Ana M. Duarte

Should nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn in children be excised? A study of 757 cases, and literature review.

The incidence of basal cell carcinoma and the need for prophylactic excision in children with nevus sebaceus of Jadassohn have been a topic of controversy. The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 757 cases from 1996 to 2002 in children aged 16 years or younger. No cases of basal cell cancer were found in the nevus sebaceus group. Recent studies in children corroborate these findings and question the need for prophylactic surgical removal of the nevus sebaceus.

Sézary syndrome in an 11-year-old girl

All forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma are rare in children. We describe an 11-year-old girl who had generalized exfoliative erythroderma, intense pruritus, peripheral lymphadenopathy, mycosis cells in the skin and lymph nodes, and Sézary cells in the peripheral blood. Results of a biopsy specimen of involved skin showed changes consistent with mycosis fungoides. A classic case of Sézary syndrome has not previously been reported in childhood or preadolescence.

Human papillomavirus type 6 infection involving cutaneous nongenital sites

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 is classically considered a mucosatropic virus. Interestingly, clinical manifestations of HPV 6 infection that involve nonmucosal or nongenital sites have rarely been described. The reasons for this site specific infectivity of HPV 6 are unknown. We describe a patient who had condylomata acuminata-like lesions that involved cutaneous nongenital sites; HPV 6 DNA was detected in skin biopsy specimens with use of the polymerase chain reaction, followed by hybridization with use of type-specific DNA probes.

S100-Negative Indeterminate Cell Histiocytosis in an African American Child Responsive to Narrowband Ultraviolet B

Abstract:  Indeterminate cell histiocytosis is a rare cutaneous disease characterized by the presence of dendritic cells that lack Birbeck granules and immunophenotypically shares features of both Langerhans cells and macrophages. We describe a case of a 4‐year‐old African American boy affected by a disseminated, exclusively mucocutaneous form of indeterminate cell histiocytosis. The eruption was successfully treated with narrowband ultraviolet B. The peculiar negativity of the Langerhans cell marker S100 is also discussed.

Scabies: How to find and stop the itch

Scabies is a pruritic skin infestation caused by the itch mite Sarcoptes scabiei. Physical proximity allows the mite to move from one host to another. The diagnosis is made by identifying the mite or its eggs or excrement microscopically from a sample of skin scrapings. Treatment is achieved with topical application of a scabicide and elimination of the mite from the patients surroundings.