R García‐Montelongo

Safety of long-term treatment with cyclosporin A in resistant chronic plaque psoriasis: a retrospective case series.

Background  An intermittent short course of cyclosporin A (CyA) therapy is a good choice in the treatment of severe psoriasis. Nevertheless, some severe or resistant patients might benefit from long‐term treatment. Adverse effects of long‐term use of CyA are investigated and the results are compared with the literature.

The role of psychological factors in palmoplantar pustulosis

Objective   The aim of the present study was to find out whether emotional stress is related to palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP).

Malignant rhabdoid tumor beside benign skin mesenchymal neoplasm with myofibromatous features.

Only a few reports of primary cutaneous rhabdoid tumors have been published. We describe the case of a 3‐month‐old female patient who developed a rhabdoid type cutaneous sareomatoid neoplasm in her upper back, close to a benign myofibromatous proliferation of infancy. The lesion was studied both by light microscopy and immunohisto‐chemically. Flow cytometry was performed showing a DNA diploid profile of the malignant tumor. The pathological findings suggest a mesenchymal origin (hemangiopericytic or myofibroblastic type) for both tumors. The patient was surgically treated, but she died nine months later.

PUVA therapy in localized scleroderma

To the Editor: We report the case of an 80-yearold man with localized scleroderma, treated successfully with PUVA therapy. The patient came to our office with progressive hardening of his abdominal skin. Clinical examination (Fig. 1) showed a large (25 cm in diameter) slightly erythematous plaque that could not be pinched and made it difficult for the patient to bend down. The lesion margins were rough, showing no lilac ring. Histological examination confirmed morphoea. The patient was classified as skin phototype IV. PUVA therapy began with 0.6 mgk, 42 mglday 8-methoxypsoralen and an initial UVA dose of 4 J/ cm2, which was gradually increased, weekly, to a maximal single dose of 18 J/cm2. Photochemotherapy was given once daily, three times a week from March to November 1996. Two months after the patient started treatment he felt better; in fact, soft areas could be seen inside the plaque. In November he was able to move around well, and photochemother-

Metastatic gastric cancer presenting as a solitary axillary cutaneous nodule.

An 84‐year‐old man, with a medical history of dilated cardiomyopathy, was admitted to our hospital with a nodular lesion in his right axilla of 6 weeks’ duration. There was no history of weight loss, nausea, or vomiting. Physical examination revealed a red–violet axillary nodule, 7 cm in diameter and 3 cm thick, with an ulcerated surface ( Fig. 1 ). A palpable right adenopathy was also found. The rest of the physical examination was normal.

Mastocitosis sistémica con hiperpigmentación cutánea difusa

Resumen —Presentamos un caso de mastocitosis sistemica que mostraba una importante y progresiva hiperpigmentacion melanica cutanea a lo largo de los ultimos 8 anos. La llamativa hiperpigmentacion cutanea de nuestro paciente podia estar en relacion con factores estimuladores del desarrollo de mastocitos y melanocitos.