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Paraneoplastic pemphigus is a rare and severe autoimmune blistering disease characterized by a recalcitrant and severe mucositis, and polymorphic cutaneous lesions, associated with benign and malignant neoplasms. Paraneoplastic pemphigus is caused by production of autoantibodies against various epidermal proteins involved in cell adhesion. Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) is one of the leading causes of mortality in these patients. Recent advances have associated the presence of anti-epiplakin antibodies with the development of BO in adult patients. Here we describe the first pediatric patient in whom the association of anti-epiplakin antibodies and BO have been reported so far.

Background Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis that predominantly affects patients younger than 5 years. In the absence of an available, affordable diagnostic test, detailed clinical history and physical examination are still fundamental to make a diagnosis. Methods We present five representative cases with KD-like presentations: systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis, mycoplasma-induced rash and mucositis, staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, BCGosis, and the recently described multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) virus. Results Rash, fever, and laboratory markers of inflammation can be present in several childhood diseases that may mimic KD. Conclusion The term 'Kawasaki syndrome' instead of 'Kawasaki disease' may be more appropriate. Physicians should consider an alternative diagnosis that may mimic KD, particularly considering MIS-C during the present pandemic, as an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic approach is needed.

Introduction Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) is a genetic condition typified by alterations in skin structures including sweat glands, hair, nails, and teeth. Hair findings in HED have been poorly characterized in larger series. Objective To characterize scalp and hair findings of patients with HED clinically and with trichoscopy and light microscopy. Methods A cross-sectional study in 21 pediatric HED patients was performed using available clinical and scalp dermatoscopic images, as well as pulled-hair samples for clinical evaluation, trichoscopic, and light microscopic analyses. Results Seventeen out of 21 patients (81%) were men. Twenty patients had straight hair. Sixteen patients had decreased hair density, 6 of whom had hair loss mainly in the temporal and occipital regions. Fourteen patients had hair whorls. On trichoscopy, we observed: single-hair follicular units (n = 19, 90%), scalp hyperpigmentation (n = 13, 62%), variable diameter of the hair shafts (n = 12, 57%), perifollicular scales (n = 8, 38%), scalp erythema (n = 8, 38%), and short curly pigtail hairs (n = 6, 29%). On light microscopy, findings included: hair shafts with irregular diameter (n = 7, 33%), heterogeneous hair color (n = 6, 29%), trichoptilosis (n = 2, 10%), and pili torti (n = 1, 5%). Conclusions In this series, hair findings in HED were similar to those described in previous studies. However, we describe two new clinical and two trichoscopic findings: decreased hair density mainly in the temporal and occipital regions, oblique upwards occipital hair follicles orientation, angled hairs, and short curly pigtail hairs. These heterogeneous findings may reflect the multiple factors and signaling pathways that can be affected in these syndromes.

Griscelli syndrome type 2 (GS2) features silvery-grey hair, bronzed skin and immunodeficiency.1 The only curative treatment for GS2 is haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) which corrects the immune and haematologic defects with persistence of oculocutaneous abnormalities.

There are no pathognomonic histopathological features to distinguish acute graft-vs-host disease (aGVHD) from skin drug reactions (SDRs) in pediatric patients with multiple drug regimens that have received blood transfusions and/or transplants. We aimed to determine if the addition of apoptosis markers is helpful to distinguish aGVHD from SDRs in these patients.Skin biopsy specimens from patients with a clinical diagnosis of aGVHD or SDRs were evaluated for the presence of apoptotic bodies, satellitosis, interface damage, vasculitis, and inflammatory infiltrate on HE stain. Information was completed with apoptotic markers (transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling [TUNEL], bcl-2, and caspase-3).The skin biopsy specimens of 32 patients with aGVHD and 11 with SDRs were included for study. Only the number of apoptotic keratinocytes per 10 high-power fields (hpf) showed a significant difference between both groups (P = 0.02); the presence of ≥4 apoptotic keratinocytes per 10 hpf was identified as the optimal cut-off point to discriminate aGVHD from SDRs. No SDRs cases had follicular apoptotic cells. TUNEL, bcl-2, and caspase-3 determination showed no difference between both groups.The presence of ≥4 apoptotic keratinocytes per 10 hpf (in aGVHD) and the absence of follicular apoptotic cells (in SDRs) might be a useful marker to distinguish between them.

Infantile hemagiomas (IH) are the most common soft tissue tumors in infancy. They are characterized by significant growth during the first months of life, followed by slow spontaneous involution over the ensuring years. The process of involution takes several years, but usually the regression of most of the tumors ends at 4 years of age. Unfortunately, some of the IH develop complications, resulting in functional impairment, pain and disfigurement. The decision to start treatment and the choice of the best therapeutic option (topic or systemic) should be individualized depending on several factors: the size of the lesion, the location, the presence of complications such as ulceration, the risk of scarring or disfigurement, the age of the patient, the rate of growth or regression at the time of diagnosis, the risks and benefits of the treatment, the availability of the medication, the costs, and the experience of the attending physician.Los hemagiomas infantiles (HI) son los tumores de tejidos blandos más frecuentes de la infancia. Se caracterizan por un crecimiento significativo durante los primeros meses de vida, seguido de una involución lenta y espontánea a lo largo de un periodo que puede durar algunos años. Usualmente, la regresión de la mayor parte del tumor termina a los 4 años de edad. Sin embargo, algunos de los HI desarrollan complicaciones, lo que resulta en alteraciones funcionales, dolor y desfiguramiento. La decisión de administrar tratamiento a un paciente con HI y elegir la mejor opción terapéutica para ese paciente (tratamiento tópico o sistémico) debe ser individualizada, dependiendo de varios factores: el tamaño de la lesión, la localización, la presencia de complicaciones como ulceración, el riesgo de cicatrización o desfiguramiento, la edad del paciente, la tasa de crecimiento o de involución al momento del diagnóstico, los riesgos y beneficios de administrar el tratamiento, la disponibilidad del medicamento, los costos y la experiencia del médico tratante.

Infantile hemagiomas (IH) are the most common soft tissue tumors in infancy. They are characterized by significant growth during the first months of life, followed by slow spontaneous involution over the ensuring years. The process of involution takes several years, but usually the regression of most of the tumors ends at 4 years of age. Unfortunately, some of the IH develop complications, resulting in functional impairment, pain and disfigurement. The decision to start treatment and the choice of the best therapeutic option (topic or systemic) should be individualized depending on several factors: the size of the lesion, the location, the presence of complications such as ulceration, the risk of scarring or disfigurement, the age of the patient, the rate of growth or regression at the time of diagnosis, the risks and benefits of the treatment, the availability of the medication, the costs, and the experience of the attending physician.

INTRODUCCIÓN: una meta a alcanzar en los niños que usan pañal es mantener una piel intacta dentro del área cubierta por éste y así evitar la dermatitis por pañal.OBJETIVO: comparar la eficacia de dos tipos de pañal para prevenir o tratar la dermatitis por pañal.MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: ensayo clínico aleatorizado en lactantes de 6 a 12 meses de edad, con o sin dermatitis por pañal, que utilizaron pañales Huggies UltraConfort® o BBTips®. Se investigó la presencia o ausencia de dermatitis por pañal y la evaluación de la eficacia del pañal por el médico y el cuidador. El análisis estadístico incluyó análisis uni- y bivariado.RESULTADOS: en el grupo sin dermatitis por pañal se evaluaron 68 lactantes con edad promedio de 8.54 ± 2.09 meses. Había tenido eventos previos de dermatitis por pañal 72%. Catorce lactantes tuvieron dermatitis por pañal. La comparación entre ambos tipos de pañal demostró que BBTips® fue más eficaz que Huggies UltraConfort ®. En el grupo con dermatitis por pañal se evaluaron 66 pacientes con edad promedio de 8.65 ± 2.4 meses. Había tenido eventos previos de dermatitis por pañal 88%. A los 15 días se habían resuelto 53% de las dermatitis por pañal y al mes 88%. La comparación entre ambos tipos de pañal no demostró diferencias significativas en la eficacia.CONCLUSIONES: en el aspecto preventivo BBTips® fue superior a Huggies UltraConfort®. Ambos pañales tuvieron eficacia similar en el tratamiento de la dermatitis por pañal.

I Generalidades La piel funciona como barrera entre el cuerpo y el medio ambiente al prevenir la pérdida de líquidos y electrolitos, regular la temperatura corporal y proteger contra infecciones y diversos estímulos mecánicos, térmicos, y ambientales. Además, es esencial para el sentido del tacto y la síntesis de vitamina D.1-4En el niño la piel es frágil, delgada y más propensa a dermatitis e infecciones.2,5,6 Mientras que en el adolescente, la piel experimenta cambios secundarios al alza en los andrógenos circulantes, que se traducen en mayor producción de sebo y predisposición al acné.7

La dermatitis atópica es la enfermedad cutánea inflamatoria más común, afecta principalmente a los niños (prevalencia de 20%) y suele iniciarse antes de los 5 años (90%).1 El curso clínico es crónico y genera recidiva; dos tercios de los pacientes se controlan en la etapa adulta.2 La fisiopatología resulta de la interacción de factores genéticos, inmunológicos y ambientales, con disfunción de la barrera cutánea y desequilibrio inmunitario, además de elevada pérdida transepidérmica de agua, inflamación y mayor permeabilidad a los alergenos, irritantes y microorganismos.3

Superficial granulomatous pyoderma gangrenosum, a rare variant of pyoderma gangrenosum, has been considered to be the most benign form of the disease. We present the case of a 15-year-old boy with pulmonary involvement and nodular scleritis associated with this unusual type of pyoderma gangrenosum and discuss its differential diagnosis.

Dermoid cysts (DCs) are benign cutaneous tumors that tend to persist and grow. The aim of this study was to examine the clinicopathologic features of congenital DCs. We present a case series of 75 children with a clinicopathologic diagnosis of DC. Seventy-two cysts were located on the head, one on the neck, and two on the trunk. Six cysts were located along the midline. Eight patients had symptoms other than changes in cyst size. Imaging studies were performed on 15 patients. Surgical excision was the primary treatment in all 75 cases. Neurosurgery and ophthalmology services were involved in the care of some patients. Histopathologic studies reported a foreign body giant cell reaction in 17 of the cysts. No recurrence was documented. DCs can remain stable for years, but they can become symptomatic as a result of enlargement and rupture or, more rarely, as a result of extension into surrounding tissues. Physicians should be aware that certain locations have a higher risk of DC extension, and adequate diagnostic investigations should be performed before their complete resection.

Background/Objectives: The efficacy of propranolol as a treatment for infantile hemangiomas (IHs) has been documented. Until now, little has been written about the role of propranolol beyond the proliferation phase of IH. Our aim was to document propranolol efficacy and safety in the treatment of involutive IH. Patients and Methods: Two evaluations were conducted. Investigators evaluated the final clinical results by comparing clinical data at baseline and at the end of the study. Evaluators scored each panel of photographs and were blinded from any clinical information. Both groups used the same scoring system. Patients treated with propranolol in our department between 2009 and 2014 were reviewed. Results: A total of 15 patients with involuting IH treated with propranolol were eligible. Eleven (73%) were females, ranging in age between 16 and 110 months (median 41 months). The types of IH were mixed (n = 13) and superficial (n = 2). The median duration of the propranolol treatment was 20 months (range 6–33 months). The mean size reduction was from 6 cm ± 4.33 before the treatment to 3.98 ± 1.25 at the end of the treatment. The general mean involution according to the investigators' evaluation was 4.1 ± 2.7. The general mean involution according to the evaluators' evaluation was 4.9 ± 1.5. Telangiectasias showed no response. Recurrence was observed in one patient. Transient nightmares were documented in one patient, and nighttime awakenings were documented in another. The therapy was discontinued in neither of these patients. Conclusions: In our experience, propranolol was well tolerated and associated with limited adverse reactions. The use of oral propranolol was effective in the treatment of IH beyond the proliferative phase.

The common manifestations of atopic dermatitis (AD) appear sequentially with involvement of the cheeks in infancy, flexural extremities in childhood, and hands in adulthood. Although less common clinical manifestations are well described, they have not been the subject of epidemiologic studies to describe their prevalence in specific age groups. This observational, cross-sectional, comparative study included 131 children younger than 18 of both sexes with AD who attended the clinics of the Dermatology Department of the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City. Patients were examined to determine the presence of infrequent clinical manifestations of AD during infancy, preschool and school age, and adolescence and stratified according to sex, age, and number of clinical signs. A chi-square test was used to detect differences according to age and sex. Logistic regression analysis was also performed. The main findings according to age were genital dermatitis and papular-lichenoid dermatitis variant in infants; atopic feet, prurigo-like, nummular pattern, and erythroderma in preschool and school-aged children; and eyelid eczema and nipple dermatitis in adolescents. The risk of development of nipple dermatitis and eyelid eczema increased with age, and the development of genital dermatitis decreased with age. The knowledge of the prevalence of less common clinical manifestations of AD according to age in different populations might be helpful in diagnosing incipient cases of AD.

El acné juvenil o acné vulgar es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica que afecta a la unidad pilosebácea. La producción de sebo por las glándulas sebáceas, secundaria al estímulo hormonal, condiciona un proceso obstructivo del conducto pilosebáceo por retención de sebo y células anormales seguido de un proceso inflamatorio. Generalmente es de inicio lento, de evolución prolongada, con remisiones parciales y brotes agudos.

El uso prolongado de esteroides tópicos en niños se puede asociar con efectos adversos locales y sistémicos. Se presenta el caso de una paciente de seis meses de edad con síndrome de Cushing iatrogénico y sarna costrosa tras el uso de betametasona al 0.05% en el área del pañal. La sarna costrosa es una variedad de escabiosis que tiene la particularidad de ser más extensa y más contagiosa; generalmente se observa en pacientes inmunodeprimidos. En este caso fue favorecida por la aplicación crónica de esteroides tópicos. Los médicos de primer contacto y los padres deben conocer los efectos secundarios potenciales de los esteroides tópicos, especialmente en áreas de piel delgada o cubierta (como el área del pañal) en donde la absorción de los esteroides tópicos se incrementa.

Keratosis lichenoides chronica (KLC) is a rare acquired disease of adulthood, of unknown etiology, characterized by keratotic parallel linear lesions, retiform plaques, and keratotic, often follicular papules, chronicity and lichenoid histopathologic features. KLC of pediatric onset is considered extremely rare. Its features and relationship to adult onset KLC are unknown. We studied 8 cases of pediatric-onset KLC in the literature and 6 personal cases and compared them with 40 reported adult-onset KLC patients. The following features characterize pediatric-onset KLC: familial occurrence; probable autosomal recessive inheritance; early or congenital onset with facial erythemato-purpuric macules; forehead, eyebrow, and eyelash alopecia; pruritus; and a low frequency of other cutaneous and systemic abnormalities. Pediatric-onset KLC may represent a different disease or a subset of adult-onset KLC, with special genetic and clinical characteristics. Determining its precise nosology will have prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Of the patients with epidermal nevi, 10-18% may have disorders of the eye, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. A predisposition to malignant neoplasms in ectodermal and mesodermal structures may also be found. There are six different epidermal nevus syndromes described so far: Proteus, congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defect syndrome, phakomatosis pigmentokeratotica, sebaceous nevus, Becker nevus, and nevus comedonicus. Thirty-five patients with epidermal nevus syndrome seen at the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City during a 31-year period are described. This syndrome represented 7.9% of 443 patients with epidermal nevi; its relative frequency was 1 case per 11,928 pediatric patients and 1 case per 1080 dermatologic patients. Nine epidermal nevus syndrome patients (26%) had Proteus syndrome. Sebaceous nevus syndrome was found in six patients (17%), while the nevus comedonicus syndrome was found in three (8%). Two patients were diagnosed with phakomatosis pigmentokeratotica and one patient with congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defect syndrome. This is the first report of phakomatosis pigmentokeratotica and congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defect syndrome in Mexican patients. One patient had an inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus with systemic involvement. Thirteen patients (37%) had keratinocytic nevi with systemic involvement. We propose the keratinocytic nevus syndrome to be defined as the association of a keratinocytic nevus with neuronal migration and/or musculoskeletal disorders in addition to a higher risk for mesodermal neoplasms.

Acquired diffuse hyperpigmentation in children secondary to metabolic disorders can be divided into nutritional diseases, endocrinological disorders, and metabolic causes. Although pigmentation is categorized as diffuse, it is often accentuated in some areas. Adequate approach of diffuse hyperpigmentation may lead to the early diagnosis of a specific disease. The initial and most prominent sign can be in the skin and thus the dermatologist is the first physician consulted.

The aim was to be able to evaluate the diagnosis of two diseases by a consensus of clinical opinion used in the Department of Dermatology of the National Institute of Paediatrics in Mexico City. To differentiate between scleroderma 'en coup de sabre' (SCS) and progressive facial hemiatrophy (PFH), colour slides of 13 patients diagnosed as SCS and nine as PFH were examined by two dermatologists and microscopic slides by two pathologists. In both cases, the slides were randomly presented and no clinical information was given. The clinical and histopathological findings were statistically compared with two-tailed tests and alpha = 0.05. Kappa coefficients were obtained to evaluate the concordance between dermatologists, pathologists, and in terms of the consensus diagnosis. The usefulness of photographic assessment is limited by the inability to palpate the consistency of lesions. The most important clinical feature that differentiated both conditions was cutaneous sclerosis present in eight of 13 patients with SCS and in none of the PFH patients (P < 0.005). Other clinical features more frequently found in SCS were cutaneous hyperpigmentation and alopecia. The more frequent clinical features in PFH were total hemifacial involvement and ocular changes. Statistically significant histopathological features were: connective tissue fibrosis present in all cases with SCS and two of nine patients with PFH (P < 0.0002); adnexal atrophy present in 11 of 13 patients with SCS, and in three of nine with PFH (P < 0.02), and mononuclear cell infiltrates in all patients with SCS cf. six with PFH (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that in most cases it is possible to differentiate SCS from PFH based on clinicopathological findings.

In addition to onchocerciasis and other filarial diseases, ivermectin has been used for the treatment of scabies, head lice, larva migrans and gnathostomiasis. However, there is concern regarding the safety of its use in children under 5 years of age or weighing less than 15 kg. We present our experience in 18 children (aged 14 months to 17 years), with scabies or cutaneous larva migrans successfully treated with ivermectin. They included four cases of crusted scabies associated with immunosuppression and seven cases of common scabies four of whom had associated clinical mental retardation, immunosuppression or hypomobility. A further seven patients had cutaneous larva migrans. Fifteen patients were cured with a single dose of ivermectin, and three patients with crusted scabies required a second dose. None of our patients suffered significant adverse effects. We believe that ivermectin is a safe and effective alternative treatment of cutaneous parasitosis in children.

Congenital cutaneous angioleiomyoma is an extremely rare benign smooth muscle tumor. We present a case of a firm, painful subcutaneous mass noticed at birth on the left leg that on surgical excision proved to be an angioleiomyoma. Prognosis is good, and recurrences are uncommon. To our knowledge, this is the second report of a congenital angioleiomyoma.

The purpose of this study is to compare the esthetics of scars resulting from small surgical facial wounds sutured either with simple interrupted percutaneous suture (SIPS) or with running intradermal suture (RIS). 93 small (0.6-1.9 cm) benign, facial new growths, mostly (86%) intradermal nevi were surgically removed. Forty-seven surgical wounds were sutured with SIPS and 46 with RIS. All surgical procedures were performed by the same dermatologic surgeon. For comparison, lesions were grouped in five facial areas. Other variables such as the age of the patient and type and size of lesions were similar in both groups. Evaluation of each scar was made blindly by two independent observers and by the patients. Judged by independent observers 90 days after surgery, excellent (45 %) to good (45%) results were obtained in similar proportion with either SIPS or RIS suturing in 90% of the patients. In the patients' self evaluation, excellent (85%) to good (14%) results were obtained in 99% of the cases. Suture marks and tracks present 30 days after surgery in 28% of scars sutured with SIPS disappeared 90 days after surgery. The esthetic results obtained by suturing small surgical facial wounds with SIPS or RIS were similarly good to excellent when observed 90 days after surgery. There was no advantage in using RIS over SIPS in the type of wounds described.

Cutaneous rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma (RMH) is a rare benign tumor composed of two or more types of mesenchymal-derived cells. RMHs are generally sporadic and independent, but they can be associated with congenital abnormalities. We report a subcutaneous case of RMH in the sternoclavicular area with two recurrences after complete surgical excision. The course is variable and can range from spontaneous resolution to repeated recurrences.

Oral retinoids are molecules derived from vitamin A that represent one of the most important steps forward in dermatologic therapeutics in the present century. The treatment of acne, severe psoriasis, and severe disorders of keratinization, prevalent diseases in children and adolescents, have radically changed since the advent of oral retinoids. Like most highly-effective medications, oral retinoids also have important untoward effects. Specialists, and in particular, dermatologists and pediatricians should be prepared to maneuver the delicate balance between therapeutic efficacy and side effects in order to give the pediatric patient the maximum benefit with the lowest possible risk.