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Conservative treatment of penile squamous cell carcinoma has been advocated as a method of choice for tumours at early stages. Thirty patients with a mean age of 63.2 years were treated with CO2 laser ablation, radical local excision with preputial flap, direct closure or healing by secondary intention, circumcision alone or associated with CO2 laser and topical imiquimod. Sixteen patients had local recurrence. Partial penectomy was necessary in 3 patients. Conservative treatments of penile squamous cell carcinoma in early stages (< T1a) do not seem to compromise the survival rate, so it may be advisable for this subset of patients.

Human scabies is an intensely pruritic skin infestation caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis. Crusted scabies (previously known as Norwegian scabies) is a rare form, very contagious and transmitted by direct contact with the skin. Despite being readily treatable, a delayed diagnosis often leads to widespread infestation of contacts, and therefore difficult to restrain. This case concerns a patient where dermoscopy (with scabetic burrows and a visible hand-glider structure), together with direct microscopic examination, allowed a prompt diagnosis, thereby reinforcing the increasing importance of this technique in daily practice.

We investigated the ability of CA III, isolated from adult human skeletal muscle, to regulate cell growth and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) formation in connective tissue cells derived from various human tissues. Unlike muscle, dermal, and cartilage fibroblasts, synovial connective tissue cells were substantially activated by CA III and showed enhanced hyaluronic acid (HA) synthesis. Cell culture experiments showed that CA III induced a 2- to 11-fold increase in [14C]HA synthesis by human synovial fibroblasts (SF) in a dose-dependent manner (P less than 0.001); erythrocyte CA I and CA II were inactive. Exposure of SF and muscle fibroblasts to CA III also resulted in a 20-45% and 16-70% increased 35S incorporation into proteoglycans, respectively. When adult human skin and cartilage fibroblasts were studied in the presence of CA III, no differences in the level of DNA and GAG formation were noted. These latter cell types were clearly activated by a platelet (CTAP-III) growth factor. The potential physiological implications of these observations are discussed.