Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to R Baran.
A case of fixed-drug eruption due to cefalexine presented with acute paronychia. Twenty days after a further challenge with a single dose of the drug, a biopsy of the affected skin showed intense expression for ICAM-1.
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We report the case of a 55-year old man complaining of painful distal changes in the fingers. At physical examination the distal part of the fingers was enlarged as a result of thickening of the soft parts of the ungueal phalanges, and ungueal dystrophies were present. The patient also had inflammatory arthralgia of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, with limited flexion movements. Interrogation revealed a history of cutaneous psoriasis, and radiography of the hands showed DIP arthritis as well as osteitis and periostitis of the ungueal phalanges. The condition was diagnosed as classical psoriatic arthritis of the DIP type, and psoriatic onycho-pachydermo-periostitis, a new form of psoriatic arthritis recently described by Fournié et al. These authors have put forward a physiopathological hypothesis indicating a direct link between psoriatic inflammatory ungueal lesions and lesions of the ungueal phalanx and its soft parts. We had great difficulty in ascertaining the psoriatic nature of this acropachyderma, and we made successive tentative diagnoses of DIP osteoarthritis, pachydermo-periostitis and acromegaly. In this study, we describe the appearance of the ungueal lesions suggestive of psoriasis, and the other clinical forms of psoriatic arthritis.
Leprosy can cause many nail changes, which have been observed in up to 64% of infected patients. The manifestations of leprosy (clinical, bacteriologic, and histological) are profoundly affected by the patient's immunological status, which also determines the prognosis. Nail changes in leprosy can be caused by neuropathy and trauma, vascular impairment, infections, and miscellaneous changes. Often more than one factor will be important. Paradoxically, nail changes in tuberculoid and lepromatous patients are similar, despite wide differences in pathology. This may be because etiological factors common to both are implicated. Factors only associated with lepromatous disease are invasion of the bones of terminal phalanges by lepromatous granulomas and endarteritis occurring during type 2 lepra reactions. Otherwise, the only difference from tuberculoid leprosy is the time of onset and the symmetry of lesions. Lepromatous patients develop nail changes late in the course of disease. The presentation is usually bilaterally symmetrical. However, these changes are not specific to leprosy, and may be observed in other peripheral neuropathies.
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The authors present several cases of distal onycholysis from the same family. Inheritance is autosomal dominant. The clinical features include a decreased rate of growth of the nail, scleronychia, a straight or concave proximal edge of detachment, palmoplantar hyperhidrosis and marked sensitivity of the fingers to cold. The lesions of the nails are isolated. This is, to our knowledge, only the third report of such an onychopathy.
Examination of individuals affected by onychotillomania led us to describe a new cause of longitudinal melanonychia (LM) of the finger-nails. Damage of the finger-nails was caused both manually and by chewing. The nail cuticles were usually pushed back, and biting caused pressure damage of the base of the nail. It is likely that finger-nails respond similarly to toe-nails and the matrix melanocytes can be stimulated by trauma. Such stimulation can apparently persist long after cessation of the trauma. Histological examination of the nail plates demonstrated that the pigment was melanin. In the matrix an increase in melanin content of melanocytes was found without melanocytic proliferation. LM due to onychotillomania should not be overlooked.
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Longitudinal melanonychia presents a difficult clinical challenge because subungual melanoma must always be included in the differential diagnosis and because the cause of longitudinal melanonychia is usually not apparent. Accordingly, biopsy is often necessary to establish the cause. This review attempts to expedite management by providing suggestions for the examination of patients with this disorder. The causes of longitudinal melanonychia are enumerated and clues to arrive at the various causes are discussed. Similarities between longitudinal melanonychia and subungual melanoma are discussed in an effort to clarify their differences and similarities; clues to the diagnosis of subungual melanoma are also discussed. Various biopsy techniques applicable to longitudinal melanonychia are considered and the indications for different surgical approaches are emphasized. The importance of the pathologist in interpreting nail biopsy specimens is emphasized.
A 55-year-old patient was treated with a combination of minoxidil and retinoic acid. After 1 month an explosive eruption of pyogenic granuloma appeared on the scalp. Despite redness and itchy reaction, caused only by the test containing both chemicals, histology did not give evidence of contact allergy.
A patient with progressive longitudinal ridging, diffuse pigmentation and narrowing of the finger nails as the only signs of lichen planus was treated with intramuscular injections of triamcinolone for 2 years. Her nails healed, with the appearance of normal proximal nails after 6 months. After one year, longitudinal bands of melanonychia appeared on the thumbs and still persist.
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Fifteen periungual fibromas from nine patients were studied histologically. The lesions were elongated. Capillaries were found in the distal part surrounded by thin collagen bundles whereas the proximal part was made up of dense, closely packed fibers. The epidermis covering the tumor appeared to be connected with the nail fold. The dense collagen of the lesion faded into the normal structure of the cutis of the proximal nail fold. Periungual fibromas can be subdivided into (1) fibrokeratomas originating from the dermal connective tissue and (2) fibrokeratomas originating from the proximal nail fold.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.