Malignant change in dermatitis artefacta

Dermatitis Artefacta

Background:

Dermatitis artefacta (DA) is difficult to diagnose by clinical findings alone. Histopathologic analysis may rule out organic disorders and in some cases establish, in conjunction with microanalytic techniques, a definite diagnosis.

Objective:

We report a young woman with DA in the form of recurrent abscesses whose diagnosis was aided by the identification of subcutaneous foreign material through histologic and microanalytic methods.

Methods:

Histologic examination showed foreign body giant cell reaction with polarizable material, which was identified as cellulose by energy dispersive x-ray analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry.

Results:

Self-injection of exogenous matter was suspected. Referral to an expert in psychodermatology resulted in the diagnosis of multiple psychiatric comorbidities commonly associated with DA. Initiation of antidepressants resulted in marked improvement in her skin disease, as well as her mood and affect.

Conclusion:

We emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between dermatologists, dermatopathologists, and mental health professionals in the management of DA.

[Marjolin's ulcer of the cheek developed on burn scar: a case report]

Marjolin ulcers are scar carcinomas most often arising in old burn injuries. They arise mostly in the extremities. We report medical history of a 50-year-old female suffering from a scar carcinoma on her right cheek which was histopathologically identified as a mean differentiated squamous cell carcinoma.

Skin cancer risk perceptions: a comparison across ethnicity, age, education, gender, and income

BACKGROUND

Studies of noncutaneous and cutaneous malignancies support the hypothesis that poor risk-perception status contributes to health disparity.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated skin cancer (SC) risk perceptions across race and other demographic markers using the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) and compared them to discover differences in perception that may contribute to the disparities in SC diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

Respondents with no history of SC were randomly selected to answer questions assessing perceived risk and knowledge of preventive strategies of SC. Logistic regression was performed to identify associations between perceptions of SC and demographic variables including self-described race, age, sex, education, income, and health insurance status.

RESULTS

Blacks, the elderly, and people with less education perceived themselves as at lower risk of developing SC. They, along with Hispanics, were also more likely to believe that one cannot lower their SC risk and that there are so many different recommendations on how to prevent SC that it makes it difficult to know which ones to follow. Lower education also correlated with greater reluctance to have a skin examination.

LIMITATIONS

HINTS is a cross-sectional instrument, thus it only provides a snapshot of SC perceptions.

CONCLUSION

Uncertainty and altered perceptions are more common in the SC risk perceptions of ethnic minorities, the elderly, and those with less education. These are the same groups that are subject to disparities in SC outcomes. Educational programs directed at these demographic groups may help to reduce the SC-related health disparities.

Pediatric psychocutaneous disorders: a review of primary psychiatric disorders with dermatologic manifestations

Psychocutaneous disorders (PCDs) are conditions that are characterized by psychiatric and skin manifestations. Classifications of PCDs and their nomenclature are matters of debate. For the purpose of this review, we adopted the classification that distinguishes primary dermatologic disorders with psychiatric co-morbidity (PDDPC) from primary psychiatric disorders with dermatologic manifestations (PPDDM). PDDPC includes the psychophysiologic disorders such as atopic eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. PPDDM includes impulse control disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, factitious disorder, factitious disorder by proxy, self-mutilation, delusions of parasitosis, psychogenic purpura/Gardner-Diamond syndrome, and cutaneous sensory disorders. Diagnosis and treatment of PCDs are challenging and require that the underlying psychopathology be addressed. A specific PCD may have different underlying psychopathologies and, at times, multiple overlapping psychopathologies may coexist. Most often, both non-pharmacologic management and psychopharmacologic treatment are necessary. The choice of psychopharmacologic agent depends on the nature of the underlying psychopathology (e.g. anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, psychosis). This article reviews the spectrum of PPDDM in children.

Marjolin's ulcer: a preventable complication of burns?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Discuss the clinical features of Marjolin's ulcer. 2. Identify the risk factors for the development of Marjolin's ulcer. 3. Develop a surgical management plan for the treatment of Marjolin's ulcer.

SUMMARY

Marjolin's ulcer is a rare and aggressive cutaneous malignancy that arises on previously traumatized and chronically inflamed skin, especially after burns. This clinical condition was first described by Marjolin in 1828. The term "Marjolin's ulcer" has been generally accepted to refer to a long-term malignant complication of the scars resulting from burns. However, vaccination, snake bites, osteomyelitis, pilonidal abscesses, pressure sores, and venous stasis may also induce this tumor. Clinically, reports suggest that atrophic and unstable scars tend to develop into cancer. Various etiological factors have been implicated in the condition, including toxins released from damaged tissues, immunologic factors, cocarcinogens, and miscellaneous factors such as irritation, poor lymphatic regeneration, antibodies, mutations, and local toxins. The incidence of burn scars undergoing malignant transformation has been reported to be 0.77 to 2 percent. All parts of the body can be affected, but the extremities and the scalp are most frequently affected. There are two variants: acute and chronic. In the former, the carcinoma occurs within 1 year of the injury. The chronic form is more frequent and malignancy tends to develop slowly, with an average time to malignant transformation of 35 years. Although many different cell types can be seen in these lesions, the major histological type is squamous cell carcinoma. Marjolin's ulcers are generally considered as very aggressive tumors with a higher rate of regional metastases; radical excision is the treatment of choice, but there is no consensus on lymph node dissection. Marjolin's ulcer can be insidious and often leads to a poor prognosis, and deaths from Marjolin's ulcer are not uncommon. Meticulous wound care is a crucial step in prevention of these lesions.

Psychodermatology: a guide to understanding common psychocutaneous disorders

OBJECTIVE

This review focuses on classification and description of and current treatment recommendations for psychocutaneous disorders. Medication side effects of both psychotropic and dermatologic drugs are also considered.

DATA SOURCES

A search of the literature from 1951 to 2004 was performed using the MEDLINE search engine. English-language articles were identified using the following search terms: skin and psyche, psychiatry and dermatology, mind and skin, psychocutaneous, and stress and skin.

DATA SYNTHESIS

The psychotropic agents most frequently used in patients with psychocutaneous disorders are those that target anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Psychiatric side effects of dermatologic drugs can be significant but can occur less frequently than the cutaneous side effects of psychiatric medications. In a majority of patients presenting to dermatologists, effective management of skin conditions requires consideration of associated psychosocial factors. For some dermatologic conditions, there are specific demographic and personality features that commonly associate with disease onset or exacerbation.

CONCLUSIONS

More than just a cosmetic disfigurement, dermatologic disorders are associated with a variety of psychopathologic problems that can affect the patient, his or her family, and society together. Increased understanding of biopsychosocial approaches and liaison among primary care physicians, psychiatrists, and dermatologists could be very useful and highly beneficial.

Dermatitis artefacta: unusual appearance in an older woman

Dermatitis artefacta is a rare and difficult condition for diagnosis and treatment, with the highest incidence of onset in late adolescence to early adult life. Most patients are young women who have a personality disorder; borderline features are common and the patient's denial of psychological distress makes management and treatment difficult. Patients use a variety of means to cause the skin changes. Clinical presentation of the skin lesions does not conform to those of known dermatoses and are located on easily reached parts of the skin. We report an unusual case of a 72-year-old woman with symmetrical changes under the breasts and in the right inguinal region. The lesions were composed partly of haemorrhagic round lesions and partly of scars. A skin biopsy was taken and consultations with the psychiatrist, internist and the patient's family led to the diagnosis of self-induced dermatitis. The skin lesions were covered by occlusion techniques and the lesions improved very rapidly. The patient was discharged from the hospital under psychiatric and family care.

Marjolin's ulcer on the nose

Malignancies in scars are generally known as Marjolin's ulcer. The majority of these arise from burn injuries. Although Marjolin's ulcer consists of all kinds of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma is the main cancer type reported in the literature. The pathogenesis of this tumor is due to chronic irritation of the effected area and mostly involves the extremities and scalp area. This report presents an unusually located and rare type of Marjolin's ulcer: on the nose and baso-squamotic in type. A 54-year-old man, 33 years after burn, presented with an unhealed ulcer on his nose which had been present for 2 years. The case was managed by tumor excision and a naso-labial transposition flap. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Marjolin's ulcer developing on post-burned skin of the nose.

[The Marjolin's ulcer, destiny of a unstable scar. About 54 cases of burn's sequelae]

Through a study of 54 cases of malignant transformation on burn's scar, collected during a period of 8 years, the authors underline the particularities of this tumor, reported at the literature such as the preponderance of spinocellular carcinoma as histological type, the high rate of lymphatic metastasis and recurrence, and also the poor prognosis. In addition, the authors underline the non-rare character of this affection, whose incidence is correlated to the level of medication; it's occurring in younger patients, and its short delay of transformation. The treatment is based on prevention by a correct management of the initial burns, the cure of any instable scar, and a regular surveillance. The biopsy should be realised in case of suspicion of degeneration. The radical treatment must be initially aggressive, consisting on large excision associated eventually to radiotherapy. This treatment must be integrated in an elaborating therapeutic strategy, taking on consideration the evolutive potentiality of these tumors in order to improve chances of recovery and survival.

Dermatitis artefacta of the breast: a series of case reports

Dermatitis artefacta of the breast is a common disease process with a psychological basis. Psychiatric assessment is a useful adjunct in the management of these patients who at initial presentation seem to have a strictly surgical dermatological problem.