Search

We report a 58‐year‐old female patient with von Recklinghausen neurofibromatosis who developed a condition similar to that of erythermalgia in many respects, especially on her hands. The distress worsened upon exposure to cold and improved when warmed. She felt pain over the hands restricted to the time of urination when her bladder was full. It was found that her distress was felt when blood was unstably forced through partial closing of abnormal a‐v shunts into diseased blood vessels of the distal extremities and that the a‐v shunts of this patient apparently worked differently.

Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers, a condition characterized by hypoplasias and dysplasias of the nails peculiarly restricted to the index fingers, is assumed to be related to a peculiar grip of the thumbs leading to ischemia of the index fingers while the baby is in utero. This is based on our observation of a case two days after birth. Major characteristics of this condition, including index finger involvement and radial‐prone involvement of the nails, can be well explained by this hypothesis, as can exceptional cases of middle finger involvement. A case of acquired polyonychia is presented which also appears to favor the ischemia theory for this condition.

Between November of 1977 and April of 1985, 15 cases of acute radiodermatitis and 28 cases of chronic radiodermatitis were studied at Miyazaki Medical College. All cases of acute radiodermatitis were preceded by malignancies and radiotherapy; 17 cases of chronic radiodermatitis were seen after radiotherapy for benign conditions and 7 cases were seen after radiotherapy for malignant conditions. The other 4 cases of chronic radiodermatitis were of occupational origin. Chronic radiodermatitis studied histologically in 23 cases revealed the following findings; atypia in the epidermis in 9 cases (poikilodermatous lesions showed the least atypia), intraepidermal carcinoma in 6 cases, squamous cell carcinoma in 7 cases, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma in one case.

• Three Japanese brothers had the rosacea-like facies and multiple intraepidermal epitheliomas that characterize Haber's syndrome. They also had xerosis of the lower extremities. The facial lesions were dry, warm, erythematous, and indurated, with enlarged follicular orifices and telangiectasia. One patient had disturbing "burning" of the face, which was relieved by short courses of steroid therapy that were given for systemic effects.(Arch Dermatol 1981;117:321-324)

Erythema dyschromicum perstans (EDP) is a peculiar pigmented condition of unknown etiology, resistant to any treatment (1–3). We report a typical case of EDP and discuss its differential diagnosis.

Clinical findings, therapeutic responses and autopsy findings of a case of junctional epidermolysis bullosa were reported. A low serum zinc level was corrected by oral zinc sulphate with little improvement in skin lesions. Early diagnosis and genetle nursing were stressed.

A case of painful eccrine angiomatous nevus of the sole in a five‐year‐old boy is presented.

A fatal case of postirradiation malignant fibrous histiocytoma was reported, with a review of postirradiation sarcoma in the Japanese literature.

Because of the physical properties of ultraviolet radiation which does not penetrate deep into the dermis, the surface of the skin is visualized better by reflection ultraviolet photography than by conventional photography under certain conditions. This technique is relatively easy, once a UV‐rich electronic flash and a UV‐transmitting, visible ray‐absorbing filter, which is known to dermatologists as Wood's filter or Wood's glass, are available. Representative photographs are presented, showing indications of reflection ultraviolet photography in the field of dermatology. The most important lesson of reflection ultraviolet photography is, however, to teach us the relationship between the wavelength of radiation and its reflectance from the skin.

Four cases of Dowling Degos disease (DDD) in one family and five cases of Haber's syndrome (HS) in two families were compared. DDD and HS share many symptoms and findings in common; histopathological features of downgrowths of epithelial cells, papules of either brown or natural skin color, and various kinds of skin pigmentation. Some had pitted scars, cysts, pruritus, telangiectasia, red cheeks, xerosis, and photosensitivity. Another feature common to both conditions is the progressive course of the disease; patients and their children should be followed over their lifetimes. One case of DDD had basal cell epithelioma within the area of reticular pigmentation, but an 83‐year‐old patient with DDD indicated that general health is not involved in DDD.

Two patients with nevus fuscocaeruleus over the back and simultaneous pain were reported. Although the significance of this association remains to be clarified, it is interesting because the dermal melanocytes and nerves are of neuroectodermal origin. Histology of one case revealed findings consistent with those of pilar neurocristic hamartoma (1). Electron microscopy revealed dermal melanocytes in the neighborhood of a nerve. Photographic studies confirmed Morikawa's view (2) that the location of melanin may be examined by reflection ultraviolet photography, conventional photography, and infrared photography.