The presence of eccentric hyperpigmentation should raise the suspicion of melanoma

BACKGROUND

Melanocytic lesions with eccentric hyperpigmentation (EH), even though without other dermatoscopic features of melanoma, are often excised.

OBJECTIVE

Aiming to understand whether the EH in a pigmented lesion is an accurate criterion of malignancy, we evaluated the capability of two evaluators, with different expertise, to correctly diagnose a melanoma when analysing a given lesion in toto versus a partial analysis, with only the EH or the non-hyperpigmented portion (non-EH) visible.

METHODS

Dermatoscopic images of 240 lesions (107 melanomas and 133 nevi) typified by EH were selected. Facial, acral, mucosal lesions and lesions showing clear-cut features of melanoma (except for atypical network) were excluded. Clinical and dermoscopic features (main pattern and numbers of colours) were described for all cases. Each image was split in two through a software so that only the EH or the non-EH was visible. Two blinded evaluators examined three sets of images, two with customized images and one with the non-modified ones: they were asked to give a dichotomous diagnosis (melanoma or nevus) for each image.

RESULTS

Melanomas were significantly more frequently typified by colour variegation (3 colours in 44.8% and 4 colours in 41.1% of cases) and atypical network (88.1% in the EH). No significant differences in diagnostic accuracy emerged between the two evaluators. Sensitivity improved in the evaluation of the whole lesions (mean sensitivity 89.7%) in comparison with the evaluation of EH or non-EH alone (72.7-62.6%). Specificity increased when evaluating the EH (54.1%). Positive predictive value (PPV) and likelihood ratio (LR+) of EH resulted 52.3% and 1.4, meaning that in one case out of two with EH is a melanoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Lesions with EH are challenging, regardless of dermoscopic experience. The EH is a robust criterion for malignancy, since the evaluation of the whole lesion, through an intralesional comparative approach, increases sensitivity.

Helicobacter pylori infection but not small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may play a pathogenic role in rosacea

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Recent studies suggest a potential relationship between rosacea and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), but there is no firm evidence of an association between rosacea and H. pylori infection or SIBO. We performed a prospective study to assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection and/or SIBO in patients with rosacea and evaluated the effect of H. pylori or SIBO eradication on rosacea.

METHODS

We enrolled 90 patients with rosacea from January 2012 to January 2013 and a control group consisting of 90 patients referred to us because of mapping of nevi during the same period. We used the (13)C Urea Breath Test and H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test to assess H. pylori infection and the glucose breath test to assess SIBO. Patients infected by H. pylori were treated with clarithromycin-containing sequential therapy. Patients positive for SIBO were treated with rifaximin.

RESULTS

We found that 44/90 (48.9%) patients with rosacea and 24/90 (26.7%) control subjects were infected with H. pylori (p = 0.003). Moreover, 9/90 (10%) patients with rosacea and 7/90 (7.8%) subjects in the control group had SIBO (p = 0.6). Within 10 weeks from the end of antibiotic therapy, the skin lesions of rosacea disappeared or decreased markedly in 35/36 (97.2%) patients after eradication of H. pylori and in 3/8 (37.5%) patients who did not eradicate the infection (p < 0.0001). Rosacea skin lesions decreased markedly in 6/7 (85.7%) after eradication of SIBO whereas of the two patients who did not eradicate SIBO, one (50%) showed an improvement in rosacea (p = 0.284).

CONCLUSIONS

Prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly higher in patients with rosacea than control group, whereas SIBO prevalence was comparable between the two groups. Eradication of H. pylori infection led to a significant improvement of skin symptoms in rosacea patients.