William Merchant

Sweet’s syndrome presenting as palmoplantar pustulosis

Sweets syndrome was initially described as a reactive dermatosis characterized by sudden onset of fever, leucocytosis, and raised erythematous plaques infiltrated with neutrophils, and therefore called acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis. However, later it became obvious that fever and neutrophilia are variable features, and a number of other characteristics have been described. Although the dorsa of the hands are frequently affected, the palmoplantar involvement mimicking pustulosis observed in our case appears to be unusual.

Basal cell carcinoma with a sarcomatous component (carcinosarcoma): A series of 5 cases and a review of the literature

Cutaneous carcinosarcomas are rare biphasic malignant tumors with a malignant epithelial component together with malignant stroma. Five cases treated in the Yorkshire region of England between 2003 and 2006 are presented. The patients were male with an age range from 58 to 84 years. Four lesions occurred on the face and one on the trunk. Each tumor had an epithelial component resembling a typical nodular basal cell carcinoma. The stromal components demonstrated atypical spindle cells and tumor giant cells, undifferentiated stroma, or osteoid formation. All underwent surgical excision and none showed evidence of recurrence (follow-up 3-17 months, one death from unrelated causes). The recent literature concerning the pathogenesis and prognosis of these unusual tumors is reviewed.

Diffuse Dermal Angiomatosis due to an Iatrogenic Arteriovenous Fistula

Sir, Reactive angio-endotheliomatosis (RAE) is a rare skin condition characterized by a diffuse proliferation of endothelial cells within the vascular lumina with secondary intravascular thrombi, resulting in obliteration of involved blood vessels. Clinical features are variable with both generalized and localized forms recognized (1, 2). We describe here a patient with Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG), who developed a localized patch of diffuse dermal angiomatosis, a subtype of RAE, distal to an arteriovenous fistula required for haemodialysis.

A case of isolated cutaneous pseudo-inflammatory tumour

Pseudo‐inflammatory tumours are a poorly defined group of tumours, with indeterminate malignant potential, which can occur at almost any site of the body. The optimal treatment of inflammatory pseudo‐tumours is yet to be elucidated. Surgical excision has been the most frequently reported treatment in the literature. We report a case of solitary cutaneous inflammatory pseudo‐tumour.

Retroauricular milia en plaque: a rare presentation of lupus erythematosus.

Milia en plaque is a term used to describe an aggregation of milia occurring on an erythematous base usually localized in the retroauricular area. In most reported cases, no aetiological factors have been identified. We report the first case of milia en plaque associated with discoid lupus erythematosus occurring in the retroauricular site.

Unilateral naevoid trichoepitheliomas on the face of a child

Trichoepitheliomas are benign epidermal appendage tumours that present most commonly as solitary lesions, and less often as multiple, symmetrically distributed lesions on the face, scalp, neck and trunk. Only a few patients have been reported in whom trichoepitheliomas were found as unusually configured linear or plaque‐like confluent lesions, all of which occurred in patients with skin types V or VI. We describe a white girl with a hemifacial plaque of confluent naevoid trichoepitheliomas, the first report of such lesions in a white patient.

Streptococcus induced pustular vasculitis affecting the hands resembling pustular vasculitis of the hands – first reported case

Pustular vasculitis of the hands is a distinctive clinical entity. It has recently been proposed by some authors to rename pustular vasculitis of the hands as ‘neutrophilic dermatosis of the hands’ to reflect its histological resemblance to the neutrophilic dermatoses. We report the case of a 66‐year‐old woman who presented with clinical appearances resembling pustular vasculitis of the hands associated with palmo‐plantar pustulosis due to Streptococcus‐induced ‘pustular vasculitis’.

FAMILIAL ANNULAR ERYTHEMA—A RARE DERMATOLOGY DIAGNOSIS

Abstract:  We report the second case of autosomal dominant familial annular erythema since its original description in 1966 by Beare et al. A three and a half‐year‐old boy presented at five days of age with a widespread annular urticated erythematous rash which has persisted despite treatment with various antihistamines and mast‐cell stabilizers. His mother reports an identical eruption with an absence of systemic symptoms.