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O Sanmartín

Publications and source records attributed to O Sanmartín.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Clinical, dermoscopy and histological correlation study of melanotic pigmentations in excision scars of melanocytic tumours.

BACKGROUND: Melanotic pigmentations in scars consecutive to the excision of melanocytic tumours can be secondary to a reactive phenomenon related to the scar tissue or to a recurrence of the melanocytic lesion excised in the first case. Recurrent naevi may sometimes adopt unusual features that make them difficult to differentiate from a melanoma. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical, dermoscopic and histological features of melanotic pigmentations in scars consecutive to the excision of melanocytic tumours, and to correlate the histological diagnosis with the dermoscopic features. METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study using macrophotography, dermoscopy and histopathological study. Ninety-five melanotic pigmentations (77 patients) in scars secondary to the excision of melanocytic tumours were prospectively collected in the Department of Dermatology at the Instituto Valenciano de Oncología in Valencia, Spain. Histopathological study was performed in 57 scars. RESULTS: Thirteen dermoscopic structures were identified. Four criteria allowed a differentiation between reactive and specific melanocytic pigmentations. Presence of globules and presence of heterogeneous pigmentation were features associated with specific melanocytic pigmentations (P < 0.0001). Presence of a regular network and presence of streaks were more frequently found in reactive pigmentations (P = 0.023 and 0.026, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Dermoscopic examination of melanotic pigmentations in excision scars of melanocytic tumours provides useful information about the origin of that pigmentation. Based on such information, recurrent naevi can be differentiated from reactive pigmentations in most cases. Excision and histopathological diagnosis continue to be imperative in some cases of recurrent naevi with atypical clinical features.

Cicatrix↗

Clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of 20 cases of Merkel cell carcinoma in search of prognostic markers.

AIMS: To evaluate the clinicopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) in an attempt to find new, potentially significant, prognostic markers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Clinical data and follow-up, histopathological features (pattern, cell size, thickness, mitoses, vascular invasion, lymphocytic infiltration) and immunohistochemical detection [CK20, thyroid transcription factor (TTF-1), chromogranin A, synaptophysin, p53, Ki67, Fli-1, CD99, c-Kit] were evaluated in 20 cases of MCC. Fli-1 and CD99 were detected in 90% and 55% of cases, respectively. Tumour size>30 mm, stage II, 'absent' lymphocytic infiltration, and the presence of>50% of Ki67+ tumour cells, were found to be prognostic indicators of disease-free interval (DFI), but only 'absent' lymphocytic infiltration constituted an independent prognostic factor of DFI after multivariate analysis. For overall survival, the same variables, together with local recurrence and lymph node involvement, had prognostic significance, with only local recurrence as an independent prognostic factor after multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Absence of lymphocytic infiltration and Ki67 immunoreactivity in more than 50% of tumour cells should be evaluated in conjunction with other well-known prognostic markers in MCC. Furthermore, recognizing that Fli-1 and CD99 expression is commonly found in MCC by immunohistochemistry may avoid misinterpretation in the differential diagnosis of MCC with other small round cell tumours.

12E7 Antigen↗

An amalgam tattoo on the oral mucosa related to a dental prosthesis.

A 60-year-old woman presented with a pigmented lesion on the upper left gingival mucosa of 2 years duration. The lesion was in an area where a dental metallic prosthesis had been inserted into a nearby tooth several years earlier. A biopsy of the affected mucosa showed aggregates of pigmented granules varying in size in the dermis, extracellular matrix and within macrophages; these did not stain with melanin stains. The diagnosis was consistent with an amalgam tattoo.

Biopsy↗

Vesiculous prurigo pigmentosa in a 13-year-old girl: good response to isotretinoin.

Prurigo pigmentosa is a rare inflammatory disease of unknown origin, first reported from Japan, with only 33 cases described in non-Japanese patients. We describe a 13-year-old girl with a pruriginous symmetrical eruption of papules and vesicles affecting her back, neck and chest of 1 month duration. She remembered a similar, but lighter eruption, 2 months before. As the initial diagnosis was of a vesiculobullous form of Darier disease, treatment with isotretinoin 40 mg/day was started with good response. Histological study showed a superficial perivascular and interstitial dermatitis composed predominantly of lymphocytes. The epidermis was spongiotic, with exocytosis of lymphocytes and some neutrophils and necrotic keratinocytes. All these findings were consistent with prurigo pigmentosa. The lesions resolved leaving a light brown reticulate hyperpigmentation. Prurigo pigmentosa has never been reported in prepubescent patients, the vesiculobullous forms are unusual, and the only treatments used previously are sulphonamides, tetracyclines and macrolides. We report a 13-year-old Caucasian girl with vesiculobullous prurigo pigmentosa successfully treated with isotretinoin.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

Antitumor effect of B16 melanoma cells genetically modified with the angiogenesis inhibitor rnasin.

The growth of new blood vessels is an essential condition for the development of tumors with a diameter greater than 1-2 mm and also for their metastatic dissemination. RNasin, the placental ribonuclease inhibitor, is known to have antiangiogenic activity through the inhibition of angiogenin and basic fibroblast growth factor. Nevertheless, the administration of the recombinant form of a protein poses several limitations; as a result, we have studied the antitumor effect of RNasin in a murine gene therapy model. RNasin cDNA was subcloned into the pcDNA3 expression vector, and the resulting recombinant plasmid was used to transfect the B16 murine melanoma cell line. An RNasin inverted construction was used as control. Mice intravenously injected with clones expressing RNasin showed a significant inhibition of tumor metastatic progression with respect to control groups (P<.001) and survived longer (P<.001). Tissue sections from RNasin-expressing cell tumors showed a lower number of blood vessels when compared to tissue sections from mice lungs that had been inoculated with control cell lines. The results of these experiments show that the genetic modification of tumor cells with RNasin cDNA yields a significant antitumor effect, and suggest that this effect is at least partially the result of angiogenesis inhibition.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

Benign lymphangioendothelioma of the thigh simulating a low-grade angiosarcoma.

Benign lymphangioendothelioma (BL) is a rare vascular neoplasm that can histopathologically mimic a low-grade angiosarcoma or the patch stage of Kaposi sarcoma. We report on the case of a 49-year-old man with a benign lymphangioendothelioma on the right thigh that evolved on a vascular birthmark after a trauma. Because of constant pain and the slow but progressive growth of the lesion, we decided to excise the tumor. Three stages of surgery were needed to obtain negative margins. We review the reports of BL to date, with special attention to those that developed after trauma and those that had a preexistent vascular lesion, and expound on the histopathologic differential diagnosis with low-grade angiosarcoma.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Melanotic pigmentation in excision scars of melanocytic and non-melanocytic skin tumors.

The appearance of pigmented lesions in melanoma surgical scars is a frequent finding that in some instances may cause confusion with a melanoma persistence. Nevertheless, only a few papers have dealt with this subject in the dermatologic literature. The melanoma surgical scars of 60 consecutive patients were reviewed with special attention to the presence of pigmentation and its clinical characteristics. Simultaneously, the scars of 60 consecutive patients who had been subjected to excision of a non-melanoma skin tumor were also studied. Biopsies were performed in representative clinical cases of pigmented lesions arising on the scars of both groups, as well as in non-pigmented scars, and processed for hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemistry. Pigmented lesions were present in a similar percentage in both groups (30% in melanoma scars (18/60) and 25% in non-melanoma scars (15/60)). Clinically, three types of clinical pigmentation were observed: lentigine-like lesions; pigmented streaks in scars after direct closure; and diffuse pigmentation in grafts. Histologically, two patterns emerged: one with lentiginous epidermal hyperplasia, hyperpigmentation, and a normal or moderately increased number of melanocytes; and a second one characterized by melanocytic hyperplasia of a variable degree. The scar process itself, irrespective of the tumor excised, seems to be responsible for the pigmentation. We suggest the existence of an induction process of scar tissue acting on melanocytes of the overlying epidermis.

Adult↗

Erythroderma. A clinicopathological study of 56 cases.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: Erythroderma may be the result of many different causes. There are several publications on this subject, most of them from England, the United States, and the Scandinavian countries reporting a different incidence of each etiologic group. Our objective has been to determine the frequency of erythroderma in our environment, its cause, and patient evolution. We reviewed the clinical, laboratory, and biopsy material of 56 patients diagnosed with erythroderma who were treated in our department in the last 8 years (1984 through 1991). Patients were followed up to know the evolution of the erythroderma. RESULTS: The male-female ratio was 4:1. The mean age at diagnosis was 57 years. Dermatoses were the most frequent cause of erythroderma (62.5%), followed by topical or systemic drug reactions (16%), and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (12.5%). Follow-up information was obtained from 42 patients (66%). Eight patients died (19%), but only in three cases was death directly related to erythroderma (7.14%). The group associated with the best prognosis was that related to drugs. The best clinicohistologic correlation was found in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma-related erythroderma. CONCLUSIONS: Erythroderma of unknown cause and protracted course may be secondary to senile atopic dermatitis, intake of drugs overlooked by the patients, and patients who are in slow progression to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Close follow-up of erythrodermas of unknown cause by repeating cutaneous biopsies will in time allow an early diagnosis in patients in the latter group.

Blood Sedimentation↗

Juvenile xanthogranuloma with central nervous system involvement.

An 18-year-old man has been followed in our department since age 10 years when he began to develop numerous yellow, papular lesions on the scalp, face, neck, trunk, and upper extremities. The lesions enlarged slowly to form yellow-brown nodules measuring up to 6 cm. During this period five of the nodules and two small papules were excised. Histopathology was consistent with juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG). Recently, the patient complained of significant loss of memory, and a computed tomography scan was performed showing several cerebral and cerebellar lesions. The cutaneous lesions in our patient were almost identical to those described elsewhere as being characteristic of progressive nodular histiocytoma. The many clinical and histopathologic similarities between lesions of progressive nodular histiocytoma and JXG suggest that they may represent a continuum rather than two distinct disease processes. Given the fact that there are no histopathologic differences with JXG, as well as the wide range of clinical lesions that JXG may adopt, there is no reason to separate the entities. Although JXG lesions are usually believed to be benign and self-healing, large nodular forms can be associated with visceral lesions. Only four previous cases of cutaneous JXG with central nervous system involvement were found in a review of the literature.

Brain Diseases↗

Congenital platelike osteoma cutis: case report and review of the literature.

An 18-year-old girl had a progressive enlarging plate of subcutaneous bone in the scalp since birth. Histologic examination of the lesion showed typical osteoma cutis. There was no history of any skin disease prior to development of the osteoma. Frequently congenital and usually located on the scalp, platelike osteoma is a rare variant of osteoma cutis.

Adolescent↗

[Intestinal tuberculosis in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome].

We present a case of disseminated tuberculosis with peritoneal and intestinal involvement in a homosexual patient who presented micronodular fibrosis and was infected by HIV, with an AIDS diagnosis since he had previously presented an esophagitis caused by candida. Diagnosis was made from a sample obtained from an ulcerated lesion from rectum-sigmoid region by colonoscopy, and when stained with Ziehl-Nielsen revealed acid-alcohol resistant bacilli (AARB) identified as M. tuberculosis. The torpid evolution of the process, which was complicated by the uncompensation of the cirrhosis determined the patient's death inspite of treatment. The characteristics of intestinal tuberculosis in HIV infected patients is reviewed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[S100 protein as tumoral marker in melanoma patients. Comparative study with sentinel node biopsy and whole body FDG-PET].

PURPOSE: Analyze the significance of serum S100 as tumor marker and study it in the sentinel node biopsy and in the whole body FDG-PET studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 332 melanoma patients diagnosed of cutaneous melanoma were included (41 untreated and 291 previously treated). Serum levels were measured by an immunoradiometric assay. Cut-off value was 0.2 microg/l. RESULTS: In the 41 untreated patients, the S100 mean values were: mean 0.36 microg/l, median 0.29 microg/l, with 56.1% of positivities. Serum mean values in stage III and IV were significantly higher than stage I and II (0.489 microg/l vs 0.209 microg/l) (p < 0.05). The mean serum value of S100 in treated patients and without evidence of disease was 0.14 microg/l and the median 0.13 microg/l. Sensitivity and specificity for detection of recurrence or metastases in the follow-up were 76.2% and 88.6%, respectively. There is a correlation of 91.3% between S100 and FDG-PET studies (23 patients). S100 does not provide information on the sentinel lymph node biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: S100 is not useful to diagnose melanoma in its early stages but it is a good tumor marker for the follow-up and monitoring of melanoma patients.

Adolescent↗

Cutaneous infection with Mycobacterium fortuitum after localized microinjections (mesotherapy) treated successfully with a triple drug regimen.

Mesotherapy is a treatment method devised for controlling pain syndromes or diseases by subcutaneous microinjections given at or around the involved areas at short intervals of time. Different adverse effects have been described due to this modality of treatment. This report describes 3 patients with cutaneous infection caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum after mesotherapy. Three women, aged 24, 27 and 44 years, presented with similar clinical features, consisting of painful nodules located at the points where mesotherapy had been applied. A smear from a skin biopsy revealed the presence of acid-fast bacilli in all 3 cases. The specimen was cultured and eventually identified as M. fortuitum. A multidrug long-term regimen (combinations of 3 drugs from the following: ciprofloxacin, cotrimoxazole, clarithromycin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid) was needed to achieve resolution of the lesions. After 15, 25 and 26 months of follow-up, no patient relapsed. Mycobacterium fortuitum is a rapidly growing mycobacterium that can lead to cutaneous infection after minor surgical procedures when aseptic measures are not adequate. Multiple drugs for several months are usually needed to treat this disease successfully.

Adult↗

Antineoplastic therapy-induced palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia ('hand-foot') syndrome. Incidence, recognition and management.

Palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) is a distinctive and relatively frequent toxic reaction related to some chemotherapeutic agents. Doxorubicin, cytarabine, docetaxel, and fluorouracil are the most frequently implicated agents. PPE seems to be dose dependent and both peak drug concentration and total cumulative dose determine its occurrence. PPE presents as a painful erythema, often preceded by paresthesia, located on the palms and soles in the context of treatment with chemotherapy. Histologically, PPE shows few specific findings. Mild spongiosis, scattered necrotic and dyskeratotic keratinocytes and vacuolar degeneration of the basal layer is seen. Dermal changes in most cases include dilated blood vessels, papillary edema, and a sparse superficial perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrate can be found in varying degrees in the epidermis. Withdrawal or dose reduction of the implicated drug usually gives rise to amelioration of the symptoms. Supportive treatments such as topical wound care, elevation, and cold compresses may help to relieve the pain. Use of systemic corticosteroids, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), blood flow reduction, and, recently, topical 99% dimethyl-sulfoxide have been used with variable outcomes. It could be of interest to consider them as preventive measures when drugs with a strong association with PPE are going to be administered.

Antineoplastic Agents↗