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Dye laser treatment of port-wine stains: comparison of the continuous-wave dye laser with a robotized scanning device and the pulsed dye laser.

BACKGROUND: Despite good results in the treatment of most port-wine stains (PWS) with continuous-wave visible-light lasers, light PWS and those in certain locations respond less favorably and have a higher risk of scarring. Robotized scanning devices such as the Hexascan device have been developed for continuous-wave laser sources to produce greater target specificity, to increase reproducibility of results, and to decrease the incidence of adverse effects. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of the same wavelength of light (585 nm) on test sites within PWS with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser and a continuous-wave tunable dye laser scanned through a Hexascan robotized scanning device. METHODS: Two adjacent, noncontiguous sites within PWS were treated in 29 patients, one site with the flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser and the other with an argon-pumped continuous-wave tunable dye laser affixed to a Hexascan device. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients completed the study. The pulsed dye laser was found to be superior to the continuous-wave dye laser with the Hexascan device in 45% of patients, whereas the continuous-wave tunable dye laser with the Hexascan device was considered superior in 15%. There was no difference in the remaining 40%. Undesirable side effects were infrequent with both treatments. There was no significant difference in hypopigmentation or atrophic and hypertrophic scarring, but hyperpigmentation was more frequent with the continuous-wave dye laser with the Hexascan device. CONCLUSION: Both the pulsed dye laser and continuous tunable-wave dye laser with the Hexascan device produce slight lightening after one treatment. The pulsed dye laser produces slightly greater lightening than the continuous-wave tunable dye laser with the Hexascan device 6 weeks after treatment of test areas within PWS in 40% of those treated. It also produced slightly less hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation.

Adolescent↗

Pigmentary disorders in oriental skin.

Brown hyperpigmented disorders may be melanotic in which there is a normal number of epidermal melanocytes but melanin pigment is increased in the epidermis (eg, melasma), melanocytotic, in which melanocytes are increased (eg, café-au-lait macules), and nonmelanotic hyperpigmentation (eg, minocycline pigmentation). Blue hyperpigmented disorders may also be melanotic in which there is a normal number of epidermal melanocytes, but melanin pigment is present in the upper dermis (eg, gray/slate pigmentation in Riehl's melanosis), melanocytotic in which melanocytes are present in both the epidermis and dermis (eg, blue pigmentation in Nevus Ota and Mongolian spot), and nonmelanotic hyperpigmentation in which pigment is present in the deep dermis (eg, blue pigmentation in tattoos). Hypomelanosis (leukoderma) may be divided histopathologically into melanocytopenic disorders on which melanocytes are absent (eg, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome and vitiligo), melanopenic disorders in which melanocytes are present but melanin is reduced (eg, nevus depigmentosus and incontinentia pigmenti achromians), and nonmelanotic disorders in which melanin pigmentation is unaffected (nevus anemicus) and the pigmentary abnormality is caused by something other than melanin. There are numerous pigmentary disorders in the oriental skin, and some of them are either characteristic to or established in the orientals. Importantly, a number of congenital hypermelanotic and hypomelanotic diseases (eg, nevus depigmentosus, incontinentia pigmenti, and incontinentia pigmenti achromians, take a distribution following to the Blaschko's line.

Asian People↗

Generalized mottled pigmentation with postnatal skin blistering in three generations.

We describe three generations of a family expressing progressive mottled hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation on the non-exposed parts of the body from childhood to adult life. At birth, they all had epidermal blistering of the distal extremities. Although the palmoplantar warty keratoses could be related to the bulla formation, the pigmentary changes could not. Otherwise, there were no systemic disorders. Genetic diseases with spotty epidermal hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation form a long list and the diagnosis is not always easy. Although different diagnostically, the condition resembled an entity described by Siemens in 1922 and epidermolysis bullosa with mottled pigmentation. Molecular biological investigation would be required to characterize the phenotype of this entity, which apparently was a mutation occurring in one family for three generations.

Adult↗

Biostimulation of dermal fibroblast by sublethal Q-switched Nd:YAG 532 nm laser: collagen remodeling and pigmentation.

The application of medical lasers in treating pigmented lesions has rapidly developed over the past decade. In both clinical and cosmetic application, melanin is targeted in pigmented areas and destroyed by the mechanism of selective photothermolysis. When laser radiation passes through superficial pigmented tissue, energy will be further reduced by dermal collagen scattering and absorption. Non-pigmented dermal fibroblasts will be exposed to co-incidental laser irradiation at lower energy levels. Biostimulation of dermal fibroblasts by low energy laser is reported in this paper. The Q-switched frequency doubled Nd:YAG 532nm laser used in clinical laser therapy was used in this study. Sublethal laser fluence was determined at 0.8J/cm(2) and used to stimulate normal human fibroblasts in monolayer culture. The results showed that there was no significant difference in collagen synthesis between the stimulated fibroblasts and controls. However, significant delay in collagen remodeling activity was demonstrated in the irradiated group by measuring fibroblast populated collagen lattice (FPCL) contraction. The stimulation of SCF, HGF and b-FGF gene expression was determined by RT-PCR analysis and demonstrated to vary between cases. Two out of six cell lineages that showed stronger responses to laser stimulation on SCF, HGF and b-FGF gene expressions were used to prepare conditioned media. The conditioned media from irradiated groups showed significant increase in SCF and b-FGF content and stimulated SK-mel-3 melanoma cells to synthesize more melanin in vitro. These results suggest that sublethal laser stimulation of fibroblasts may cause post-laser hyperpigmentation through production of melanogenic stimulatory cytokines. The degree of stimulation of SCF, HGF and b-FGF production varied between individual cell lineages, which may reflect the true variation of post-laser hyperpigmentation in clinical practice.

Adult↗

Foveal congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium in the setting of geographic atrophy from age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To report a case of presumed congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium in the fovea of an 88-year-old woman in the setting of geographic atrophy from age-related macular degeneration. DESIGN: Observational case report. METHODS: An 88-year-old woman was examined. RESULTS: Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/63 in the right eye and 20/50 in the left eye. Multifocal areas of geographic atrophy and large-sized drusen were seen in the maculae of both eyes. Biomicroscopic examination of the right eye showed hyperpigmentation consistent with congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium through the center of the macula. No prior photographic documentation of the retina was available. CONCLUSION: This case suggests that foveal congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium may be seen in the setting of macular geographic atrophy. Although it is theoretically possible that the hyperpigmentation is reactive rather than congenital, the pigmentation is typical for congenital hypertrophy and is unlike any reactive pigmentation in our experience or described in a MEDLINE search of features of age-related macular degeneration. The case suggests that a hypertrophic process of the retinal pigment epithelium may coexist within or immediately adjacent to the anatomic boundaries of an atrophic process such as geographic atrophy from age-related macular degeneration.

Aged↗

Overexpression of thioredoxin in Fanconi anemia fibroblasts prevents the cytotoxic and DNA damaging effect of mitomycin C and diepoxybutane.

Adult T cell leukemia derived factor (ADF)/thioredoxin (Trx) is known to be an important intracellular antioxidant involved in a number of redox reactions such as ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) as well as of tyrosinase. Since RNR is a key enzyme of nucleotide metabolism and DNA synthesis, a reduced Trx level would result in reduced enzymatic activity and cause DNA damage. Furthermore, Trx is considered to be an effective regulator of redox sensitive gene expression. The role of Trx in nucleotide metabolism and gene expression may be an explanation for increased chromosomal instability as well as hypersensitivity towards oxygen, ROI and ROI generating agents. The activity of tyrosinase, the key enzyme of melanin biosynthesis, is influenced by the thioredoxin level and by superoxide radicals. Low thioredoxin levels and high superoxide concentrations activate tyrosinase causing hyperpigmentation of the skin. In addition to the observed high superoxide concentration in Fanconi anemia (FA) patients, a low thioredoxin level might be responsible for the hyperpigmentation (café-au-lait spots) in this disease. We observed that overexpression of the thioredoxin cDNA in FA fibroblasts completely abolished the DNA damaging effects of mitomycin C and diepoxybutane and inhibited the constitutive activity of the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) in SV40 transformed FA fibroblasts. However, spontaneous chromosomal breakage was not affected.

Antioxidants↗

Fundus autofluorescence and age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the autofluorescence images of patients with nonexudative and the fellow eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). DESIGN: Observational case series. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-four patients seen in the author's practice. METHODS: A fundus camera-based system for autofluorescence photographs was used, and the wavelengths for the excitation (580 nm) and barrier (695 nm) filters were based on known transmission and autofluorescent characteristics of the ocular media. Patients were also photographed with red-free and infrared monochromatic imaging. The mean levels of autofluorescence were compared between patients without (group 1) and those with exudative AMD. Comparisons were made among patients with exudative AMD, examining the autofluorescence pattern in those without retinal vascular contribution to the exudative process (group 2) to those with retinal vascular contribution (group 3). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean amounts and patterns of autofluorescence. RESULTS: A total of 54 patients was evaluated; 18 were in each group. The mean age was 75.4 years, and there was no difference in the mean ages among the groups (P = 0.16). There was no correlation of the autofluorescence measurements and the degree of nuclear sclerosis (P = 0.14). Patients with exudative AMD had more autofluorescence in the fellow eye than did eyes of patients without exudative AMD (P = 0.002). Patients in group 3 were more likely to have focal hyperpigmentation, particularly as imaged by infrared light (P = 0.015), and focal areas of intense autofluorescence (P = 0.001) than were patients in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: By use of this method of autofluorescence imaging, it was determined that the fellow eyes of patients with exudative AMD had larger amounts of autofluorescence than did the eyes of patients without a history of exudative AMD. Patients with retinal vascular anastomosis to the vascular proliferation of exudative AMD were much more likely to have focal areas of intense autofluorescence in their fellow eye that corresponded, for the most part, with focal areas of hyperpigmentation best seen by infrared monochromatic fundus photography. Because the amount of fluorescence is directly related to the amount of lipofuscin, which in turn is related to the cumulative amount of oxidative damage, these findings suggest possible explanations for certain patterns of vessel growth seen in exudative AMD.

Aged↗

Tinea versicolor: a light and electron microscopic study of hyperpigmented skin.

Hyperpigmentation in lesions of tinea versicolor has previously been reported to be a result of the effects of the fungus Pityrosporon orbiculare on melanosome formation and distribution. Examination of biopsy specimens from lesions of hyperpigmented tinea versicolor involving vitiliginous skin reveals an absence of melanosomes and melanocytes. Reddish-tan and fawn-colored hyperpigmentation in tinea versicolor of this type is not due to melanin pigment. The possible nature of the pigmentation that delineates hyperpigmented tinea versicolor from normal skin is discussed.

Aged↗

Tretinoin in the preoperative and postoperative management of dermabrasion.

Full-face or half-face dermabrasions for acne scarring were performed in 123 patients, 88 of whom received pretreatment for at least 2 weeks with 0.05% tretinoin cream. In the group that received tretinoin, healing, as evidenced by reepithelialization, was complete by 7 days; most of these patients completely healed in 5 days. All patients who did not receive tretinoin healed by 11 days, but none healed sooner than 7 days. No milia or postinflammatory hyperpigmentation was experienced by patients treated with tretinoin when the drug was resumed within 1 week after dermabrasion. In the group that received no tretinoin, milia and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation occurred in 28% of patients postoperatively.

Acne Vulgaris↗

Riehl's melanosis: pigmented contact dermatitis caused by fragrances.

We report a case of a 27-year-old woman with a patchy, dark brown hyperpigmentation on the face. Patch tests were positive to lemon oil, geraniol, and hydroxycitronellal. A compact face powder that the patient used contained two of these chemicals. Hyperpigmentation disappeared within 6 months after the patient avoided contact with cosmetics containing these fragrances.

Adult↗

Cutaneous findings in HIV-1-positive patients: a 42-month prospective study. Military Medical Consortium for the Advancement of Retroviral Research (MMCARR).

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous disease is common in patients infected with HIV-1. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to identify cutaneous markers associated with HIV-1 infection and disease progression as measured by Walter Reed (WR) stage. METHODS: For 42 months we have observed 912 HIV-1-positive patients in all WR stages. All patients had an extensive past and present medical history taken as well as a complete physical examination, periodic visits, and appropriate diagnostic procedures. RESULTS: Increasing dryness of the skin and seborrheic dermatitis are early findings in a large percentage of patients in WR stage 1; the occurrence and severity of both conditions increase with disease progression. Tinea infections, condylomata acuminata, and verrucae are seen early, but with disease progression, although there is no clear increase in occurrence, these infections become more diffuse and resistant to treatment. Flares in acne vulgaris and folliculitis show a peak occurrence in early and mid-stage disease with a decreased occurrence in late-stage disease. Herpes simplex infections, oral candidiasis, molluscum contagiosum, Staphylococcus aureus infections, and oral hairy leukoplakia show a marked increase in occurrence with advanced disease. Conditions that have a statistically significant association with disease progression as measured by a change in a stage include drug eruptions, seborrheic dermatitis, oral candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, molluscum contagiosum, herpes zoster, and hyperpigmentation (nail, oral, skin). CONCLUSION: The most frequent and persistent cutaneous disorders were asteatosis (with or without asteatotic eczema) and seborrheic dermatitis. Conditions that were associated with a change in WR stage include drug eruptions, seborrheic dermatitis, oral candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, molluscum contagiosum, herpes zoster, and hyperpigmentation. In addition to Kaposi's sarcoma, patients with HIV-1 disease have an increased potential for the development of both cutaneous epithelial and probably melanocytic malignancies. Epithelial tumors were seen in patients in all stages of disease.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Depigmentation with tert-butyl hydroquinone using black guinea pigs.

tert-Butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) has important and functional uses in consumer and commercial applications, some of which involve human exposure primarily through dermal contact. To assist in the safety evaluation of TBHQ, this study was conducted to determine whether TBHQ would produce changes in skin pigmentation after repeated dermal application to black guinea pigs. Hydroquinone (HQ) and hydroquinone monomethyl ether (HQMME) were used as positive controls. TBHQ and HQ were tested at concentrations of 0.1, 1.0 and 5.0%, while HQMME was tested at a concentration of 10.0%. Groups of five males and five females were dosed with TBHQ, HQ, or the vehicle (hydrophilic ointment) daily (M-F) for 13 weeks. In addition, animals (five males, five females) treated with HQMME received 13 doses over a 3-week period. The application site was evaluated weekly for degree of pigmentation loss and irritation. Twenty-four hours after final application, sites were evaluated for depigmentation, irritation and hyperpigmentation. Subsequently, the application site was depilated and re-evaluated for the same endpoints. Repetitive exposure to concentrations of 1.0% and 5.0% TBHQ and HQ were slightly to moderately irritating, while 0.1% of each of these test materials produced only weak irritant responses. No irritant responses to hydrophilic ointment were observed and HQMME produced weak irritant responses after 2 weeks. Neither 0.1% TBHQ nor HQ produced depigmentation, while 20% of animals dosed with 1.0% TBHQ and 30% of animals dosed with 1.0% HQ had spotty or uniform loss of pigment at the site of treatment. Approximately 40% of animals dosed with 5% TBHQ or HQ were depigmented at the treatment site at the final evaluation. HQMME produced complete depigmentation of the skin and hair in all animals. Hyperpigmentation of the treatment site was observed in 80-100% of animals in all groups (with the exception of HQMME-treated animals, treated for only 3 weeks), which may be attributable to the use of hydrophilic ointment as the vehicle, the application procedure, or simply clipping hair from the skin. Thus, this study showed that TBHQ causes depigmentation in black guinea pigs at concentrations of 1% or greater, but that a no-effect threshold for this endpoint exists at a concentration between 0.1 and 1.0%.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

The morphologic diagnosis of analgesic (phenacetin) abuse.

A number of different morphologic characteristics were examined to determine their relative values in establishing a purely morphologic diagnosis of phenacetin abuse. These included hyperpigmentation of the skin, the costal cartilages, the liver, and the renal tubules, and capillarosclerosis of the lower urinary tract. Hyperpigmentation of the skin, liver, and renal tubules cannot be used in the diagnosis of phenacetin abuse. Massive brown pigmentation of the costal cartilages in patients under 60 years of age suggests phenacetin abuse, but even this morphologic parameter, when used alone, is insufficient to establish a definite diagnosis. Capillarosclerosis in the lower urinary tract does, however, permit one to diagnose phenacetin abuse with certainty, as it is found exclusively in this condition.

Adolescent↗

Acne in ethnic skin.

Acne is the most common disorder observed in ethnic skin. Clinical presentation is different than in white skin. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation is a common sequelae of acne in darker skin. The management of acne in ethnic skin is based largely on the prevention and treatment of hyperpigmentation.

Acne Vulgaris↗

Changes in the proliferative activity of epidermal melanocytes in serum-free primary culture during the development of ultraviolet radiation B-induced pigmented spots in hairless mice.

Long-term exposure to ultraviolet radiation B (UVB) induced pigmented spots in the dorsal skin of hairless mice of strain (HR-1 X HR/De)F1. To clarify the cellular mechanism for the development of these UVB-induced pigmented spots, we investigated changes in the proliferative activity of epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes in the dorsal skin at various weeks after UVB irradiation. Epidermal cell suspensions from the dorsal skin of hairless mice were cultured in a serum-free medium supplemented with dibutyryl adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). The suspensions were prepared from dorsal skins of mice exposed to UVB for 4 weeks (the stage of hyperpigmentation). Suspensions were also prepared from mice at 3 (the stage of depigmentation), 8 (the stage of appearance of pigmented spots), 20 (the stage of development of small-sized pigmented spots) and 37 (the stage of development of medium-sized pigmented spots) weeks after the cessation of 8-week UVB exposure. At the stage of hyperpigmentation the proliferative activity of melanoblasts and melanocytes was suppressed. With the development of pigmented spots, the proliferative activity of undifferentiated melanoblasts gradually increased, and then followed the increase in the proliferative activity of differentiated melanocytes. These results suggest that the proliferative activity of epidermal melanoblasts and melanocytes in UVB-irradiated skin increases with the development of pigmented spots.

Animals↗

Effects of melanogenesis-inducing nitric oxide and histamine on the production of eumelanin and pheomelanin in cultured human melanocytes.

Melanin pigments produced in human melanocytes are classified into two categories; black coloured eumelanin and reddish-yellow pheomelanin. Stimulation of melanocytes with alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), one of several melanogenic factors, has been reported to enhance eumelanogenesis to a greater degree than pheomelanogenesis, which contributes to hyperpigmentation in skin. Nitric oxide (NO) and histamine are also melanogenesis-stimulating factors that are released from cells surrounding melanocytes following ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. In this study, the effects of NO and histamine on the ratio of eumelanin and pheomelanin were examined in human melanocytes, and then compared with that of alpha-MSH. The amounts of eumelanin and pheomelanin were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis after oxidation and hydrolysis of melanin. Melanogenesis was induced by the addition of alpha-MSH, NO, or histamine to melanocytes. The amount of eumelanin production significantly increased with independent stimulation by these melanogenic factors, especially histamine, while that of pheomelanin significantly increased with alpha-MSH and NO, but only slightly with histamine. As a result, the ratio of eumelanin and pheomelanin increased significantly with the addition of NO or histamine. These results suggest that NO and histamine, as in the case of alpha-MSH, may contribute to UV-induced hyperpigmentation by enhancing eumelanogenesis.

Cells, Cultured↗

Effect of cyclosporin A on melanogenesis in cultured human melanocytes.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a widely used immunosuppressant. Reports on the effect of CsA on hyperpigmentation in patients appear inconsistent, and the effect of CsA on skin pigment cells (melanocytes) in vitro is unknown. We examined the effect of CsA on human melanocyte proliferation and melanogenesis in vitro. Melanocyte proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited by 0.1-10 microM CsA, with no effect on cell viability. Melanocytes incubated with 10 microM CsA for 6 days showed decreased pigmentation and tyrosinase activity. Western blot analysis using an anti-tyrosinase antibody revealed that CsA (0.1-10 microM) decreased tyrosinase protein levels in a dose-dependent manner. Northern blot analysis showed similar effects on tyrosinase mRNA levels. These effects of CsA on melanogenesis in vitro are not consistent with suggestions that systemic CsA therapy causes patient skin hyperpigmentation.

Cell Division↗

The depigmenting effect of alpha-tocopheryl ferulate on human melanoma cells.

Oral vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol, alpha-T) supplementation has been reported to improve facial hyperpigmentation. alpha-Tocopheryl ferulate (alpha-TF) is a compound of alpha-T and ferulic acid connected by an ester bond; ferulic acid is also an antioxidant, and could scavenge free radicals induced by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and thus maintain the long-lasting antioxidative effect of alpha-T. Our aim was to see whether alpha-TF might be useful as a whitening agent and an antioxidant to improve and prevent facial hyperpigmentation following UV exposure. In this study, the inhibitory effect of alpha-TF on melanogenesis was examined biochemically using human melanoma cells in culture. The results show that alpha-TF, solubilized in ethanol or in 0.5% lecithin, inhibited melanization significantly, as did alpha-T at a concentration of 100 microg/mL, without inhibiting cell growth. This phenotypic change was associated with inhibition of tyrosinase and 5, 6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid polymerase activities, and the degree of inhibition was dose dependent. No significant effect on DOPAchrome tautomerase activity was observed. alpha-TF did not directly inhibit tyrosinase activity of the large granule fraction extracted from human melanoma cells, and Western blotting revealed that there were no changes in protein content or in molecular size of tyrosinase, tyrosinase-related protein (TRP)-1 or TRP-2. Therefore, the inhibition of tyrosinase activity by alpha-TF might be due to effects at the post-translational level, and possibly by a secondary molecule activated by alpha-TF. These results suggest that alpha-TF is a candidate for an efficient whitening agent which suppresses melanogenesis and inhibits biological reactions induced by reactive oxygen species.

Antioxidants↗