Travis A. Benson, P. Mulvaney, M. Hoang, D. Kroshinsky
Hyperkeratotic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare clinicopathologic variant of AIDS-related KS that typically presents with chronic lymphedema and diffuse hyperkeratotic plaques of the lower extremities. Histopathologically, this variant is defined by epidermal hyperplasia, thickened lymphatic walls, and increased numbers of dermal fibroblasts and vascular spaces. Herein, we report the case of a 63-year-old HIV-positive male who presented with this rare hyperkeratotic variant of AIDS-related KS.
{"title":"A 63-Year-Old Male with AIDS and Diffuse Violaceous Plaques","authors":"Travis A. Benson, P. Mulvaney, M. Hoang, D. Kroshinsky","doi":"10.1159/000502371","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000502371","url":null,"abstract":"Hyperkeratotic Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a rare clinicopathologic variant of AIDS-related KS that typically presents with chronic lymphedema and diffuse hyperkeratotic plaques of the lower extremities. Histopathologically, this variant is defined by epidermal hyperplasia, thickened lymphatic walls, and increased numbers of dermal fibroblasts and vascular spaces. Herein, we report the case of a 63-year-old HIV-positive male who presented with this rare hyperkeratotic variant of AIDS-related KS.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"195 - 200"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000502371","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43350283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna M. Morenz, Sherry H. Yu, K. Cornejo, B. Mackool
Cutaneous manifestations of tuberculosis are uncommon, can be nonspecific, and may demonstrate a wide variety of morphologies, including ulcerative papules, verrucous plaques, or nodules. We report the case of a 36-year-old Moroccan man who presented with nearly 2 years of generalized folliculocentric pustules and nodules, night sweats, and weight loss. Workup revealed necrotic right axillary lymphadenopathy, multiple ill-defined hepatic lesions, and a positive interferon-γ release assay. These findings were most consistent with papulonecrotic tuberculosis.
{"title":"A 36-Year-Old Moroccan Man Presenting with Widespread Papules and Pustules","authors":"Anna M. Morenz, Sherry H. Yu, K. Cornejo, B. Mackool","doi":"10.1159/000502347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000502347","url":null,"abstract":"Cutaneous manifestations of tuberculosis are uncommon, can be nonspecific, and may demonstrate a wide variety of morphologies, including ulcerative papules, verrucous plaques, or nodules. We report the case of a 36-year-old Moroccan man who presented with nearly 2 years of generalized folliculocentric pustules and nodules, night sweats, and weight loss. Workup revealed necrotic right axillary lymphadenopathy, multiple ill-defined hepatic lesions, and a positive interferon-γ release assay. These findings were most consistent with papulonecrotic tuberculosis.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"201 - 205"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000502347","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46868275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z. Holcomb, Sherry H. Yu, Tyler D. Menge, R. Nazarian, Chad J. Jessup
Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare and clinically heterogeneous group of dendritic histiocytic disorders with typical onset in the neonatal period or infancy, although it can present at any age. Histiocytes accumulate in one or more organs, leading to a variable clinical presentation of disease. We report a case of biopsy-proven Langerhans cell histiocytosis in a newborn and discuss the workup and management of this disease, along with reviewing its clinical variants.
{"title":"A Newborn Female with a Diffuse Rash","authors":"Z. Holcomb, Sherry H. Yu, Tyler D. Menge, R. Nazarian, Chad J. Jessup","doi":"10.1159/000501787","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000501787","url":null,"abstract":"Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare and clinically heterogeneous group of dendritic histiocytic disorders with typical onset in the neonatal period or infancy, although it can present at any age. Histiocytes accumulate in one or more organs, leading to a variable clinical presentation of disease. We report a case of biopsy-proven Langerhans cell histiocytosis in a newborn and discuss the workup and management of this disease, along with reviewing its clinical variants.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"189 - 194"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000501787","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42455425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-09-04eCollection Date: 2019-07-01DOI: 10.1159/000501581
Joshua J Clark, Jason E Hawkes, Scott R Florell, Rodney R Miles, David A Wada
Background/aims: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy that rarely presents in the skin and is generally not considered as part of the differential diagnosis by dermatologists and dermatopathologists. We describe an unusual case of T-ALL presenting with folliculocentric, erythematous papules on the face, histologically resembling mycosis fungoides (MF). Immunostaining for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) was positive in tumor cells, supporting the diagnosis of cutaneous involvement by T-ALL. TdT is a nuclear enzyme expressed by immature lymphoid malignancies, but the expression pattern of this marker is not well characterized in the skin. We aimed to assess TdT staining in skin biopsies with similar-appearing lymphocytic infiltrates.
Methods: We evaluated the immunostaining profile of TdT in a cohort of 23 patients, including 13 cases of MF and 10 cases of spongiotic dermatitis.
Results: The lymphocytes in the MF and spongiotic dermatitis cases lacked nuclear staining for TdT. Nonspecific, granular, cytoplasmic staining was observed in a small number of background cells.
Conclusions: TdT may assist dermatopathologists in discriminating malignant infiltrates of T-ALL from other conditions.
{"title":"Cutaneous T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and the Expression Pattern of Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase Immunostaining in Mycosis Fungoides and Spongiotic Dermatitis.","authors":"Joshua J Clark, Jason E Hawkes, Scott R Florell, Rodney R Miles, David A Wada","doi":"10.1159/000501581","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000501581","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/aims: </strong>T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy that rarely presents in the skin and is generally not considered as part of the differential diagnosis by dermatologists and dermatopathologists. We describe an unusual case of T-ALL presenting with folliculocentric, erythematous papules on the face, histologically resembling mycosis fungoides (MF). Immunostaining for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) was positive in tumor cells, supporting the diagnosis of cutaneous involvement by T-ALL. TdT is a nuclear enzyme expressed by immature lymphoid malignancies, but the expression pattern of this marker is not well characterized in the skin. We aimed to assess TdT staining in skin biopsies with similar-appearing lymphocytic infiltrates.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated the immunostaining profile of TdT in a cohort of 23 patients, including 13 cases of MF and 10 cases of spongiotic dermatitis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The lymphocytes in the MF and spongiotic dermatitis cases lacked nuclear staining for TdT. Nonspecific, granular, cytoplasmic staining was observed in a small number of background cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>TdT may assist dermatopathologists in discriminating malignant infiltrates of T-ALL from other conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"182-188"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2019-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6787418/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43758942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
An HIV-positive female on antiretroviral therapy (ART) presented with an annular eruption diagnosed as a drug reaction based on histology of a lichenoid dermatitis. She responded to oral steroid therapy and discontinuation, but progressed to develop features in keeping with cutaneous lupus. Although the antinuclear factor remained negative, her low serum complement levels, histology, and clinical features pointed to a diagnosis of subacute lupus in the setting of HIV infection. She responded well to antimalarial therapy and recommenced ART.
{"title":"Lupus Masquerading as a Drug Reaction in HIV Infection","authors":"A. Mosam, K. Hoosen, N. Dlova","doi":"10.1159/000496336","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000496336","url":null,"abstract":"An HIV-positive female on antiretroviral therapy (ART) presented with an annular eruption diagnosed as a drug reaction based on histology of a lichenoid dermatitis. She responded to oral steroid therapy and discontinuation, but progressed to develop features in keeping with cutaneous lupus. Although the antinuclear factor remained negative, her low serum complement levels, histology, and clinical features pointed to a diagnosis of subacute lupus in the setting of HIV infection. She responded well to antimalarial therapy and recommenced ART.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"85 - 90"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000496336","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46878516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. M. Ngwanya, H. Adeola, Renée A Beach, N. Gantsho, C. Walker, K. Pillay, R. Prokopetz, F. Gumedze, N. Khumalo
Traction alopecia (TA) is hair loss caused by prolonged pulling or repetitive tension on scalp hair; it belongs to the biphasic group of primary alopecia. It is non-scarring, typically with preservation of follicular stem cells and the potential for regrowth of early lesions especially if traction hairstyles are stopped. However, the alopecia may become permanent (scarring) and fail to respond to treatment if the traction is excessive and prolonged. Hence, the ability to detect fibrosis early in these lesions could predict patients who respond to treatment. Histopathological diagnosis based on scalp biopsies has been used as a gold standard to delineate various forms of non-scarring alopecia and to differentiate them from scarring ones. However, due to potential discrepant reporting as a result of the type of biopsy, method of sectioning, and site of biopsy, histopathology often tends to be unreliable for the early recognition of fibrosis in TA. In this study, 45 patients were assessed using the marginal TA severity scoring system, and their biopsies (both longitudinal and transverse sections) were systematically assessed by three dermatopathologists, the aim being to correlate histopathological findings with clinical staging. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to determine the level of agreement between the assessors. We found poor agreement of the identification and grading of perifollicular and interfollicular fibrosis (0.55 [0.23–0.75] and 0.01 [2.20–0.41], respectively), and no correlation could be drawn with the clinical severity score. Better methods of diagnosis are needed for grading and for recognition of early fibrosis in TA.
{"title":"Reliability of Histopathology for the Early Recognition of Fibrosis in Traction Alopecia: Correlation with Clinical Severity","authors":"R. M. Ngwanya, H. Adeola, Renée A Beach, N. Gantsho, C. Walker, K. Pillay, R. Prokopetz, F. Gumedze, N. Khumalo","doi":"10.1159/000500509","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000500509","url":null,"abstract":"Traction alopecia (TA) is hair loss caused by prolonged pulling or repetitive tension on scalp hair; it belongs to the biphasic group of primary alopecia. It is non-scarring, typically with preservation of follicular stem cells and the potential for regrowth of early lesions especially if traction hairstyles are stopped. However, the alopecia may become permanent (scarring) and fail to respond to treatment if the traction is excessive and prolonged. Hence, the ability to detect fibrosis early in these lesions could predict patients who respond to treatment. Histopathological diagnosis based on scalp biopsies has been used as a gold standard to delineate various forms of non-scarring alopecia and to differentiate them from scarring ones. However, due to potential discrepant reporting as a result of the type of biopsy, method of sectioning, and site of biopsy, histopathology often tends to be unreliable for the early recognition of fibrosis in TA. In this study, 45 patients were assessed using the marginal TA severity scoring system, and their biopsies (both longitudinal and transverse sections) were systematically assessed by three dermatopathologists, the aim being to correlate histopathological findings with clinical staging. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to determine the level of agreement between the assessors. We found poor agreement of the identification and grading of perifollicular and interfollicular fibrosis (0.55 [0.23–0.75] and 0.01 [2.20–0.41], respectively), and no correlation could be drawn with the clinical severity score. Better methods of diagnosis are needed for grading and for recognition of early fibrosis in TA.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"170 - 181"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000500509","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43620318","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The rickettsiae are a diverse group of vector-borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. The two common spotted fever diseases in existence in southern Africa are boutonneuse fever-like tick bite fever (TBF), caused by Rickettsia conorii, and African TBF, caused by R. africae. This review addresses demographic, epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive aspects of TBF in the southern African context, including a discussion of the dermatopathological findings and potential diagnostic pitfalls.
{"title":"South African Tick Bite Fever: An Overview","authors":"J. Frean, W. Grayson","doi":"10.1159/000495475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000495475","url":null,"abstract":"The rickettsiae are a diverse group of vector-borne zoonotic bacterial pathogens. The two common spotted fever diseases in existence in southern Africa are boutonneuse fever-like tick bite fever (TBF), caused by Rickettsia conorii, and African TBF, caused by R. africae. This review addresses demographic, epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive aspects of TBF in the southern African context, including a discussion of the dermatopathological findings and potential diagnostic pitfalls.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"70 - 76"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000495475","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42156121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ameshin Moodley, A. Mosam, N. Govender, Y. Mahabeer, A. Chateau
A 31-year-old HIV-seropositive woman from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, presented with a 3-month history of widespread umbilicated and ulcerated skin papules, plaques, and nodules. The skin lesions were biopsied and sent for histology and fungal culture; the cultured isolate was referred for molecular identification. Histology, fungal culture, and molecular testing confirmed that the dimorphic fungal pathogen Emergomyces africanus had caused a disseminated mycosis.
{"title":"Emergomyces africanus: The Mimicking Fungus","authors":"Ameshin Moodley, A. Mosam, N. Govender, Y. Mahabeer, A. Chateau","doi":"10.1159/000497608","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000497608","url":null,"abstract":"A 31-year-old HIV-seropositive woman from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, presented with a 3-month history of widespread umbilicated and ulcerated skin papules, plaques, and nodules. The skin lesions were biopsied and sent for histology and fungal culture; the cultured isolate was referred for molecular identification. Histology, fungal culture, and molecular testing confirmed that the dimorphic fungal pathogen Emergomyces africanus had caused a disseminated mycosis.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"157 - 162"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000497608","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44004818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Susanna M H Kannenberg, H. Jordaan, W. Visser, Fatima H. Ahmed, A. Bezuidenhout
Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (SCFNN) is a rare form of panniculitis classically affecting healthy full-term infants. There are a number of predisposing factors including perinatal asphyxia. The condition generally has a benign course with spontaneous resolution, but monitoring for metabolic complications, in particular the potentially life-threatening complication of hypercalcaemia, is critical. The authors report 2 cases of preterm infants with perinatal asphyxia with atypical presentations of SCFNN: the first with bony involvement resembling Langerhans cell histiocytosis and with follicular pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia on histology; and the second presenting with a huge haematoma requiring surgical debridement. Both cases were initially erroneously diagnosed as pyogenic infections.
{"title":"Report of 2 Novel Presentations of Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis of the Newborn","authors":"Susanna M H Kannenberg, H. Jordaan, W. Visser, Fatima H. Ahmed, A. Bezuidenhout","doi":"10.1159/000497176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000497176","url":null,"abstract":"Subcutaneous fat necrosis of the newborn (SCFNN) is a rare form of panniculitis classically affecting healthy full-term infants. There are a number of predisposing factors including perinatal asphyxia. The condition generally has a benign course with spontaneous resolution, but monitoring for metabolic complications, in particular the potentially life-threatening complication of hypercalcaemia, is critical. The authors report 2 cases of preterm infants with perinatal asphyxia with atypical presentations of SCFNN: the first with bony involvement resembling Langerhans cell histiocytosis and with follicular pseudocarcinomatous hyperplasia on histology; and the second presenting with a huge haematoma requiring surgical debridement. Both cases were initially erroneously diagnosed as pyogenic infections.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"147 - 152"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000497176","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47447725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hyaluronate (HA) plays a major role in the process of skin aging. The main use of HA has been for hydration and dermal fillers. Another approach, based on the discovery of the signaling effects of topically applied hyaluronate fragments (HAF), has subsequently been developed. It has been thoroughly demonstrated that topical applications of HAF of a very specific size induce HA filling of the epidermis and the upper dermis. These effects are particularly visible in dermatoporotic patients. Moreover, the combination of HA-based filler injections with topical applications of HAFs/retinoids showed an optimization of the effects of HA. Thus, a new classification of the different effects of HA is proposed here.
{"title":"Induction of Hyalurosome by Topical Hyaluronate Fragments Results in Superficial Filling of the Skin Complementary to Hyaluronate Filler Injections","authors":"G. Kaya, A. Kaya, J. Saurat","doi":"10.1159/000500493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000500493","url":null,"abstract":"Hyaluronate (HA) plays a major role in the process of skin aging. The main use of HA has been for hydration and dermal fillers. Another approach, based on the discovery of the signaling effects of topically applied hyaluronate fragments (HAF), has subsequently been developed. It has been thoroughly demonstrated that topical applications of HAF of a very specific size induce HA filling of the epidermis and the upper dermis. These effects are particularly visible in dermatoporotic patients. Moreover, the combination of HA-based filler injections with topical applications of HAFs/retinoids showed an optimization of the effects of HA. Thus, a new classification of the different effects of HA is proposed here.","PeriodicalId":42885,"journal":{"name":"Dermatopathology","volume":"6 1","pages":"45 - 49"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2019-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1159/000500493","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46798195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}