Are We Missing Something? The Skin Lesions Not Seen in Teledermatology

Background The suspected skin cancer electronic referral pathway was introduced in 2017. It requires general practitioners to add regional, close-up, and dermoscopic images to a lesion-specific referral template for a teledermatologist to review and advise on management. The virtual lesion clinic is a nurse-led clinic used since 2010 to obtain high-quality images for teledermoscopy assessment. A limitation of both services is the absence of a full-body examination. Objective This study aims to evaluate the number of skin cancers missed during teledermatology assessment. Methods This is a retrospective review of skin lesion referrals to dermatology. Suspected skin cancer referrals made in the latter half of 2020 were compared with referrals to the virtual lesion clinic during a similar time period in 2016. Results The study included 481 patients with 548 lesions in the 2020 suspected skin cancer cohort that were matched for age, sex, and ethnicity to 400 patients with 682 lesions in the 2016 virtual lesion clinic cohort. A total of 41 patients underwent subsequent specialist review in the suspected skin cancer cohort compared to 91 in the virtual lesion clinic cohort. A total of 20% of the suspected skin cancer cohort and 24% of the virtual lesion clinic cohort were found to have at least one additional lesion of concern. The majority of these were keratinocytic skin cancers; there were 2 and 0 additional melanomas or melanoma-in-situ, respectively. The virtual lesion clinic nurses identified additional lesions for imaging in 78 of 400 (20%) patients assessed in the virtual lesion clinic. The teledermatologist determined (author AO) that 73% of these additional lesions were malignant. Of the 548 lesions, 10 (2%) in the suspected skin cancer group were rereferred, none of which had a change in diagnosis. Out of 682 lesions, 16 (2%) in the virtual lesion clinic cohort were rereferred, 6 (1%) of which had a change in diagnosis. Conclusions Patients diagnosed with skin cancer often have multiple lesions of concern. Single-lesion teledermoscopy diagnoses have high concordance with in-person evaluation and histology; however, we have shown that in-person examination may reveal other suspicious lesions. The importance of a full-body skin examination should be emphasized to the referrer. Acknowledgments The Waikato Medical Research Foundation provided financial support for the study. Conflicts of Interest None declared.

Are We Missing Something? The Skin Lesions Not Seen in Teledermatology (Preprint)

BACKGROUND The suspected skin cancer electronic referral pathway was introduced in 2017. It requires general practitioners to add regional, close-up, and dermoscopic images to a lesion-specific referral template for a teledermatologist to review and advise on management. The virtual lesion clinic is a nurse-led clinic used since 2010 to obtain high-quality images for teledermoscopy assessment. A limitation of both services is the absence of a full-body examination. OBJECTIVE This study aims to evaluate the number of skin cancers missed during teledermatology assessment. METHODS This is a retrospective review of skin lesion referrals to dermatology. Suspected skin cancer referrals made in the latter half of 2020 were compared with referrals to the virtual lesion clinic during a similar time period in 2016. RESULTS The study included 481 patients with 548 lesions in the 2020 suspected skin cancer cohort that were matched for age, sex, and ethnicity to 400 patients with 682 lesions in the 2016 virtual lesion clinic cohort. A total of 41 patients underwent subsequent specialist review in the suspected skin cancer cohort compared to 91 in the virtual lesion clinic cohort. A total of 20% of the suspected skin cancer cohort and 24% of the virtual lesion clinic cohort were found to have at least one additional lesion of concern. The majority of these were keratinocytic skin cancers; there were 2 and 0 additional melanomas or melanoma-in-situ, respectively. The virtual lesion clinic nurses identified additional lesions for imaging in 78 of 400 (20%) patients assessed in the virtual lesion clinic. The teledermatologist determined (author AO) that 73% of these additional lesions were malignant. Of the 548 lesions, 10 (2%) in the suspected skin cancer group were rereferred, none of which had a change in diagnosis. Out of 682 lesions, 16 (2%) in the virtual lesion clinic cohort were rereferred, 6 (1%) of which had a change in diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Patients diagnosed with skin cancer often have multiple lesions of concern. Single-lesion teledermoscopy diagnoses have high concordance with in-person evaluation and histology; however, we have shown that in-person examination may reveal other suspicious lesions. The importance of a full-body skin examination should be emphasized to the referrer.

Ultrasound evaluation shows increase in laxity after partial common extensor origin detachment but not after additional lesion of the radial band of the lateral collateral ligament

Purpose The lateral elbow musculature conveys a dynamic valgus moment to the elbow, increasing joint stability. Muscular or tendinous lesions to the anterior half of the common extensor origin (CEO) may provoke a deficiency in the elbow dynamic stabilizers, regardless of their traumatic, degenerative, or iatrogenic aetiology. Furthermore, a role for the radial band of the lateral collateral ligament (R-LCL) has been postulated in the aetiology of lateral elbow pain. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sequential lateral releases with dynamic ultrasound, evaluating its capability to detect lesions of the CEO and of the R-LCL. Methods Ultrasound investigation of the lateral compartment of the elbow was performed on nine cadaveric specimens with a 10 MHz linear probe in basal conditions, after the release of the anterior half of the CEO and after complete R-LCL release. The lateral joint line widening (λ) was the primary outcome parameter, measured as the linear distance between the humeral and radial articular surfaces. Results The release of the anterior half of the CEO significantly increased λ by 200% compared to the starting position (p = 0.0008) and the previously loaded position (p = 0.0015). Conversely, further release of the R-LCL caused only a marginal, non-significant increase in λ. Conclusions Ultrasound evaluation can detect changes related to tendon tears or muscular avulsions of the CEO and can depict lateral elbow compartmental patholaxity by assessing articular space widening while scanning under dynamic stress. However, it cannot reliably define if the R-LCL is injured. Iatrogenic damage to the CEO should be carefully avoided, since it causes a massive increase in compartmental laxity.

Phase I Study to Assess Safety of Laser-Assisted Topical Administration of an Anti-TNF Biologic in Patients With Chronic Plaque-Type Psoriasis

Ablative fractional laser treatment facilitates epidermal drug delivery, which might be an interesting option to increase the topical efficacy of biological drugs in a variety of dermatological diseases. This work aims at investigating safety and tolerability of this new treatment approach in patients with plaque-type psoriasis. Eight patients with plaque-type psoriasis were enrolled in this study. All patients received (i) ablative fractional laser microporation (AFL) of a psoriatic lesion with an Er:YAG laser + etanercept (ETA; Enbrel® solution for injection) (AFL-ETA), (ii) ETA alone on another lesion, and, if feasible, (iii) AFL alone on an additional lesion. Overall, all treatment arms showed a favorable safety profile. AFL-ETA improved the lesion-specific TPSS score by 1.75 vs. baseline, whereas ETA or AFL alone showed a TPSS score improvement of 0.75 points, a difference that was not statistically significant and might be attributable to differences in baseline scores. Topical administration of ETA to psoriatic plaques via AFL-generated micropores was generally well-tolerated. No special precautions seem necessary in future studies. Clinical benefit will need assessment in sufficiently powered follow-up studies.

Concomitant utilization of radiofrequency ablation during atrial fibrillation cryoballoon ablation procedures

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Use of cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has become increasingly common in recent years. While various techniques have been described for use of the cryoballoon to achieve PVI and create selective additional lesion sets, the need for concomitant radiofrequency (RF) ablation in delivering touch-up ablation or non-PVI lesion sets has not been quantified. Purpose To quantify the rate of RF ablation catheter use in AF CBA procedures, and to evaluate whether indication for ablation can be used as a predictor of the need for supplementary RF ablation. Methods Self-reported data was prospectively collected in AF CBA procedures. Procedural characteristics including concomitant utilization of RF ablation catheters and lesion set delivery were recorded and analyzed. Post-hoc statistical analysis was completed utilizing a two-sample t-test of significance. Results Data was collected in a total of 246 AF CBA cases across 44 centers in the USA, Europe, and Japan. Included in the analysis were 170 paroxysmal atrial fibrillation cases (PAF group); 70 PersAF and 6 LsPersAF cases (PersAF group). Utilization rates for RF ablation catheters did not differ between the two groups; 35.9% and 36.8% of cases in PAF and PersAF, respectively (p = 0.885). The number of patients in which non-PV lesion sets were delivered also did not differ between groups; 38.2% and 40.8% in PAF and PersAF, respectively (p = 0.706). The choice of non-PV lesion sets varied as shown in Table 1. Upon completion of ablation, more patients were in sinus rhythm in the PAF group compared to the PersAF group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance; 88.2% and 78.9%, respectively (p = 0.057). Conclusions RF ablation catheter utilization rates were similar between groups, suggesting that indication (PAF vs. PersAF) alone is not a good predictor of whether concomitant RF ablation catheter utilization will be required during an AF CBA procedure. Table 1 Incidence Lesion Set PAF (n = 170) PersAF (n = 76) CTI Line 26.5% (45/170) 15.8% (12/76) Isolation/Homogenization of Fibrotic Areas 2.9% (5/170) 3.9% (3/76) CFE 2.9% (5/170) 0.0% (0/76) Posterior Wall Isolation 1.8% (3/170) 21.1% (16/76) Roof Line 1.8% (3/170) 7.9% (6/76) Other 9.4% (16/170) 27.6% (21/76) Utilization rate of non-PVI lesion sets

Neutrophilic dermatosis of the dorsal hands: A new case report associated with Basedow’s disease

Neutrophilic dermatosis of the dorsal hands (NDDH) is a newly described and poorly known disease, a topographic variant of Sweet’s syndrome, most often clinically misdiagnosed as an infectious process, which, as a result, delays treatment. In addition, its association with underlying systemic and neoplastic disorders increases the need for accurate and early diagnosis. Interestingly, our case had an additional lesion located on one leg. Our patient also presented bacterial conjunctivitis, which may have either been part of the clinical presentation or the trigger of this entity and which was an association with Basedow’s disease never described before.

Plasmacytoma Masquerading as Meningioma

Solitary bone plasmacytoma is a rare disease in the skull. We present a 70-year-old patient who presented with a skull deformity due to the left parietooccipital tumor. Neurological examination found no deficit. The systemic scanning revealed no additional lesion. The surgery was planned, and the tumor was removed totally with the marginal bone around it. Histopathological examination confirmed solitary bone plasmacytoma. The patient is being followed-up without recurrence or progression to multiple myeloma. As the calvarial solitary bone plasmacytomas can be easily misdiagnosed preoperatively, the detailed examination of the CT features may be helpful for the planning and course of the surgery.

Primary Pleural Angiosarcoma With Extensive And Rapid Metastasis To Brain And Bilateral Adrenal Glands

Casestudy: Angiosarcomas represent 1% of all soft tissue malignancies. Primary pleural angiosarcomas are aggressive and extremely rare. The etiology of pleural angiosarcoma is largely unknown but in the few reported cases it is associated with asbestos exposure. Common presenting symptoms are chest pain, cough, dyspnea, and weight loss. Localized tumors are generally resected, with other options including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Limited literature describes this rare neoplasm’s metastatic potential and patterns. We present a 64-year-old male with shoulder pain and chronic cough. CT thorax showed a large 6.7 x 8 cm mass with central necrosis in the left upper lung invading the chest wall with partial destruction of the second and third ribs, and axillary adenopathy. Bilateral adrenal nodules were also identified. Histology of the adrenal lesion reveal sheets of infiltrative polygonal/round cells with large nuclei, prominent nucleoli and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Tumor cells were positive for CD31, CD34, FLI-1, AE1/AE3 and CK7 immunohistochemical stain, correlating with primary epithelioid angiosarcoma. Based on the patients new development of confusion, dizziness and ataxia, an MRI was performed showing multiple metastatic brain lesions. One month after initial presentation, the patient again presented with worsening symptoms. Work up showed enlargement of the bilateral adrenal masses, doubling of the brain lesions and an additional lesion posterior to the left kidney. This case shows the metastatic potential and pattern of an aggressive primary neoplasm that is not described in current literature. It also highlights the importance of timely intervention based on the rapid metastatic progression of primary pleural angiosarcomas.

Detection of additional primary malignancies: the role of CT and PET/CT combined with multiple percutaneous biopsy

Objective: To evaluate the imaging findings of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and computed tomography (CT) in patients with additional primary tumors, correlating the results with those of the method used in order to elucidate the diagnosis and of the pathology reports. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records, pathology reports and images of 11 patients who underwent CT, 18F-FDG PET/CT, or both. We included patients with at least two tumors, with confirmed distinct histopathological profiles, at different sites. Patients in whom there was no diagnostic confirmation were excluded, as were those in whom the additional lesion was suspected of being a metastasis of the first. Results: New primary malignancies were identified in 11 patients, one new tumor being found in 10 and two new tumors being found in 1. The confirmed sites of the additional malignancies were the lung, kidney, prostate, jejunum, and breast. Single or multiple percutaneous biopsies were performed in 10 patients, and 1 patient underwent a surgical procedure for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The tumors were metachronous in 6 cases and synchronous in 5. Conclusion: CT and 18F-FDG PET-CT combined with multiple percutaneous biopsy could facilitate the diagnosis of additional lesions, thus optimizing the treatment and follow-up of the affected patients.