Variations of BRAF mutant allele percentage in melanomas.

Background: BRAF mutations are present in 40% of human skin melanomas. Mutated tumors with an increased percentage of BRAF mutant alleles (BRAF-M%) may have a better response to RAF/MEK inhibitors. We evaluated the BRAF-M% in melanomas, and the genetic causes of its variation.

Detection of BRAF p.V600E mutations in melanomas: comparison of four methods argues for sequential use of immunohistochemistry and pyrosequencing.

BRAF p.V600 mutation detection recently became necessary to treat metastatic melanoma patients with vemurafenib. This study compares different methods of detection of BRAF mutations.

Prognostic value of BRAF(V⁶⁰⁰) mutations in melanoma patients after resection of metastatic lymph nodes.

Purpose: BRAF (V600) mutations are frequent in melanomas, and BRAF(V600)-targeted therapy have dramatic, but often transitory, efficacy in stage IV patients. Prognosis of patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III melanoma is heterogeneous. We aimed to determine the overall survival (OS) of stage III patients with a nodal deposit of ≥2 mm according to BRAF (V600) mutations and other previously reported prognostic criteria.

Anti-HPV16 E2 protein T-cell responses and viral control in women with usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and their healthy partners.

T-cell responses (proliferation, intracellular cytokine synthesis and IFNγ ELISPOT) against human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E2 peptides were tested during 18 months in a longitudinal study in eight women presenting with HPV16-related usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and their healthy male partners. In six women, anti-E2 proliferative responses and cytokine production (single IFNγ and/or dual IFNγ/IL2 and/or single IL2) by CD4+ T lymphocytes became detectable after treating and healing of the usual VIN. In the women presenting with persistent lesions despite therapy, no proliferation was observed.

Eosinophilic fasciitis: a rare skin sclerosis.

Eosinophilic fasciitis (Schulman's syndrome) is a rare disease with specific clinical symptoms such as the groove sign which facilitate diagnosis. We report a typical case of eosinophilic fasciitis in an otherwise healthy 49-year-old man who presented with "prayer and groove signs". Histological analysis showed sclerosis and eosinophilic infiltration of the fascia.

The contribution of high-resolution ultrasonography in preoperatively detecting sentinel-node metastases in melanoma patients.

To evaluate the ability of high-resolution ultrasonography (hrUS) to detect sentinel-node (SN) melanoma metastases preoperatively before sentinel-node biopsy (SNB), to define hrUS resolution, and to evaluate which US criteria should be used. During a 6.5-year period, 131 consecutive patients with 132 >or=1-mm thick or ulcerated cutaneous melanomas, who were followed up at a single center, were enrolled.

The histological aspects of fillers complications.

The histological aspects of resorbable heterologous fillers (bovine collagen, acid hyaluronique), autologous fillers (lipofilling, dermis-fat graft), biodegradable fillers (New-Fill), and permanent fillers (silicone, Artecoll, Evolution, Aquamid, DermaLive, DermaDeep, Bioplastique, Paraffin) are described. This article relates the morphological aspect of these materials, the normal tissue reaction after injection, and its chronological evolution as the morphological aspects from the different side effects, more frequently observed for the permanent fillers. They mainly consist of granulomatous reactions which may appear long after injection.

Spontaneous regression of grade 3 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia associated with human papillomavirus-16-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell responses.

Cell-mediated immunity directed against human papillomavirus 16 (HPV-16) antigens was studied in six patients affected with grade 3 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN3, also known as bowenoid papulosis). Five of the patients presented with a chronic and persistent disease that relapsed after destructive treatments. They showed no detectable anti-HPV blood T-cell responses and no T-cell intraepidermal vulvar infiltrate containing both CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes.

Treatment of undifferentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia with 5% imiquimod cream: a prospective study of 12 cases.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of 5% imiquimod cream on undifferentiated vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), a disease caused by high-risk human papillomavirus.

Design: Prospective, uncontrolled study.

Setting: University hospital vulvar clinic.