Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G Oppolzer.
Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare, benign tumor in elderly persons that usually occurs in the subscapular region. It represents a degenerative pseudoneoplastic process that resembles a malignant neoplasm. We report a patient with an elastofibroma dorsi of unusual size that ulcerated. This is a rare if not unique finding in elastofibroma dorsi.
Apocrine chromhidrosis is an extremely rare and impressive skin disorder. Primarily after emotional stress patients complain of coloured sweat secretion (black, green, blue or yellow). The deposition of lipofuscin in the apocrine glands may be the cause of this disease, the different colours of sweat being due to various oxidation stages of lipofuscin. We report two patients, one with blue and one with green axillae; the clinical features, histopathology, differential diagnosis, and pathogenesis of apocrine chromhidrosis are discussed.
Hypereosinophilic dermatitis represents a clinically distinct disorder in the spectrum of eosinophilic dermatoses. Its major clinical symptoms include pruriginous papular skin eruptions associated with blood eosinophilia. Histological examination reveals a diffuse, dense infiltration with eosinophils. We discuss the clinical picture, differential diagnosis, and therapy in the light of two cases.
A 53-year-old male patient who had suffered for several years from severe persistent light reaction possibly due to tribromsalan photosensitivity was treated with cyclosporin A after long-term low-dose administration of corticosteroids which had to be discontinued. PUVA therapy was impracticable due to the extraordinarily high UVA sensitivity. When cyclosporin A blood concentrations between 100 and 200 ng/ml were reached, the patient was nearly free from symptoms; the excellent clinical response was also documented by phototesting performed prior to and during therapy. Cyclosporin A may be a valuable therapeutic alternative to systemic corticosteroids for severe cases of persistent light reaction which cannot be controlled by photoprotective measures.
A patient with the typical features of Dowling-Degos disease (reticulate pigmented anomaly of the flexures) is described; the clinical picture and differential diagnosis are discussed. Systemic retinoids were used for treatment, but no essential improvement could be observed.
Acanthosis nigricans maligna represents a true paraneoplastic syndrome being most frequently associated with adenocarcinoma of the stomach. We present the second case of the world literature of malignant acanthosis nigricans due to an early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the vocal cord.