas are amenable to many treatments, including radiation therapy (RT). Electronic skin surface brachytherapy (ESSB) enables the precise delivery of radiation without radioisotopes. In this prospective multicenter clinical trial, we characterized early outcomes of ESSB prospectively through both patient- and clinician-reported measures.

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Mohs histotechs are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) due to repetitive motions, forceful exertions, and fixed postures required for their work. Psychosocial factors such as perceptions of pressure to achieve deadlines may exacerbate risk of occupational injury. To assess the prevalence of and risk factors for WRMSD in Mohs histotechs, an online survey was created using literature review, expert opinion, and two validated instruments (the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory) and distributed to Mohs histotechs.

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