Auriculotemporal or Frey syndrome is characterized mainly by recurrent episodes of facial gustatory flushing and/or sweating, limited to the cutaneous distribution of the auriculotemporal nerve. Although relatively common in adults following injury to the auriculotemporal nerve or parotid disease, the condition has rarely been reported in children. Moreover, in childhood, auriculotemporal syndrome has been described mainly in infancy and early childhood as a sequel of perinatal birth trauma resulting from assisted forceps delivery. We report a 13-year-old girl with a 2-month history of recurrent, painless, preauricular gustatory flushing without sweating, initially suspected to be a food allergy. Detailed inquiry revealed a history of a bicycle accident with mandibular condyle fracture 7 years prior to the onset of symptoms. Our patient demonstrates an unusual presentation of auriculotemporal syndrome in late childhood as gustatory flushing mimicking food allergy. Awareness of this variant is essential for prompt recognition, thus avoiding unnecessary laboratory tests, especially as this condition usually resolves spontaneously.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Primary cutaneous follicle center cell lymphoma.

The exact classification of primary cutaneous follicle center cell lymphomas (FCCLs) has been the subject of ongoing debate. In the classification of cutaneous lymphomas proposed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-Cutaneous Lymphoma Project Group, cutaneous follicle center cell lymphoma (FCCL) is defined as a proliferation of centrocytes and centroblasts showing a diffuse pattern of growth in the great majority of cases, and presenting only rarely a true follicular pattern. CD10 and Bcl-2 are usually not expressed by neoplastic cells, and the t(14:18) is absent. By contrast, nodal follicular lymphoma is a tumor with a follicular pattern, characterized by the proliferation of CD10+, Bcl-2+ follicular cells, and by the presence of the t(14;18) in most cases. In this review we outline the clinicopathologic, phenotypic, and molecular features of primary cutaneous FCCL, reviewing criteria for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of this peculiar variant of cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.

Clone Cells↗

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Long-term results in the treatment of vitiligo with oral khellin plus UVA.

This study was performed to assess the effectiveness and short-term and long-term safety of oral khellin plus UVA (KUVA) in patients with vitiligo. Twenty-eight patients (13 males and 15 females; mean age, 34 years; [age range, 15-51 years]) most with extensive generalized vitiligo of more than 6 months duration had received KUVA at sometime during a 14-year period. The response to treatment (i.e. repigmentation of depigmented areas) was rated retrospectively comparing photographs taken before and after therapy and correlation analysis revealed that it was statistically significantly linked to the number of KUVA treatments (r = 0.833, P = 0.001) and to total cumulative UVA dose (r = 0.840, P = 0.001). Of 17 patients who had continued therapy for longer than 3 months, 7 (41%) had a good response (i.e., more than 70% repigmentation of lesional skin) after a mean of 194 treatments (range, 69-386 treatments) and a mean cumulative UVA dose of 2,036 J/cm2 (range, 690-4,411 J/cm2), whereas lower response grades were observed in the patients with lower treatment numbers. The most common short-term side effect was mild nausea, occurring in 8 of 28 patients (29%), and mainly in the first week(s) of treatment. Follow-up assessment at a mean of 40 months (range, 4-110 months) after the end of KUVA therapy available in 23 of 28 patients revealed no skin cancers or actinic skin damage in any patient. These data indicate that KUVA seems to be safe as well as effective for vitiligo, provided treatment is administered long enough.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

No evidence for c-erbB-2 overexpression in cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated the expression of the c-erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) oncoprotein in several malignant tumors and have related its overexpression with poor prognosis. Because cutaneous melanoma is a malignant tumor associated with poor prognosis, we investigated the expression of c-erbB-2 protein in cutaneous melanoma and in melanoma metastatic to the skin. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of c-erbB-2 protein in 20 primary cutaneous melanomas and in 10 melanomas metastatic to the skin was investigated using a semi-quantitative immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS: No specific staining with c-erbB-2 antibody was observed in any of the 20 cases of primary malignant melanoma or 10 cases of melanoma metastatic to the skin. CONCLUSION: c-erbB-2 overexpression does not appear to play a role in the development of primary cutaneous melanoma or in the development of metastatic melanoma, indicating that mechanisms other than c-erbB-2 overexpression are involved in the pathogenesis of cutaneous melanoma.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Fatal course of a fungal pneumonia in glucocorticoid-treated recurrent febrile nodular panniculitis; Pfeifer-Weber-Christian syndrome].

The history of a 63 yr. old woman with a serious form of Weber-Christian's disease is reported. During treatment with glucocorticosteriods and antibiotics bilateral condida pneumonitis developed, which ended fatally. A short review of Weber-Christian's disease is given, and the problems concerning its treatment are outlined. The systemic application of glucocorticosteroids in this disease should be reserved for the serious forms.

Adipose Tissue↗