Multiple morphologically distinct cutaneous granular cell tumors occurring in a single patient.

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) typically are benign solitary tumors derived from Schwann cells. The tongue and skin are the most common sites of involvement; however, lesions also can develop in viscera such as the gastrointestinal tract. Multiple cutaneous GCTs in a single patient have been reported, with the lesions being described as subcutaneous papules, nodules, or verrucous nodules.

Folliculotropic Mycosis Fungoides as a Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder.

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a known complication of solid organ transplantation. The majority are B cell in origin and related to Epstein-Barr virus infection. T-cell PTLD is much less common; most are Epstein-Barr virus negative and have a worse prognosis.

The skin and HIV: no superficial matter.

The vast majority of HIV-infected patients experience some type of skin disorder; these may broadly be categorized as infectious, neoplastic, or inflammatory. Additionally, primary pruritus afflicts a considerable percentage of HIV-infected individuals, and an attempt should be made to identify potential underlying triggers. Chronic itch, whether related to an underlying cutaneous, systemic, or psychiatric illness, can have a profound effect on quality of life.

Is non-alcoholic steatohepatitis a predisposing factor to porphyria cutanea tarda?

Porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is a disease caused by a deficiency of the fifth enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway in the liver that manifests in the skin as blistering and fragility of predominantly sun-exposed skin. It occurs in individuals with environmental and/or genetic risk factors such as estrogen use, hepatitis C infection and hemochromatosis gene mutations. This report highlights a case of PCT which manifested in an individual with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; NASH).

The head, neck, and systemic manifestations of levamisole-adulterated cocaine use.

Systemic complications of levamisole-adulterated cocaine (LAC) use have recently been described. The objective of this review is to increase awareness of these manifestations among oral and maxillofacial surgeons. LAC exposure through inhalation, nasal insufflation, or injection can induce cutaneous vasculopathy and hematologic abnormalities such as neutropenia or agranulocytosis.

Acitretin for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Background: Bexarotene is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved retinoid for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and is associated with a relatively high frequency of adverse effects. Acitretin has anecdotally been reported to be effective for CTCL.

Objective: We sought to determine the effectiveness and tolerability of acitretin as primary or adjuvant therapy for CTCL.

Hodgkin lymphoma presenting as generalized pruritus in an adolescent.

Pruritus is a common manifestation of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and given its high frequency, inclusion of itching as a B symptom of HL has been proposed. We present a 16-year-old adolescent boy with treatment-refractory eczema of 2 years' duration. Physical examination revealed a thin adolescent boy with widespread excoriations, but no eczematous or primary cutaneous lesions were identifiable.

Autoimmune blistering diseases in the elderly.

Autoimmune blistering diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population. Given the advancing age of the population, the incidence of these disorders, particularly bullous pemphigoid, is expected to rise. This contribution reviews autoimmune immunobullous disorders of particular relevance in the elderly population.

Ulcerative granulomatous mycosis fungoides.

A 42-year-old white male military recruit presented with a 2-year history of painful ulcerations on the skin of his flanks and thighs. Prior skin biopsies were nondiagnostic but raised the suspicion of an infectious etiology due to the presence ofa granulomatous infiltrate. His medical history was significant for herpes zoster and eczema, and, on review of systems, he had a 1-year history of progressive fatigue and night sweats.

Leishmania tropica-induced cutaneous and presumptive concomitant viscerotropic leishmaniasis with prolonged incubation.

Background: Leishmaniasis includes a spectrum of diseases caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania. The disease is traditionally classified into visceral, cutaneous, or mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, depending on clinical characteristics as well as the species involved. Leishmania tropica is one of the causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis, with a typical incubation period of weeks to months.

Mortality of bullous pemphigoid: an evaluation of 223 patients and comparison with the mortality in the general population in the United States.

Background: There are large discrepancies in reported mortality for bullous pemphigoid (BP).

Objective: We sought to determine the mortality of a large cohort of patients with BP and compare this with age-matched control subjects.

Methods: Data were collected on 223 patients with a new diagnosis of BP between 1998 and 2003 through our cutaneous immunofluorescence laboratory databases.

A report of Epstein-Barr virus-positive primary cutaneous natural killer-/T-cell lymphoma.

We describe a patient who presented with Epstein-Barr virus-positive tumor-stage primary cutaneous lymphoma. Our patient had previously been treated with oral methotrexate for long-standing rheumatoid arthritis. Tissue analysis revealed large tumor cells that were surface CD2- and CD3-positive; T-cell-restricted intracellular antigen-positive; CD56-, CD20-, and CD30-negative; and stained positively for Epstein-Barr virus.

Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma/mycosis fungoides.

The cause of mycosis fungoides is unknown and, with the possible exception of very early stage disease, no cure is available. Fortunately, patients with MF have a number of therapeutic options and partial and complete remissions are achievable. Because it is not curable, the burden for patients with this disease involves the need for lifelong therapy and monitoring, and meticulous skin care.

Intravenous cidofovir-induced resolution of disfiguring cutaneous human papillomavirus infection.

Human papillomavirus infection is one of the most common and most distressing cutaneous diseases in patients with HIV infection. It is also a common, and often therapeutically challenging, infection in individuals who are immunologically competent. A wide range of therapeutic options exists for treating cutaneous human papillomavirus infections, but none is uniformly effective.

Eosinophilic folliculitis in HIV-infected women: case series and review.

Background And Objective: Dermatologic conditions are often presenting signs of HIV infection and may be the sole cause of morbidity in patients who have otherwise stable HIV disease. Eosinophilic folliculitis is a pruritic, follicular eruption that typically manifests late in the course of HIV infection. Most published reports of eosinophilic folliculitis have been in HIV-infected men.