Wang-Cheng Ko

Azathioprine-Induced Severe Bone Marrow Toxicity-A Report of 3 Cases

Dermatologists have been using azathioprine as a ”steroid sparing agent” for the treatment of various dermatoses including photodermatoses, immunobullous diseases, psoriasis and eczematous diseases. However, in Taiwan, the currently approved indications of azathioprine include only adjunct therapy of renal transplant, systemic lupus erythematosus, severe rheumatoid arthritis, and leukemia. Owing to the off-label nature of azathiopine use in most dermatological practice, clinical vigilance must be taken. We herein report 3 cases of severe bone marrow toxicity after the use of azathioprine and discuss the pathogenesis and suggestive management of this rare complication. The first patient had prolonged pancytopenia lasting for 3 months despite immediate azathioprine withdrawal and 2 consecutive doses of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. The full blood count of the other two patients had returned to normal one week after treatment. The result of genotyping of three patients to detect most prevalent mutant allele (TPMT(superscript *)3C) was negative.

Basal cell carcinoma which developed on the surface of recurrent parotid pleomorphic adenoma: coincidence or causality?

ejd.2011.1591 Auteur(s) : Wei-Ting Chou1, Chih-Ming Hung1, Lean-San Teh2, Tsen-Fang Tsai3, Wang-Cheng Ko1 b001089101@yahoo.com.tw 1 Department of Dermatology 2 Department of Plastic surgery, Show-Chwan Memorial Hospital, 886-500 Changhua, Taiwan 3 National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common benign tumor of salivary gland and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous malignant tumor. Coexisting pleomorphic adenoma and BCC has rarely been reported. A [...]

Lipoatrophia Semicircularis - A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Lipoatrophia semicircularis is a rare condition manifested by semicircularly horizontal depressions on the anterolateral aspects of the thighs. Most of the patients are females. Previous literature has shown that repeated external trauma is the most plausible explanation, though in some cases, no underlying traumatic mechanisms are found. We herein report a case of lipoatrophia semicircularis in a female patient who has noticed this condition for two months. The clinical history revealed repetitive pressure on her thighs during the work. Previous reports in the literature are reviewed.