Dermatitis rhabditidosa in an 11-year-old girl

Rhabditiform larvae of Rhabditis (Pelodera) strongyloides caused pruritic lesions in an 11-year-old girl, and persisted for 2 1/2 months. Larvae were found in skin scrapings from the child and in the family dog's hair.     

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in an 11-year-old girl

Summary We report a case of acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in an 11-year-old girl living in an area endemic for Lyme borreliosis. The diagnosis was first made on the basis of clinical, histopathological and serological findings. Moreover, Borrelia burgdorferi -specific DNA was amplified from lesional skin by polymerase chain reaction. Intravenous treatment with ceftriaxone (2g once daily) for 2 weeks was initiated. The skin changes clearly responded to the therapy, and Borrelia burgdorferi -specific gene segments were no longer detectable by polymerase chain reaction. This is the first report of molecular-proven acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans in childhood. The occurrence of this late skin manifestation of Lyme borreliosis in children is reviewed.     

Superficial granulomatous pyoderma: a case in an 11-year-old girl and review of the literature

Superficial granulomatous pyoderma is a rare entity thought to be a variant of pyoderma gangrenosum and is often mistaken for classic pyoderma gangrenosum. Superficial granulomatous pyoderma has mainly been described in adults. We describe a case of Superficial granulomatous pyoderma in an 11-year-old girl and present a review of the literature. Superficial granulomatous pyoderma maintains clinical and histopathologic characteristics distinct from classic pyoderma gangrenosum and has a more favorable prognosis. It is often responsive to conservative treatment.     

Cutaneous myoepithelioma arising within hidradenoma of the scalp

A 62-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of a 2-cm cystic mass involving his occiput. There had been recent enlargement, and the clinical impression was that of a pilar cyst. Histopathological sections showed a partially dermal solid and cystic proliferation. The tumor contained areas of glandular differentiation with cuboidal to columnar cells lining luminal and cystic spaces. A concurrent spindle cell proliferation was seen interspersed between glands and also formed broad, cellular sheets of cells. The stroma was sclerotic and without chondroid or myxoid elements. Immunohistochemistry showed that the spindled cells expressed S100 protein, cytokeratin and smooth muscle myosin. The immunohistochemical profile and the relationship with ductal elements supported myoepithelial differentiation. The proliferation warranted the diagnosis of myoepithelioma arising from a hidradenoma, which to our knowledge has not been previously described. In addition to discussing this case, we provide a brief review of epithelial-myoepithelial neoplasms encountered in the skin.     

Piebaldism in a 2-year-old girl

Piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant skin disorder characterized by a white forelock and depigmented patches of skin, generally located on the forehead, central chest and abdomen, upper arms, and lower extremities. We report a case of a 2-year-old girl with a typical presentation and review the literature concerning this condition.     

Alopecic and aseptic nodule of the scalp in a girl

Alopecic and aseptic nodule of the scalp is a rare entity characterized by the presence of nodules or cysts with sterile punctured material and negative cultures accompanied by nonscarring alopecia in the scalp of young men. We describe a case in which an 11‐year‐old girl presented with a nodular, fluctuant, round lesion on the vertex with localized alopecia. High‐resolution ultrasound showed a hypoechoic lesion with increased flow on Doppler imaging and culture of the citrine‐yellowish material obtained by puncture was negative. The patient showed complete clinical response to treatment with topical indomethacin.     

Subungual chondroblastoma in a 9-year-old girl

Chondroblastoma is an uncommon primary bone tumor, mainly found in the epiphyses of long bones. We describe a 9-year-old girl who presented with a chondroblastoma as a subungual mass in the fifth toe. Radiographs showed an expansive, calcified tumor of the distal phalanx. Histologic examination after excision revealed chondroid differentiation, active mitosis, multinucleated giant cells, calcification, and necrosis. There was no recurrence of the lesion after surgical excision. The purpose of this report is to document this unusual event that occurred in such a short bone as the distal phalanx of the fifth toe, mimicking a dermatologic entity.     

Proliferating pilomatricoma in a 9-year-old girl

Proliferating pilomatricoma is a rare, benign tumor of hair matrix origin that rarely occurs in children. We report the case of a 9-year-old girl with a rapidly growing, proliferating pilomatricoma located on the glabella. The lesion was embolized and surgically excised, with histopathological examination of the tissue confirming the diagnosis of proliferating pilomatricoma.     

Myxoid liposarcoma in a 12-year-old girl

A 12-year-old girl developed a myxoid liposarcoma on the inner side of her right thigh. Liposarcomas are extremely rare at this age compared to benign lipoblastomas, which are the most frequent tumors of fatty tissue in childhood. The prognosis of myxoid liposarcoma is good, especially when, as in this patient, the tumor is located in the subcutis where a large and deep excision is possible and often curative.     

Acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans affecting all four limbs in an 11-year-old girl

Borrelia burgdorferi is a major cause of morbidity in wooded area in western Europe and the eastern seaboard of the U.S.A. Diagnosis of late stage infection and associated disorders may be difficult and often requires an array of different diagnostic procedures. Here we report an 11-year-old girl with acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans affecting all four limbs and parts of the trunk. The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical appearance, serological and histopathological findings, and the lesional detection of B. burgdorferi-specific gene segments by polymerase chain reaction. This very unusual, severe case illustrates that despite being a late manifestation of tick-borne B.burgdorferi infection, usually occurring in adults, acrodermatitis chronica atrophicans may already appear at a young age and may be characterized by extensive skin involvement.     

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis in a 14-year-old girl

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis is a rare multisystem disorder in which an infiltration of histiocytic cells causes papulonodular skin lesions and potentially a destructive polyarthritis. The active disease typically resolves spontaneously after 5-8 years, but the articular destruction can lead to permanent joint deformities. We present a case of multicentric reticulohistiocytosis in a 14-year-old girl. The number of papules on her hands decreased in number and her arthritic symptoms improved after 4 months of oral naproxen. Thirty months later her joint symptoms remained inactive and only six very small papules remained on her hands. Small flexor deformities were present in the distal interphalangeal joints of both index fingers. This case is an example of how multicentric reticulohistiocytosis can be a relatively stable and self-limited disease but still cause permanent joint deformities.