Clinical and histopathologic findings of basal cell carcinomas on completely covered anatomical sites of the body

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer type seen among the Caucasian population. Sun exposure may play a less important role in the causation of BCC in completely covered body sites than in sun-exposed skin. The aim of this study was to analyze in detail the BCCs that occur on completely covered anatomical sites. A total of 322 primary BCC cases was diagnosed. Of these, 44 were located on completely covered anatomical sites. Completely covered anatomical sites were classified as follows: trunk (including mammillae, excluding the neck), arms (excluding forearms and hands), legs (excluding feet), the perianal area and genitalia, and the buttocks and groin areas. Twenty-four lesions were of the superficial type, 14 lesions were of the nodular type, four lesions were of the infiltrative type, one lesion was of the morpheiform type, and one lesion was of the adenoid type. The most frequently reported symptom was itching. Forty-two percent of patients had no related symptoms. A close clinical check revealed 13 lesions which seemed to contain pigment. The preoperative diagnosis was based on clinical grounds and punch biopsies. Punch biopsies were performed on 10 cases which had been treated for a different diagnosis. The findings of our retrospective study showed that BCCs which occur on completely covered anatomical sites differ from those on sun-exposed skin. The clinical appearance of these sites with BCC may be similar to that which has other skin lesions. All physicians should bear in mind that BCC may occur not only in sun-exposed areas, but also in regions which are normally protected from ultraviolet radiation.     

Primary Tuberculosis Involving Epiglottis: A Rare Case Report

The case of a 29-year-old patient with active laryngeal tuberculosis predominantly involving the epiglottis, without pulmonary disease, is presented. The predominant symptoms are dysphagia, odynophagia, and hoarseness. Laryngeal carcinoma, which shares almost the same symptoms and signs, should be ruled out immediately. Laryngeal tuberculosis is discussed with a brief literature review.     

A Q fever case mimicking crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever

Coxiella burnetii is the bacterium that causes Q fever. Human infection is mainly transmitted from cattle, goats and sheep. The disease is usually self-limited. Pneumonia and hepatitis are the most common clinical manifestations. In this study, we present a case of Q fever from the western part of Turkey mimicking Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in terms of clinical and laboratory findings.     

Pedro Pons' sign as a Brucellosis complication

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases. Several complications may be seen during its clinical course. Here, we describe a patient who presented with complaints of fatigue, malaise, and intensive lumbar pain. He had been suffering from these complaints for nearly 1 month. It was learned that he lived in rural area, made and ate his own cheese. The Rose Bengal test was positive and Brucella standard tube agglutination was positive at 1/320 titer. Pedro Pons' sign, an osteoarticular complication of brucellosis, was revealed with the aid of radiologic imaging. Osteoarticular involvement is common in the course of brucellosis. Deformation in vertebrae formerly known as Pedro Pons' sign should be thought in brucellosis patients suffering from lumbar pain.     

Penile keratoacanthoma associated with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder in Muir-Torre syndrome

A combination of some specific skin tumors with visceral cancers characterize Muir-Torre syndrome. A 60-year-old male patient who presented with penile keratoacanthoma accompanied by bladder and colorectal cancer is presented.     

Early Protective Effects of Iloprost after Experimental Spinal Cord Ischemia in Rabbits

The potential role of Iloprost, a stable analogue of prostocyclin, in treating spinal cord ischemia was investigated in rabbits subjected to aortic occlusion for 15 minutes. Ten adult rabbits weighing 2-2.5 kg received an intravenous infusion of saline (SF) as a control group and 14 rabbits received an intravenous infusion of Iloprost, 25 microg/kg/h. Iloprost infusion was started immediately after clamping of the aorta and continued 60 minutes thereafter. Cortical somatosensorial evoked potentials (CSEP) were recorded during the pre-ischemic period as a baseline and post-ischemic readings were taken at 15, 30 and 60 minutes. There was no statistically significant difference between CSEP of the saline and Iloprost treated groups (p < 0.05). All animals were examined neurologically by using a modification of Tarlov scale and all subjects were then deeply anesthetized and their spinal cords were removed for light and electron microscopic examinations at 24 h after spinal cord ischemia. In order to obtain an accurate comparison of ultrastructural changes between saline treated and Iloprost treated groups, a grading scale was performed. The light microscopic and ultrastructural analysis of the Iloprost treated group revealed that there was moderate protection of the myelin and axons and edema was attenuated. Findings of this study suggest that Iloprost exerts a protective effect on spinal cord ischemia. However, further studies are needed to reveal possible mechanisms of protection provided by Iloprost.