Search

Pigmented basal cell carcinoma (PBCC) occurs more frequently in Asian population. The efficacy of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) for PBCCs treated with Mohs micrographic surgery has not yet been determined. This study enrolled 255 patients with 258 biopsy-proven BCC lesions: 199 PBCCs (77.1%) and 59 non-PBCCs (22.9%). We compared the clinicopathological and surgical features of the PBCCs and non-PBCCs. Each group was divided into 2 sub-groups, those assessed and not assessed by FD, to retrospectively analyse surgical features. Aggressive histological subtypes were less prevalent in PBCCs than in non-PBCCs. PBCCs required significantly fewer stages of Mohs excision, with significantly smaller surgical margins and surgical depth, than non-PBCCs. FD did not confer any benefits on PBCCs during Mohs micrographic surgery. However, non-PBCCs assessed by FD required significantly fewer Mohs stages, with significantly smaller surgical margins, than lesions not assessed by FD. These findings suggest that FD should be performed before Mohs micrographic surgery to delineate the margins of non-PBCCs in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of intermittent topical tacrolimus to prevent relapse in patients with stabilized facial seborrhoeic dermatitis has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine whether proactive use of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment can keep adult facial seborrhoeic dermatitis in remission. A total of 75 patients who had stabilized facial seborrhoeic dermatitis after 2 weeks' (open-label induction) treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus were randomized in a double-blind fashion to treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus once a week, twice a week, or vehicle twice a week, for 10 weeks (maintenance). Significant improvement in erythema, scaling and pruritus compared with baseline was maintained during the maintenance phase in both tacrolimus groups, but not in the vehicle group. The mean recurrence rate according to global assessment was significantly higher in the tacrolimus once-weekly group than in the twice-weekly group. In conclusion, twice-weekly treatment with 0.1% tacrolimus ointment had superior effects in keeping facial seborrhoeic dermatitis in remission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]