Spontaneous regression of generalized eruptive histiocytosis: Possible involvement of apoptosis?

Generalized eruptive histiocytosis (GEH) is a rare generalized non-X histiocytosis, first described in 1963 by Winklemann and Muller. Since then more than 20 patients with GEH, mainly adults but also a few children, have been reported. We report a case of GEH in a middle-aged woman with spontaneous regression, in which the ultrastructural findings of apoptosis were observed.     

Multiple eruptive Milien — ein organoides Follikelhamartom

Zusammenfassung An Hand der Beobachtung eines 66jährigen Mannes mit multiplen, symmetrisch angeordneten, eruptiven Milien wird auf die Histogenese und Klassifikation dieser Fehlbildungen eingegangen, die als organoide Follikelhamartome von den sekundären Milien abgegrenzt werden müssen. Auf die fließende Reihe dieser Gewebsmißbildungen, die enge Beziehungen zu den Trïchoepitheliomen aufweisen, und ihre möglichen Ursachen wird hingewiesen.     

Disseminated eruptive clear cell acanthoma with spontaneous regression: further evidence of an inflammatory origin?

Clear cell acanthoma (CCA) is a benign epidermal lesion with distinctive clinicopathological features. Multiple disseminated eruptive CCA is an infrequent clinical variant that has been rarely reported. It is characterized by the presence of more than 30 lesions from 1 to 10 mm in diameter that appear progressively over the years. We report the case of a 65-year-old woman with multiple disseminated eruptive CCA affecting her lower extremities. In contrast to previous reports, most of the lesions appeared in a short period of time (less than a month) and, what is more interesting is that some of them have regressed spontaneously leaving residual hyperpigmentation. At present, the histogenesis and etiology of CCA remain unknown. Accumulating data suggest a reactive origin associated with a variety of different inflammatory conditions. The case presented in this report further substantiates that CCA is indeed a reactive epidermal reaction pattern with an inflammatory etiology.     

Weitere Beobachtungen über die eruptive papulöse infantile Akrodermatose

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Spontaneous eruptive keloid-like cutaneous lesions in a renal transplant patient: a form of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis?

This is a case report of a 63-year-old man post renal transplant who developed eruptive keloids, many of which developed with no history of previous trauma. Reports of spontaneous keloids are rare in the literature, and given his history of renal failure, we have considered a connection with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). With no history of prior keloid formation, the patient developed a large number of lesions with a wide distribution, which then subsequently healed without keloid formation. Additionally, the lesions stained positive for CD68 and factor XIIIa, both of which are correlated with the lesions of NSF. However, the patient did not present with the classic clinical presentation of NSF, had no history of exposure to gadolinium, and staining for CD34 was negative. In conclusion, NSF is a relatively new disease, the details of which have yet to be clearly established. This case may represent a variant of NSF.     

Basaloid follicular hamartoma with eruptive milia and hypohidrosis: is there a pathogenic relationship ?

We report a sporadic case of eruptive milia with histopathological features of basaloid follicular hamartoma which developed in an 8 year-old Japanese girl. Multiple milia and comedo-like eruptions were present at birth and gradually increased in number and spread over the extremities. Histopathologically, keratotic cysts with trichilemmal keratinization and features of basaloid follicular hamartoma were observed without any histological findings of basal cell epithelioma or trichoepithelioma. Reduced sweating was observed after iontophoretically applied acetylcholine on the forearm. Nevus of Ota and thyroid goiter were complications.     

Comparative study of two kinds of real-time PCR for the detection of the methylation status of DNA北大核心

Objective: To use two kinds of real-time PCR to detect the methylation status of p16 gene in CD4+ T cell derived from SLE patients and compare the effect of the two methods. Methods: P16 promotor methylation in CD4+ T cell was detected with both the Taqman probe based real-time PCR technology and the SYBR Green I based real-time PCR technology (method 2) in 40 SLE patients and 20 healthy controls. Results: The result of Taqman probe method showed that the rate of p16 gene hypermethylation was higher in SLE patients(35.7%) than in that of the controls (10%)(χ2=4.11, P=0.04<0.05). The result of SYBR Green method showed that there was no significant difference between the patients and controls (P>0.05). Conclusions: Taqman probe method can effectively eliminate the effect of the primer-dimers (PDs) and nonspecific amplication on the process of PCR, and increase the specificity and accuracy of the result. This method can be used to detect the the methylation status of DNA.     

Familial occurrence of nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn: another case of paradominant inheritance?

We describe two sibs (a boy and a girl) suffering from linear nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn. The parents are not affected. This rare pattern of familial occurrence prompts us to suggest that these sibs represent a case of paradominant inheritance of a mosaic disorder.     

Wax model collection of the Department of Dermatology, University of Münster

Between the 17^th century and the middle of the 20^th century, wax models were widely used for training in anatomy and other medical fields, especially dermatology. Thereafter, photographic techniques led to the replacement and subsequent dissolution of many European wax model collections. Unfortunately many wax models lose their original colors over time. Since only few mouleurs (wax artists) are still active in Europe conserving wax models, the “dying of moulages” cannot be stopped. Consequently, the existing wax models are of medical and historical interest since they reflect the development of our speciality. The Department of Dermatology in Münster is in the possession of 121 wax models, which are presented in this article.     

Development and characterization of phyto-vesicles of β-sitosterol for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia

Alopecia is a psychologically distressing phenomenon. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of alopecia, which affects millions of men and women worldwide, and is an androgen driven disorder. To study the effect of β-sitosterol phyto-vesicles on AGA, the testosterone-induced alopecia model was used. For the study, the albino rats were used and the period of study was 21 days. β-Sitosterol is a phytosterol which is chemically similar to cholesterol. This compound was found suitable for the preparation of phyto-vesicles by the process involving its complexation with phosphatidyl choline. Pharmacokinetic studies of β-sitosterol reveal its poor absorption through the intestine. The objective of the present study is to enhance the bioavailability of β-sitosterol by its complexation with phosphatidyl choline and then to formulate it as phyto-vesicles for the treatment of alopecia. The complex of β-sitosterol was prepared with phosphatidyl choline and characterized on the basis of solubility, melting point, TLC, UV, IR and NMR spectroscopy. This complex was then formulated as phyto-vesicles and then characterized. The results revealed that effect on alopecia is better in case of phyto-vesicles as compared to the complex, physical mixture and the β-sitosterol itself. Enhanced bioavailability of the β-sitosterol complex may be due to the amphiphilic nature of the complex, which greatly enhance the water and lipid solubility of the compound. The present study clearly indicates the superiority of phyto-vesicles over the complex and β-sitosterol, in terms of better absorption and improved activity for the treatment of alopecia.     

Detection of the K?bner phenomenon of the skeleton of patients with psoriasis]

Psoriasis is a humorally controlled systemic disease. The degree of "eruptive strength" of manifestation results from hereditary factors (disposition) and environmental factors (provocation). We were able to demonstrate that the well-known K?bner phenomenon of the skin also occurs on the skeleton of patients suffering from psoriasis. We analysed 83 patients in whom bone scans were carried out. Our results indicate that provocation factors such as bacterial foci and/or trauma correlate with a significantly higher number of pathological scintigraphic findings, ranging up to "hot spots". Furthermore, not only did bone fractures remained scintigraphically positive for an unusually long time, traumas of the end phalanx could be demonstrated in 70% of psoriatic patients compared with 21% of a control group. Obviously, one factor alone or a combination of factors triggers the involvement of the skeleton as a "deep K?bner phenomenon". In psoriatic patients the response of bone metabolism to disturbance differs from that of non-psoriatic patients in that there is a long-lasting dysregulation. This explains the high correlation between skin and skeletal manifestation in psoriatics. Therefore the manifestation of psoriatic disease is due not to a single-stranded linear causal interrelation but to a multicausal "network pathogenesis". Bone scintigraphy is the diagnostic method of choice in patients with psoriatic osteoarthropathy and allows an objective evaluation of therapeutic success.     

Radiotherapy of malignant melanoma of the skin--a renaissance?

Surgery is without question the treatment of choice for the malignant melanoma (MM) of the skin. Radiotherapy, on the other hand, has been more and more neglected, especially because of the opinion that melanomas are "radioresistant". Because there is an increasing interest in the radiotherapy of MM in the recent years, and reviewing the experimental and clinical findings in the literature the following points are made: MM is not a "radioresistant" tumour and therefore the expression reduced radiosensitivity should be used instead; radiotherapy with beams of low linear energy transfer (LET) is also possible if the techniques involve the use of high dose per fraction or multiple fractions per day; different types of MM of the skin show a variable radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo; and indications still exist for the radiotherapy of MM. All possibilities for the use of radiotherapy alone in MM have not yet been exhausted.