Mid-dermal elastolysis: a pathological and ultrastructural study of five cases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of inflammatory phenomena and elastic fiber phagocytosis in mid-dermal elastolysis. The pathological and ultrastructural features of 5 Caucasian female patients (ranging from 26 to 40 years) with acquired diffuse asymptomatic areas of skin wrinkling have been reviewed. The clinical features of all cases were characteristic of this condition and only in one patient were erythematous urticaria-like, non pruriginous patches also observed.

Growth factor production after polytetrafluoroethylene and vein arterial grafting: an experimental study.

Purpose: Occlusion caused by myointimal hyperplasia appears to be the main reason of late failure of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) arterial bypass grafts. Evidence exists that growth factors are involved in the genesis of myointimal hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to assess the release of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and basic fibroblastic growth factor (bFGF) by PTFE arterial grafts.

Pigmented and hyperkeratotic napkin dermatitis: a liquid detergent irritant dermatitis.

Background: Napkin or diaper dermatitis (DD) is an inflammatory cutaneous eruption limited to the diaper area and common in the first 2 years of life. A number of clinical variants of DD have been identified.

Objective: We report a new variant of DD characterized by papyraceous skin, brownish discoloration and predilection for the depth of folds.

Sacral medial telangiectatic vascular nevus: a study of 43 children.

Background: Medial telangiectatic vascular nevi are capillary vascular malformations frequently observed at birth occurring mostly on the face or on the nape as a single lesion or as multiple macules affecting more than one site simultaneously. In 1990, Metzker and Shamir reported a medial telangiectatic vascular nevus (MTVN) in the sacral region along the midline and called this particular variety of MTVN 'butterfly-shaped mark'.

Objective: Our study was performed to investigate the morphology and localization of an MTVN in the sacral region (sMTVN) in a group of Caucasian children.

The degree of porosity influences the release of growth factors by healing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the influence of the degree of porosity on the release of growth factors (PDGF AA, PDGF BB, bFGF) by healing PTFE grafts.

Design And Setting: Laboratory animal study.

Materials: 1 cm long segments of non-reinforced PTFE grafts (30 microns fibril length, 2 mm internal diameter, 0.

Genital porokeratosis of Mibelli.

Porokeratosis of Mibelli is a disorder of epidermal proliferation in which many different clinical forms can be distinguished. Two male patients with a localized type of porokeratosis limited to the genitalia are reported. Later in life they developed an annular skin lesion with peripheral keratotic ridge.

bFGF release is dependent on flow conditions in experimental vein grafts.

Objectives: Basic Fibroblastic Growth Factor (bFGF) is a powerful mitogen for smooth muscle cells and has been implicated in the genesis of Myointimal hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to determine the release of bFGF by veins in different haemodynamic conditions.

Design And Setting: Laboratory animal study.

Vulvitis plasmacellularis: two new cases.

Vulvitis chronica plasmacellularis or Zoon's vulvitis is a rare benign circumscribed inflammation of the vulvar mucosa. It is found in women ranging in age from 26 to 70 years. Shiny, macular erythematous lesions, which are irregular in shape and sharply marginated are usually observed.

Keratosis lichenoides chronica: a pediatric case.

Keratosis lichenoides chronica (KLC) is a rare chronic disorder of keratinization characterized by lichenoid hyperkeratotic papules arranged in a linear pattern, erythematosquamous plaques and seborrhea-like dermatitis on the face. Adults between 20 and 50 years of age are usually affected, but the disease is very uncommon in childhood. Our purpose was to study the clinical and histopathologic findings and course of KLC in one pediatric case.

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex associated with muscular dystrophy: a new case.

We report an infant with a rare form of epidermolysis bullosa simplex characterized by an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance, severe cutaneous involvement, oral and nail lesions, associated with muscular dystrophy, and a poor prognosis, due to extracutaneous disease. In addition to the usual presentation of this disease, our patient had severe anemia, with immature circulating white cells, and bone marrow histology suggestive of a pre-leukemic state, a finding which has not before been reported in the literature.

Trichomicosis pubis: black variety.

A case of a 25 year old man with the black variety of trichomicosis pubis is presented on account of its extreme rareity. Scanning electron microscopy confirms that trichomicosis pubis is caused by bacterial colonisation of the pubic hair and shows that bacteria are able to penetrate cuticular horny cells directly through their free plasma membrane.

Perianal streptococcal dermatitis associated with guttate psoriasis and/or balanoposthitis: a study of five cases.

Perianal streptococcal dermatitis (PSD) is a recently described cutaneous entity caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococci. It is characterized by perianal erythema, sometimes associated with functional disturbances. We describe four children (2 boys, 2 girls) who had acute guttate psoriasis and also PSD.

Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria associated with idiopathic torsion dystonia. A case report.

The authors report a case of a family in which a diagnosis of dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria was established by a clinical pattern of cutaneous lesions and by assessment of cellular DNA repair synthesis. The skin lesions were characterized by a mixture of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules and were localized on the back of the feet of three patients (two male brothers and one sister). All the patients also had small freckle-like pigmented macules on their face.

Pseudoxanthoma-elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis: another case.

Pseudoxanthoma-elasticum-like papillary dermal elastolysis is a rare acquired idiopathic non-inflammatory elastolytic disorder. This disease, described in aged females, is characterized by asymptomatic skin lesions of the neck and supraclavicular regions clinically resembling pseudoxanthoma elasticum. Histological and ultrastructural examinations show a total loss of the elastic fibres in the papillary dermis.

The effect of gamma-linolenic acid on clinical status, red cell fatty acid composition and membrane microviscosity in infants with atopic dermatitis.

A double blind placebo-controlled study of two doses of gamma-linolenic acid, provided by evening primrose oil (EPO, Epogam, Searle, U.K.), in children with atopic dermatitis was performed: 1) to examine the effect of gamma-linolenic acid administration on the clinical status of children with atopic dermatitis and abnormalities of IgE-mediated immune responses compared to those without such IgE abnormalities; 2) to investigate the effect of gamma-linolenic acid on red cell fatty acid composition and 3) to assess whether treatment with gamma-linolenic acid induced changes in red cell membrane microviscosity.

Symmetrical interdigital hyperkeratosis of the hands: a new case.

Congenital symmetrical interdigital hyperkeratosis is a rare disorder described by Frei in 1923, characterized by localized hyperkeratosis of the interdigital spaces of the hands and feet. The authors report the case of a 7-year-old girl affected by this condition. The skin hyperkeratotic lesions appeared localized exclusively to the interdigital spaces of the hands.

Cutis verticis gyrata secondary to acute monoblastic leukemia.

A 64-year-old man affected by acute monoblastic leukemia developed a cutis verticis gyrata during the terminal phase of hemopathy. The association between these two diseases is rare. The classification of cutis verticis gyrata in primary essential, primary non-essential and secondary forms is reviewed.

Palmoplantar keratoderma with sclerodactyly (Huriez syndrome).

A syndrome characterized by palmoplantar keratoderma, sclerodactyly, and skin cancer was first described in two families by Huriez et al. The pattern of inheritance was compatible with that of an autosomal dominant disorder. We report a patient with this condition and review the literature.