Risk factors and outcomes of melanoma in children and adolescents: A retrospective multicenter study.

Background: Pediatric melanoma presents with distinct clinical features compared to adult disease.

Objective: Characterize risk factors and negative outcomes in pediatric melanoma.

Methods: Multicenter retrospective study of patients under 20 years diagnosed with melanoma between January 1, 1995 and June 30, 2015 from 11 academic medical centers.

Vaccines and use of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy in a pediatric dermatology clinic-A single institution experience.

Vaccine type and timing are critical issues to prevent unintended infections in those on immunosuppressive therapies. We retrospectively chart reviewed patients at Children's Wisconsin Pediatric Dermatology Clinic on immunosuppressives and immunomodulators between 11/1/2012 and 6/1/2020 and found that approximately 76% of patient encounters do not have documented vaccine counseling in the medical chart before initiation of immunosuppressives and immunomodulators. As age increased, vaccine counseling was less likely to be documented (odds ratio: 0.

Development and Validation of the Morphea Activity Measure in Patients With Pediatric Morphea.

Importance: Morphea is an insidious inflammatory disorder of the skin and deeper tissues. Determining disease activity is challenging yet important to medical decision-making and patient outcomes.

Objective: To develop and validate a scoring tool, the Morphea Activity Measure (MAM), to evaluate morphea disease activity of any type or severity that is easy to use in clinical and research settings.

A sixteen-year single-center retrospective chart review of Spitz nevi and spitzoid neoplasms in pediatric patients.

Background: Spitzoid neoplasms in pediatric patients pose an interesting challenge for clinicians. More data on the clinical, histologic, and molecular characteristics of these lesions are necessary to distinguish features that may portend recurrence or malignant behavior to help determine future treatment guidelines in pediatric patients.

Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from Children's Hospital of Wisconsin to conduct a retrospective analysis of spitzoid neoplasms.

Low risk of clinically important central nervous system dysraphism in a cohort study of 69 patients with isolated aplasia cutis congenita of the head.

Background: Aplasia cutis congenita of the head may be associated with underlying fusion defects in the skin, soft tissues, muscle, or bone. The risk of central nervous system dysraphism in patients with aplasia cutis congenita is not known; however, knowledge of underlying structural defects can inform management considerations.

Methods: This retrospective review investigated the risk of cranial central nervous system dysraphism in children presenting with aplasia cutis congenita of the head, who presented between 1/1/2000 and 6/15/2016.

Risk Factors and Outcomes of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in Children and Young Adults.

Objective: To identify risk factors associated with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) occurrence and survival in children.

Study Design: This was a multicenter, retrospective, case-control study of patients <20 years of age diagnosed with NMSC between 1995 and 2015 from 11 academic medical centers. The primary outcome measure was frequency of cases and controls with predisposing genetic conditions and/or iatrogenic exposures, including chemotherapy, radiation, systemic immunosuppression, and voriconazole.

Mimickers of Infantile Hemangiomas.

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common tumors of infancy and usually follow a typical course of growth and involution. We report four soft tissue tumors that were referred to the pediatric dermatology clinic as IHs and the process by which they were diagnosed and treated. Clinicians should be aware of presentations of these uncommon, but serious soft tissue tumors.

The natural history of skin-limited Langerhans cell histiocytosis: a single-institution experience.

Introduction: Prior reports of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) suggest that isolated skin involvement is rare and often progresses to systemic disease. More rapid access to pediatric subspecialty care has likely led to more frequent representation of this condition. The purpose of this study is to characterize the natural history of skin-limited LCH in an era of increased access to pediatric subspecialty care.

Folivory in fruit bats: leaves provide a natural source of calcium.

Leaves are an important dietary source of carbohydrates and protein, and an especially rich source of calcium for bats. Most studies of leaf eating by fruit bats have suggested that only male bats feed on leaves. In this study, 23 wild-caught Tongan fruit bats (Pteropus tonganus) were used in feeding trials conducted in an outdoor enclosure.