Squamous Cell Carcinomas Arising in Discoid Lupus Erythematosus Scars: Unusual Occurrence in an African-American and in a Sun-Protected Area

Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities in Dermatology in the United States Part 2: Disease-specific Epidemiology, Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes

Racial and ethnic disparities in dermatology negatively affect outcomes such as mortality and quality of life. Dermatologists and dermatologic surgeons should be familiar with disease-specific inequities that may influence their practice. The second article in this two-part continuing medical education series highlights gaps in frequency, clinical presentation, management, and outcomes by race and ethnicity. We review cutaneous malignancies including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and cutaneous T cell lymphoma, and inflammatory disorders including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, acne vulgaris, and rosacea.

[Clinical heterogeneity of poikilodermatous mycosis fungoides: A retrospective study of 12 cases]

INTRODUCTION

Poikilodermatous mycosis fungoides is a rare and indolent clinical variant of mycosis fungoides (MF). It can be difficult to distinguish from poikilodermatous parapsoriasis, a group of chronical dermatoses that may sometimes progress to MF. We aimed to specify the clinical, histopathological and developmental features of these entities by means of a retrospective study of 12 cases followed in our center.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified cases of poikiloderma for which a diagnosis of MF or parapsoriasis was made by the physician. Photographs and histological slides were reviewed, and a final diagnosis of MF was made if the International Society for Cutaneous Lymphoma criteria for the diagnosis of early MF were fulfilled.

RESULTS

Twelve patients were included, 10 of whom met of the MF criteria. 5 patients had large poikilodermatous patches or thin, well-defined plaques ; 3 patients had the same lesions associated with classical MF lesions ; finally, 4 patients had widespread ill-defined erythematous lesions in a net-like pattern, described as parakeratosis variegata, including 3 MF. 2 patients with well-defined lesions (one associated with classical MF lesions) progressed to the tumoral stage whereas none of the patients with parakeratosis variegata presented such progression. A total of 5 patients had a high skin phototype (IV and V). Two patients had squamous cell carcinoma on poikilodermatous lesions.

DISCUSSION

Our study suggests that poikilodermatous MF covers a heterogeneous clinical spectrum comprising on one hand a presentation of delimited lesions sharing classical MF risk of progression, and on the other, an entity similar to parakeratosis variegata, an entity overlooked in the French nomenclature, which was particularly benign in our small series, raising the question of its affiliation to the MF group. This question merits further investigation in a larger-scale study.

Review of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians

BACKGROUND

Skin cancer has traditionally been studied in Caucasian skin. Although it does occur with increased relative frequency in Caucasians, patients with skin of color suffer from elevated morbidity and mortality when diagnosed with skin cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To detail the unique demographic and clinical features of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in patients with skin of color, including Hispanic, African American, and Asian patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A complete PubMed search was conducted spanning dates from 1947 to June 2017 yielding a total of 185 manuscripts, from which 45 were included in this review.

RESULTS

Relative to Caucasians, NMSC, comprised squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, has unique demographic and clinical features in African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians.

CONCLUSION

Familiarization with these unique presentations of skin cancer in skin of color is imperative to accurate identification and treatment of cutaneous malignancies in these populations and ultimately to improved disease-related outcomes.

Squamous Cell Cancer Arising in an African American Male Cheek from Discoid Lupus: A Rare Case and Review of the Literature

A 50-year-old African American male with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) presented to the dermatology clinic for a rapidly enlarging left cheek mass. The mass failed to resolve with conservative measures. A biopsy revealed poorly differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). He was referred to Head and Neck Surgery and successfully underwent a resection with free flap reconstruction. Postoperatively he did well. Squamous cell skin carcinomas arising from lesions of Discoid Lupus are rare and aggressive tumors with greater likelihood of metastases. Cases have been reported among patients with different clinical characteristics; we present a rare case arising in an African American male on the face and involving the ear.

Autoimmune collagen vascular diseases: Kids are not just little people

Morphea, dermatomyositis (DM), and discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) are autoimmune collagen vascular diseases that can present at any age. In all three of these diseases, the tenants of diagnosis and treatment are largely the same in both children and adults, with a few notable differences. Children with morphea are more likely to present with the linear subtype and have a higher incidence of extracutaneous manifestations. Children often need early aggressive systemic treatment to try to prevent long-term sequelae of morphea. In DM, adult disease has a clear association with malignancy that is not seen in children. Adults have a higher rate of pulmonary involvement and increased mortality, whereas calcinosis is more common in juvenile DM. DLE in adults is generally considered to have a low rate of progression from discoid lesions alone to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). DLE is less common in children, but several studies have suggested a higher rate of progression from DLE to SLE in children compared with adults.

Novel medical strategies combating nonmelanoma skin cancer

The incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) continues to rise, partly because of aging, the frequency of early childhood sunburns, and sporadic extreme recreational sun exposure. A nonsurgical approach to selected cutaneous malignancy could possibly reduce the cost as well as morbidity of surgical treatment for NMSC. There has been growing interest in isolating compounds that could suppress or reverse the biochemical changes necessary for cutaneous malignancies to progress by pharmacologic intervention. By targeting diverse pathways recognized as important in the pathogenesis of nonmelanoma skin cancers, a combination approach with multiple agents or addition of chemopreventative agents to topical sunscreens may offer the potential for novel and synergistic therapies in treating nonmelanoma skin cancer. This preliminary information will expand to include more therapeutic options for NMSC in the future.

Atypical fibroxanthoma arising in a scar of discoid lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

Malignant change in the scars of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a well-known event. In most cases, tumors are of epithelial origin, particularly squamous cell carcinomas and, less frequently, basal cell carcinomas and keratoacanthomas. The onset of soft tissue sarcomas in a DLE scar is a very rare event, however, because only one case of malignant fibrous histiocytoma has been described in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

We describe the first documented report of atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) arising in an old scar of DLE.

RESULTS

Although we cannot exclude an accidental association between AFX and DLE, our case emphasizes that patients with DLE may develop AFX in the context of an old scar.

CONCLUSION

Our finding further underlines the importance of strict and long-term surveillance of people with DLE to identify and remove eventual tumors at an early stage.

Oral potentially malignant disorders: an overview of more than 20 entities

Cancer of the oral cavity accounts for approximately 3% of all malignancies diagnosed annually in 270,000 patients world-wide. Oral cancer is the 12th most common cancer in women and the 6th in men. Many oral squamous cell carcinomas develop from potentially malignant disorders (PMDs). Lack of awareness about the signs and symptoms of oralPMDs in the general population and even healthcare providers is believed to be responsible for the diagnostic delay of these entities. The aim of this article is to update and improve the knowledge of healthcare providers about oral PMDs.

Squamous cell carcinoma in lichen planopilaris

BACKGROUND

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) is a rare variant of cutaneous lichen planus that preferentially involves hair follicles.

OBSERVATION

We describe the case of an 87-year-old woman with cicatricial alopecia due to lichen planopilaris. The diagnosis was based on clinical evaluation, histopathology and trichoscopy. Squamous cell carcinoma developed within the hairless area after 18 years of evolution.

CONCLUSION

It is necessary to consider the association between lichen planopilaris and squamous cell carcinoma and to ensure a close follow-up of LPP patients, especially when there is a long history of the disease or new a lesion develops, which does not correspond clinically or in trichoscopy to lichen planopilaris.

Skin of color: a basic outline of unique differences

Darker skin differs from white skin in presentation, a tendency toward pronounced scarring, and pathophysiology of skin diseases common to those with skin of color. Recent studies highlight differences beyond the surface, which include issues of treatment, scar formation, collagen production, basic structure, and skin cancer development.

Update on Epidemiology and Clinical Assessment Tools of Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus and Dermatomyositis

Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) and Dermatomyositis (DM) are cutaneous autoimmune diseases that have been among the least systematically studied, due in part to the lack of validated outcome instruments in the past. More recent epidemiologic studies have elucidated the incidence and prevalence of these diseases and their subtypes. In addition, the advent of validated clinical outcome measures, including the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) and the Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index (CDASI), has led to an objective means of measuring activity and damage of the disease. These outcome measures have established the framework for evaluating responsiveness and therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials as well as longitudinal studies to study disease course.

Increased risk of cancer among 3663 patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus: a Swedish nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

  Other autoimmune diseases have been associated with higher risks for cancer, and numerous case reports of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and different cancer types are available.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the overall and specific cancer risks in a nationwide cohort study of patients diagnosed with CLE in Sweden and compare that risk with that in a control cohort without CLE.

METHODS

A cohort of 3663 individuals with CLE and a matched control cohort from the general population (three controls to each CLE case) without a diagnosis of CLE were derived from the Swedish National Patient Register, 1997-2007, and were electronically linked to the Swedish Cancer Register and the Swedish Cause of Death Register. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare the observed vs. the expected numbers of cancers.

RESULTS

A total of 183 incident cancers occurred within the observation interval, yielding a HR of 1·8 (95% CI 1·5-2·2) for cancer overall. Median follow-up was 4·1 years. About a fourfold risk increase was seen for buccal cancer, lymphomas, respiratory cancer and nonmelanoma skin cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with CLE appear to have an elevated risk for certain cancer types, an increase that remains when excluding patients also diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. Our findings point to the importance of counselling about not smoking and sun avoidance, and underscore the need for specialized monitoring of this patient group along with bench-to-bedside research efforts to clarify pathogenesis.