Efficacy Assessment of the High-Frequency High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound as a New Treatment for Actinic Keratosis

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Actinic keratosis (AK) is the most common precancerous cutaneous lesion, with risk of progression to cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. In the current study, we evaluated the efficacy of 20-MHz high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), as a new treatment modality for AK. <b><i>Materials and Methods:</i></b> Patients with AK lesions (grades I–III) treated with HIFU were included in the study. The clinical assessment was performed 3 months after therapy. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Twenty-one patients (14 men, 7 women) with 108 AK lesions (grades I–III) were included in the current study. Ages ranged from 62 to 85 years (mean 72.6 years). Clinically complete resolution of the actinic damage in the treated area was detected in 72.2% of lesions. Furthermore, 28 lesions (26%) showed a reduction of the AK grade, or partial response, after the therapy. Most of the patients experienced annoying but short pain during the procedure. However, late adverse effects of the therapy, such as hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation and erythema were reported only in a small portion of the lesions. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> 20-MHz HIFU could be an effective and safe alternative treatment for AK.

A rare case of asymptomatic solitary cutaneous mastocytoma in a child

Mastocytosis is a rare group of disorders occurring when mast cells diffusely infiltrate the skin or internal organs. It has two forms: Cutaneous and systemic mastocytosis. We present a case of a 12-year-old male child presenting with a reddish-brown cutaneous nodule on the anterior chest wall for 1 month. No other similar lesions were noted elsewhere. Routine hematological and radiological investigations did not reveal any abnormality. The lesion was excised, and a diagnosis of solitary cutaneous mastocytoma was made based on the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical features. This case highlights the importance of diagnosing this rare tumor which can present as an asymptomatic cutaneous lesion in a young child.

Amputation of a type II diabetic patient with cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania major

Background Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases of public health concern in Algeria. The immunocompromised patients with HIV, autoimmune diseases, or chronic alcohol abuse are at a higher risk of leishmaniasis. Herein, we present the case of an immunocompetent diabetic patient infected by Leishmania major, leading to life-threatening consequences. Case presentation An Algerian diabetic patient developed a cutaneous lesion with large polymorphous inflamed granuloma and pyoderma gangrenosum in the left foot, following L. major infection. A delayed follow-up led to a treatment failure, resulting in the amputation. Conclusions This report highlights the absence of timely treatment of Leishmania infection as a life-threatening point among high-risk diabetic patients. Clinicians should be aware of this parasitosis leading to severe complications in diabetic patients.

Prevalence and distribution of canine neoplastic and non-neoplastic cutaneous lesions in Serbia: a retrospective study of 2432 Cases (2011 – Mid 2021)

Cutaneous lesions, especially skin tumors in dogs, are among the most common lesions in this animal species. The aim of this study was to identify the most common types of canine cutaneous lesions, to determine the absolute and relative frequency of each type of cutaneous lesion, anatomical locations, mean age, as well as gender and breed distribution. The examination included all samples of cutaneous lesions in dogs obtained by surgical biopsy in veterinary clinics and examined at the Laboratory of the Department of Pathology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade from the 1st January 2011 to the 1st July 2021. In this period (126 months), a total of 2432 samples of cutaneous lesions were examined, of which 1984 (81.58%) were tumors (1037/1984, 52.27% benign and 947/1984, 47.73% malignant) and 448 (18.42%) non-neoplastic cutaneous lesions. The most commonly found cutaneous tumors were: mast cell tumor (17.34% of all tumors), histiocytoma (9.78%), papilloma (7.91%), lipoma (7.81%), squamous cell carcinoma (7.36%), trichoblastoma (4.44%), hepatoid adenoma (4.39%) and malignant melanoma (4.18%). The most common non-neoplastic cutaneous lesions were: follicular cyst(s) (35.04% of all non-neoplastic lesions), pyogranulomatous chronic dermatitis (23.88%), lymphocytic dermatitis (7.37%), hyperkeratosis (4.24%), and granulomatous dermatitis (3.79%). Our results substantially confirm previously reported data regarding cutaneous neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions in dogs, and provide updated information on their frequency, animal age, anatomic location and breed distributions.

Historical analysis of leishmaniasis cases in the transamazonian region: from 2009 to 2019

Objective: To determine the total number of notified cases, new cases and recurrence of American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis (ATL), to investigate the association between HIV coinfection and the presence of cutaneous lesion, as well to assess the concordance of two different laboratorial procedures: parasitological and histopathological in this region. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The research used data from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, hence forth designated as SINAN (Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação) that contained 6,183 cases of leishmaniasis in 9 municipalities. Results: As results, 5795 were of new cases and 351 recurrence cases. Among the cases 1,146 patients were tested for HIV, 16 presented coinfection from these 15 developed cutaneous lesion. In the overall studied population 5,690 subjects manifested cutaneous lesion. There was no agreement of the results regarding the quality of the parasitological and histopathological exams, demonstrating that they are poorly replicable (p <0.005). Conclusion: The ATL is endemic in the transamazonian region posing as a major public health problem. All patients with leishmaniasis must be tested for HIV and health professionals must register on the notification form. The tests to diagnose leishmaniasis need to be more specific and sensitive.

Papillary Carcinoma: A Rare Cause Of Cutaneous Lesion on Dorsum of Nose

The skin of the nose is a common site for various benign and malignant lesions. Herein, we report a cutaneous nodular lesion on the dorsum of the nose in an 80-year-old female, which was surgically excised under local anesthesia. On histopathological examination, she was diagnosed with papillary carcinoma, a very rare disorder at such a location. The patient was followed-up and no recurrence was noted.

Histiocytoid Giant Cellulitis-Like Sweet Syndrome At The Site of Sternal Aspiration: A Case Report

Background: Sweet syndrome with both histiocytoid pathology and giant cellulitis-like lesion feature is extremely rare and has only been reported once. Our case is different from the previous report because the cutaneous lesion was caused by local invasive irritation, which made it much more difficult to distinguish from cellulitis.Case presentation: A 52-year-old male was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD) associated with myelofibrosis (MDS-F) as well as angioneurotic edema of the tongue and floor of the mouth. Seven days after sternal aspiration, a cellulitis-like lesion was formed at the puncture site. Since he had neutropenia, history of glucocorticoid use and didn't keep the site dry and clean after aspiration, cellulitis was diagnosed, followed by broad-spectrum antibiotics and debridement. However, the lesion continued to expand, associated with blisters formation, accompanied by chills and fever. Blood cultures and blister smears didn't detect any pathogens. Biopsy of the lesion was performed and histiocytoid Sweet syndrome was diagnosed. He received prednisone treatment, and the fever relieved within 24 hours and the cutaneous lesion resolved within one week. He has had no recurrence during two-month follow-up.Conclusions: This case can provide help for timely diagnosis and treatment and a reference for further summarizing the characteristics of this rare variant.