Relationship between dermoscopy and pathology in a case of clonal-type pigmented Bowen's disease: Observation with vertical-view dermoscopy

Pigmented Bowen's disease (pBD) is a subtype of Bowen's disease, which presents clinically as a well-circumscribed, hyperpigmented plaque. Its clinical manifestations are not fully characterized, and differential diagnoses include various pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopy could be useful for the diagnosis, although nothing has been reported on the dermoscopic features of clonal-type pBD. We herein report a first case of clonal-type pBD on the sole and its dermoscopic features. Dermoscopy showed brown to blue-gray dots/globules and focally anastomosing lines on the non-weight-bearing area, while the weight-bearing area had a brown to blue-gray fibrillar-like pattern. To investigate the relationship between dermoscopy and histopathology, we focused on the melanin distribution in the horny layer of the epidermis, and used vertical dermoscopy observation. We investigated the relationship between dermoscopy and pathology by melanin depth estimation using a color lightness value.

Primary malignant melanoma of the trachea: A case report

Primary cancer of the trachea is rare and accounts for only 0.1–0.4% of all newly diagnosed respiratory tract cancers, worldwide. In the present study, a case of primary tracheal malignant melanoma, a particularly rare type of cancer, is reported. A 68-year-old male presented with a cough and bloody sputum. A chest computed tomography scan revealed a 25×20×15-mm tracheal tumor, located immediately above the carina, which reduced the cross-sectional area of the trachea by ~90%. Histopathological analysis of biopsy specimens determined a diagnosis of malignant melanoma. The patient was treated with argon plasma coagulation and chemoradiotherapy, which restored airway patency, however, metastasis was detected in the lungs. The patient refused further treatment and received palliative care. Subsequently, the patient succumbed to the disease within four months. Thus, although primary malignant melanoma of the trachea is extremeley rare, the possibility should be considered during diagnosis.