The Ram Relaxation Technique: A Painless Biopsy Method. A Shave Biopsy Approach Without Injectable Anesthesia or Needles.

Background: Shave skin biopsies are essential procedures wherein physicians diagnose dermatologic lesions. The protocol for skin biopsies entails a lidocaine/epinephrine injection. This study suggests an alternative, novel method of performing a shave biopsy that avoids pain, needles, and injectable anesthesia, termed the Ram Relaxation Technique (RRT).

Xanthoma disseminatum in a pair of blind, deaf male twins.

Xanthoma disseminatum (XD) is a rare normolipemic histiocytic disorder of non-Langerhans cell origin characterized by erythematous to tan/brown papules in flexor surfaces. Considered a generally benign, chronic disease of unknown etiology, XD typically affects the skin, mucous membranes, and less commonly, other organs. To date, there has been no typical or consistent inheritance pattern described, nor has it ever been considered as a component of any known syndrome.

Effects of ambient room temperature on cold air cooling during laser hair removal.

Forced air cooling is a well-established technique that protects the epidermis during laser heating of deeper structures, thereby allowing for increased laser fluences. The goal of this prospective study was to identify whether an elevation in ambient room temperature influences the efficacy of forced air cooling. Skin surface temperatures were measured on 24 sites (12 subjects) during cold air exposure in examination rooms with ambient temperatures of 72 degrees F (22.

Current and emerging therapeutic modalities for hyperhidrosis, part 1: conservative and noninvasive treatments.

Approximately 1% to 3% of the US population has hyperhidrosis (HH). HH can be an incapacitating medical condition because it not only hinders patient quality of life but also causes the secondary effect of excess cutaneous sweat. There is a broad spectrum of treatment modalities including topical and systemic therapies, iontophoresis, localized neuroinhibitory injections, and surgical interventions.

Current and emerging therapeutic modalities for hyperhidrosis, part 2: moderately invasive and invasive procedures.

Hyperhidrosis (HH) hinders patient quality of life and causes the secondary effect of excess cutaneous sweat. Treatment modalities include conservative and noninvasive therapies such as topical agents and iontophoresis. This article reviews moderately invasive and invasive procedures, such as botulinum toxin, curettage, and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), and compares their advantages and disadvantages in safety and efficacy.

Primary cutaneous paraganglioma of the scalp.

Paragangliomas are neuroendocrine tumors that arise in relation to the sympathetic or parasympathetic ganglia of the autonomic nervous system. Rarely, they are reported in unusual locations such as the urinary bladder, prostate, and uterus. Herein, we report a case of primary cutaneous paraganglioma of the scalp in a child.

Induction of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita in mice by passive transfer of autoantibodies from patients.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune sub-epidermal blistering disease characterized by autoantibodies to type VII (anchoring fibril) collagen. To date, however, direct evidence for a pathogenic role of human EBA autoantibodies has not been demonstrated. In this study, we affinity-purified anti-type VII collagen antibodies from EBA patients' sera and then injected them into adult hairless immunocompetent mice.

Case report and literature review: primary cutaneous carcinosarcoma.

Carcinosarcomas are rare but aggressive neoplasms commonly described in organs such as the breast, urinary bladder, uterus, liver, and lungs. Histopathologically, they are characterized by the presence of malignant epithelial and mesenchymal components. The exact histogenesis of carcinosarcomas remains unknown and is debated in the literature.

Evidence that anti-type VII collagen antibodies are pathogenic and responsible for the clinical, histological, and immunological features of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by autoantibodies to type VII (anchoring fibril) collagen. Therefore, it is a prototypic autoimmune disease defined by a well-known autoantigen and autoantibody. In this study, we injected hairless immune competent mice with purified immunoglobulin G (IgG) fraction of serum from rabbits immunized with the non-collagenous amino-terminal domain (NC1) of human type VII collagen, the domain known to contain immunodominant epitopes.

Intradermal injection of lentiviral vectors corrects regenerated human dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa skin tissue in vivo.

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) is a family of inherited mechanobullous disorders caused by mutations in the gene, COL7A1, that codes for type VII, (anchoring fibril), collagen, which is critical for epidermal-dermal adherence. Most gene therapy approaches have been ex vivo, involving cell culture and culture graft transplantation, which is logistically difficult. To develop a more simplified approach, we engineered a self-inactivating lentiviral vector expressing human type VII collagen and injected this vector intradermally into hairless, immunodeficient mice and into a human DEB composite skin equivalent grafted onto immunodeficient mice.

Treatment of Acanthosis nigricans of the axillae using a long-pulsed (5-msec) alexandrite laser.

Background: Acanthosis nigricans of the axillae is a common cutaneous disorder that is difficult to treat.

Objective: The objective was to assess the efficacy and safety of a long-pulsed alexandrite laser (5 msec) in the treatment of acanthosis nigricans of the axillae.

Methods: A single axilla was treated using the long-pulsed alexandrite laser.