Leser-Trelat sign

A male patient aged 74, an inpatient at the chest diseases clinic at Ege University Hospital, Izmir, Turkey with squamous cell carcinoma in the right lung, was referred for consultation to the dermatology outpatient clinic as he presented with itchy papules recently increasing in number and a lesion on his nose with a duration of 2 years. In a lung X-ray taken to investigate hemoptisis, a mass 7 x 5 cm in size was observed on the upper part of the right lung, and as a result of lung biopsy, squamous cell carcinoma (T41MO-phase 3b) was diagnosed. The patient had been smoking 10 cigarettes a day for 60 years and had been taking digoxin for heart insufficiency for 7 years. Biochemical laboratory analyses of the case were observed to be within normal limits and no findings of metastasis were obtained in ultrasonographic and tomographic scanning. In the dermatological examination, an ulceration on the apex nasi, 2 x 1.5 cm in size, covered with crusts, was observed. On the thorax, lesions parallel to one another, linearly distributed, partly pigmented and raised from the skin, having a diameter of 0.5-2 cm, were observed, consistent with seborrheic keratoses (Fig. 1). In addition to these lesions, symmetrically localized, velvety, slightly raised plaques with light brown pigmentation were present on the axillary folds (Fig. 2). Histopathological investigation of the incisional biopsy taken from the apex nasi revealed tumor islands of different sizes. Histopathological changes were found to be in accordance with solid-type basal cell carcinoma. In the histopathological investigation of the incisional biopsy taken from the lesion consistent with seborrheic keratosis, epidermal thickening consisting of basaloid cells and keratin cysts was observed, and the result of the biopsy taken from the axilla was acanthosis nigricans, showing hyperkeratosis, focal acanthosis and papillomatosis in the epidermis.     

The ear-lobe sign: A helpful sign in facial contact dermatitis

The ear-lobe sign is seen in those who develop contact dermatitis to a substance applied with one hand to the skin of the face and neck. On the ipsilateral side of the face the ear-lobe is spared whereas on the contralateral side the ear-lobe is involved. The sign manifests because of the unique combination of the anatomy of the hand and the sweeping movement the hand makes during application.     

The "sign of groove", a new cutaneous sign of internal malignancy

A 36-year-old young male with multiple heterosexual contacts presented with bilateral inguinal bubo and the classical "sign of groove". A diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) was made and a three-week course of doxycycline was given. Lack of response prompted us to investigate further. A biopsy of the bubo was consistent with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Immunohistochemistry of the lymph node done at the Regional Cancer Center (RCC), Trivandrum, confirmed the diagnosis as NHL of diffuse large B-cell type. The second patient, a 32-year-old male with two unprotected heterosexual contacts presented with a left-sided inguinal bubo of six weeks duration. An empirical course of doxycycline was given even though investigations did not reveal any STI. Lack of response prompted us to do a lymph node biopsy, which was consistent with NHL, which later with immunohistochemistry was confirmed as NHL, diffuse large cell type. We are reporting here that the "sign of groove" is not specific for LGV as thought earlier, but can occur in NHL also.     

The chik sign in dengue

The "chik sign" is considered to be one of the most common cutaneous features of chikungunya fever and has been considered unique to this disorder. It consists of brownish hyperpigmentation involving the nose. We report a case of a 3‐year‐old boy with dengue infection who presented with macular hyperpigmentation of nose simulating the chik sign. Hyperpigmentation is an unusual cutaneous manifestation in cases of dengue.     

The nasal crease sign in segmental facial hemangioma--an early sign of cartilage destruction

Although the majority of hemangiomas of infancy do not require treatment, a subset of patients have complications such as ulceration, functional impairment or severe disfigurement that necessitate intervention. It is often difficult to predict which hemangiomas will lead to permanent disfigurement and medical complications. We present three patients with segmental facial hemangiomas involving the nose which resulted in nasal cartilage destruction. All three patients had a linear gray atrophic crease in the inferior columella visualized on clinical examination prior to the onset of nasal collapse. We propose that this 'nasal crease sign' in infants with segmental facial hemangioma involving the nose and philtrum may be a premonitory clinical finding of impending nasal cartilage destruction. Dermatologists should be aware of this clinical sign which may help identify patients at high risk of nasal destruction. Unfortunately, aggressive medical intervention may not always prevent devastating disfigurement.     

Round fingerpad sign: an early sign of scleroderma

We describe a clinical skin sign in scleroderma termed round fingerpad sign. This term refers to disappearance of the peaked contour on fingerpads and replacement with a hemisphere-like fingertip contour; this change is especially apparent on the ring fingers. A positive round fingerpad sign was found in 72 of 72 ring fingers in 36 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis in 69 of 72 ring fingers in patients with mixed connective tissue disease, and in 24 of 24 ring fingers of patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and sclerodactyly. In contrast, a negative round fingerpad sign was seen in 240 of 240 fingers in normal women (controls). The high sensitivity of this sign is noteworthy. A positive round fingerpad was seen in sign not only typical scleroderma patients but also in groups with less severe skin sclerosis (i.e., in those patients with mixed connective tissue disease or those with Raynaud's phenomenon and sclerodactyly). The sign is a new and useful clinical marker for the early diagnosis of scleroderma.     

The sign of Leser-Trélat associated with malignant melanoma

A case of the sudden appearance of multiple pruritic seborrheic keratoses (Leser-Trélat sign) associated with cutaneous malignant melanoma is reported. To the authors' knowledge, this association has not been previously reported.     

Microscopic Nikolsky's sign

Nikolsky's sign is a useful clinical sign in patients with active pemphigus. It does not however, indicate the level of split in the skin, and is seldom present in partially-treated patients. The purpose of this study was two fold: (i) to document the microscopic or subclinical counterpart of clinical Nikolsky's sign; and (ii) to improve the diagnostic yield of routine histopathology in pemphigus patients in whom the lesions are infected/old and are therefore not useful for histopathology, and when intact blisters are not present; this is particularly useful for institutions in which immunofluorescence facilities are not available. Pemphigus patients were allocated to one of two groups. Group A patients (n = 23) were subjected to manual tangential pressure over the perilesional skin before a biopsy specimen was taken from that site; group B patients (n = 14) were subjected to a biopsy without the tangential pressure technique. Group C consisted of 37 healthy volunteers who were subjected to the tangential pressure technique before a biopsy. Histopathological changes of pemphigus vulgaris or foliaceus were present in 73.9% patients in group A, 28.6% in group B and none in the control group C. Tangential pressure as described below can produce microscopic changes in the epidermis which are diagnostic of pemphigus. These changes are produced at the suprabasal level in pemphigus vulgaris and intraepidermally in pemphigus foliaceus. This technique is of value in those parts of the world where immunofluorescence facilities are not readily available.