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Background and Design: Primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) have not been well characterized due to their relatively low incidence and heterogeneous clinical features. Materials and Methods: Data of 29 patients with primary cutaneous marginal zone lymphoma (PCMZL) (n=18), primary cutaneous follicle center B-cell lymphoma (PCFCL) (n=7), and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma-leg type (PCDLBCL-LT) (n=4) who were followed and treated at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine between 2006 and 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and outcomes of all patients were analyzed. Results: Our study supports the data that there are geographical differences in the distribution of B-cell lymphomas and that PCMZL is predominant in Asian countries compared to Europe. The mean age at the time of diagnosis in the PCDLBCL-LT group was significantly older than the indolent PCBCL group (p=0.022). The lesion size was predominantly less than 2 cm in PCMZL, between 2 and 5 cm in PCFCL, and larger than 5 cm in the PCDLBCL-LT group (p=0.006). While skin-directed treatments were the most common approach in the PCMZL and PCFCL groups, multi-agent chemotherapy was the preferred treatment in the PCDLBCL-LT group (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively). No significant correlation was found between age, gender, clinical features of the lesion, cutaneous lymphoma international prognostic index score, stage and treatment modalities, recurrence, and overall survival. The World Health Organization and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification of cutaneous lymphoma remains the primary guideline for understanding the clinical behavior and prognostic parameters of this heterogeneous patient group. Conclusion: Given the relative rarity of these types of lymphoma, our patient collective provides an additional value to the existing literature.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to determine the frequency of endometrial cancer in patients undergoing surgery with a diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia and to evaluate the concordance between preoperative diagnosis, frozen section examination, and final pathology results. STUDY DESIGN: The clinical findings, imaging results, and all pathology reports of patients who underwent total abdominal hysterectomy for endometrial hyperplasia (atypical or non-atypical) between January 2020 and January 2023 at our hospital were retrospectively evaluated. Demographic and clinical characteristics (age, menopausal status, parity, body mass index, presence of diabetes and hypertension) and pathology results were recorded from patient records. RESULTS: 144 patients diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia were included in the study. The frozen section and final pathology results of all patients diagnosed with non-atypical endometrial hyperplasia were reported as benign lesions. In the atypia group, the intraoperative frozen section results of 80.7% of the patients were classified as benign lesions, while the results of 19.3% were reported as malignant pathology. A statistically significant difference was found between the benign and malignant lesion groups, which were classified based on the final pathology results, with respect to age, menopausal status, and average endometrial thickness before biopsy. CONCLUSION: In cases of endometrial hyperplasia with atypia, the possibility of cancer appearing in the final pathology results should be taken into consideration. In the preoperative evaluation of patients, characteristics such as endometrial thickness, age, and menopausal status may suggest the likelihood of encountering endometrial cancer during surgery in this patient group.

Background: The International Dermoscopy Society (IDS) recently released a set of five basic dermoscopic parameters (vessels, scales, follicular findings, "other structures," and specific clues) encompassing a total of 31 subitems to standardize the use of dermoscopy in non‐neoplastic dermatoses, yet they have been developed taking into account Caucasian/Asian skin, with consequent possible limitations if used in dark skin. Objectives: To validate the abovementioned criteria for the use in dark‐skinned patients (phototypes IV–VI) through an expert consensus. Methods: The two‐round Delphi method was adopted, with an iterative process consisting of two rounds of email questionnaires. Potential panelists were recruited via e‐mail from all over the world based on their expertise on dermoscopy of non‐neoplastic dermatoses in skin of color. Results: Twenty‐two panelists took part in the validation process. All of the five originally proposed parameters and subitems reached agreement during the first round, aside from "follicular red dots." Additionally, during round 1, five new subitems were proposed (perifollicular scales distribution, follicular openings obliteration, broken hairs, eccrine pigmentation, and eccrine ostia obliteration), along with the possibility to change the denomination of parameter 3 (from "follicular findings" to "follicular/eccrine findings") and split it into two subparameters ("follicular findings" and "eccrine findings"). All such proposals reached agreement during the second round and therefore were included in the final list, for a total of 37 items. Conclusions: Although nearly all the dermoscopic criteria originally proposed by the IDS are applicable even to darker phototypes, several additional variables need to be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Classic Kaposi’s sarcoma (CKS) is a chronic and indolent skin tumor. Because CKS has a low mortality rate but can have a significant impact on quality of life, it is important to choose safe, long-term treatments with minimal side effects. Objectives: The aim was to assess the efficacy of long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser therapy in treating CKS based on clinical and dermoscopic observations. Methods: Forty-two nodular lesions from three CKS patients (stage 4) were treated using a long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a spot size ranging from 3 to 7 mm, a fluence of 200–250 j/cm2, and a pulse duration lasting between 10 and 20 milliseconds in one or two sessions. Patients were photographed clinically and dermoscopically before the procedure, immediately after the procedure, and at 1, 6, and 12 months after the procedure. Results: All participants displayed significant clinical and dermoscopic improvements, and all lesions healed within 2–3 weeks, resulting in only minor atrophic scars. No instance of recurrence was found among any of the patients during the 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Nd:YAG laser therapy may prove to be an effective therapeutic alternative for both early and advanced-stage CKS, specifically in instances of stubborn cutaneous lesions or patients receiving systemic therapy. The treatment results in quick improvement, typically within 2–3 weeks, and is well tolerated. Nd:YAG laser therapy could provide potential benefits for HIV-positive patients as it is free from immunosuppression, easy to apply to recurring lesions, and demonstrates overall effectiveness and safety.

Cutaneous leiomyosarcoma (CLMS), with an annual incidence of 0.2/100,000, is a very rare non-melanoma skin malignancy. CLMS has two subtypes: Dermal (primary) and subcutaneous; when diagnosed in the early period, the prognosis in the dermal type is better. CLMS is generally seen in the 6th and 7th decades of life and more frequently in the lower extremities and head and neck. Trauma, radiation, chemicals, and sun rays have been reported as the factors involved in its etiology. Epidermal cysts, skin metastases, dermatofibrosarcoma pro-tuberans, and keloid should be considered in the differential diagnosis of CLMS, which usually manifests as a nodular lesion. In the presented case, the lesion, which developed over scar tissue was diagnosed as keloid and treated accordingly for four years. The pathologic examination of dermal CLMS (d-CLMS) in this patient, in whom diagnosis was delayed, revealed invasion of the subcutaneous fat tissue, which is among the poor prognostic factors. Herein, we present a case with d-CLMS, in which early recognition is vitally important, who was treated for an extended period as keloid, and we emphasize the differential diagnosis in CLMS and pathological and dermatoscopic features that, to our knowledge, are being reported here for the first time.

Between 2015 and 2018, a clear increase was noticed in the cases of onychomycosis in which species of Aspergillus were cited as the cause while stimulating studies have been conducted. With this case, we call attention to the increasing frequency of Aspergillus niger onychomycosis in recent years and highlight the options for diagnosis and treatment as well as the risk factors and clinical and pathological properties of the disease.

Over the last few decades, dermoscopy has been showed to facilitate the non-invasive diagnosis of both benign and malignant skin tumors, yet literature data mainly comes from studies on light phototypes. However, there is growing evidence that skin neoplasms may benefit from dermoscopic assessment even for skin of color. This systematic literature review evaluated published data in dark-skinned patients (dermoscopic features, used setting, pathological correlation, and level of evidence of studies), also providing a standardized and homogeneous terminology for reported dermoscopic findings. A total of 20 articles describing 46 different tumors (four melanocytic neoplasms, eight keratinocytic tumors, 15 adnexal cutaneous neoplasms, seven vascular tumors, four connective tissue tumors, and eight cystic neoplasms/others) for a total of 1724 instances were included in the analysis. Most of them showed a level of evidence of V (12 single case reports and six case series), with only two studies featuring a level of evidence of IV (case-control analysis). Additionally, this review also underlined that some neoplasms and phototypes are underrepresented in published analyses as they included only small samples and mainly certain tones of “dark skin” spectrum (especially phototype IV). Therefore, further studies considering such limitations are required for a better characterization.

Dermoscopic patterns of inflammatory dermatoses (inflammoscopy) have been extensively studied in the recent years, though data on patients with darker phototypes (IV-VI) are sparse. The aims of this systematic review were to summarize the current state of knowledge on inflammoscopy applied to skin of color and provide a standardized nomenclature of reported findings. Besides dermoscopic features, type of setting and magnification, number of cases, and histopathological correlation were analyzed. Eighty-five papers addressing 76 different dermatoses (25 papulosquamous dermatoses, 19 hyperpigmented dermatoses, seven hypopigmented dermatoses, four granulomatous dermatoses, two sclerotic dermatoses, five facial inflammatory dermatoses, and 14 miscellaneous conditions) for a total of 2073 instances were retrieved. Only one study showed a level of evidence of III (cross-sectional study), whereas 10 and 74 displayed a level of evidence of IV (case-control studies) and V (case-series and case-reports), respectively. Moreover, our analysis also highlighted that most of papers focalized on a limited number of dermatoses, with several conditions having only single dermoscopic descriptions. Additionally, few studies compared findings among phototypes belonging to the “skin of color” spectrum. Further studies designed according to a systematic approach and considering the above-mentioned issues are therefore needed.

Dermoscopy has been showed to facilitate the non-invasive recognition of several infectious disorders (infectiouscopy) thanks to the detection of peculiar clues. Although most of the knowledge on this topic comes from studies involving light-skinned patients, there is growing evidence about its use also in dark phototypes. This systematic literature review summarizes published data on dermoscopy of parasitic, bacterial, viral and fungal dermatoses (dermoscopic findings, used setting, pathological correlation, and level of evidence of studies) and provides a homogeneous terminology of reported dermoscopic features according to a standardized methodology. A total of 66 papers addressing 41 different dermatoses (14 bacterial, 5 viral, 11 fungal infections, and 11 parasitoses/bites and stings) and involving a total of 1096 instances were included in the analysis. The majority of them displayed a level of evidence of V (44 single case reports and 21 case series), with only 1 study showing a level of evidence of IV (case-control analysis). Moreover, our analysis also highlighted a high variability in the terminology used in the retrieved studies. Thus, although promising, further studies designed according to a systematic and standardized approach are needed for better characterization of dermoscopy of infectious skin infections.

Hair and scalp disorders are of significant interest for physicians dealing with dark phototypes due to their prevalence and potential aesthetic impact resulting from a higher tendency for scarring. In order to facilitate their non-invasive diagnosis, several dermoscopic studies have been published, yet data are sparse and no systematic analysis of the literature has been performed so far. This systematic literature review summarizes published data on trichoscopy of hair and scalp diseases (trichoscopic findings, used setting, pathological correlation, and level of evidence of studies). A total of 60 papers addressing 19 different disorders (eight non-cicatricial alopecias, nine cicatricial alopecias, and two hair shaft disorders) were assessed, for a total of 2636 instances. They included one cross-sectional analysis, 20 case-control studies, 25 case-series, and 14 single case-reports, so the level of evidence was V and IV in 65% and 33% of cases, respectively, with only one study showing a level of evidence of III. Notably, although there is a considerable body of literature on trichoscopy of hair/scalp diseases, our review underlined that potentially significant variables (e.g., disease stage or hair texture) are often not taken into account in published analyses, with possible biases on trichoscopic patterns, especially when it comes to hair shaft changes. Further analyses considering all such issues are therefore needed.

Abstract Background The Global Campaign against Headache collects data from children (6–11 years) and adolescents (12–17) to inform health and education policies and contribute to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. This survey in Zambia, part of this global enquiry, was the second from sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Methods Following the generic protocol, this was a schools-based cross-sectional survey. We used the child and adolescent versions of the structured Headache-Attributed Restriction, Disability, Social Handicap and Impaired Participation (HARDSHIP) questionnaire, self-completed by pupils within classes, in a total of nine schools in Lusaka (urban) and Copperbelt (semi-rural). These two of Zambia’s ten provinces were selected to represent the country’s urban/rural divide. Headache diagnostic questions were based on ICHD-3 except for undifferentiated headache (UdH). Results Of 2,759 potential participants, 2,089 (615 children [29.4%], 1,474 adolescents [70.6%]) completed questionnaires (participating proportion 75.7%). Children were therefore under-represented (mean age 13.1 ± 2.8 years), while gender distribution (1,128 [54.0%] male, 961 [46.0%] female) was close to expectation. Observed lifetime prevalence of headache was 97.5%. Gender- and age-adjusted 1-year prevalence estimates were 85.8% for all headache, 53.2% for migraine (definite 17.5%, probable 35.7%), 12.1% for tension-type headache (TTH), 14.8% for UdH, 3.3% for all headache on ≥ 15 days/month and 0.9% for probable medication-overuse headache. Headache durations were short: only 28.6% of participants with any headache, and only 10.5% of those diagnosed as probable migraine, reported usual durations of > 2 h (the threshold for definite migraine). Of the latter, 36.6% reported

Background and objective: Less than 5% of cases of mycosis fungoides (MF) present with a cytotoxic/suppressor CD8+ phenotype. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and clinical course in CD8+ MF patients. Methods: In a retrospective analysis of 353 MF patients in a referral center at Ankara University, Turkey, 29 patients that were diagnosed with CD8+ MF were included in the study. Results: CD8+ MF cases constituted 8.2% of all MF patients. The age at the time of diagnosis ranged between 6 and 81 years with a median value of 46 years. The female‐to‐male ratio was 1.41. Patients presented with erythematous scaly (69%), hyperpigmented (58.6%), poikilodermic (17.2%), and hypopigmented (17.2 %) patches/plaques. The most common sites of involvement were the trunk and lower extremities. The most common comorbidity was hypertension (24.1%, n: 7) with 13 patients (44.8%) having a history of at least one autoimmune disease. At the time of diagnosis, 93.2% of the patients had early‐stage disease, and 6.8% of the patients had advanced stage. The mean follow‐up period was 6.68 ± 6.04 years (range 1–28 years). Most of the patients were treated with skin‐directed therapies. Complete remission was achieved in 17 (58.6%) patients, eight (27.6%) patients had partial remission, and four (13.8%) patients had stable disease. Conclusions: We concluded that CD8+ MF is associated with an indolent course and in most patients, skin‐directed therapies were found to be efficient to control the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides (MF) is poorly understood, and an immunogenetic mechanism has been suggested to play a role. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles DRB1*11 and DQB1*03 were found to be significantly increased for patients with sporadic and/ or familial MF. The juvenile-onset familial MF is extremely rare. Herein, we report two siblings diagnosed with folliculotropic MF, both exhibiting similar morphology of a unilesional presentation on the flexural region of the arms. Both were positive for HLA-DRB1*04 and HLA-DQB1*03 alleles. The HLA-DQB1*03 allele has been described in familial MF in the literature recently, whereas “HLA-DRB1*04” allele has not been reported previously in familial MF cases.

Introduction: A structured set of eight basic dermoscopic parameters (lines, clods, dots, circles, pseudopods, structureless, else, and vessels) including a total of 77 variables with corresponding descriptive and metaphoric vocabulary has been released for evaluation of skin tumors by the International Dermoscopy Society (IDS). Objectives: To validate the aforementioned criteria for the use in darker phototypes (phototypes IV-VI) via an expert consensus. Methods: The two-round “Delphi method” was adopted, with an iterative process including two rounds of email questionnaires. Potential panelists were asked to take part to the procedure via email on the basis of their expertise on dermoscopy of skin tumors in dark phototypes. Results: A total of 17 participants were involved. All the original variables of the eight basic parameters reached agreement during the first round, except for “pink small clods” (“milky red globules”) and “structureless pink zone” (“milky red areas”). Moreover, during the first round, panelists proposed a change of three existing items and the introduction of four new items, i.e., “black, small clods” (“black globules”), “follicular plugs”, “erosions/ulcerations”, and “white color around vessels” (“perivascular white halo”). All such proposals achieved agreement, thus being included in the final list, for a total of 79 items. There was consistency between descriptive and metaphoric approach in terms of scoring. Conclusions: Albeit most of the original items were considered applicable even for skin of color, there are some points of differences that physicians need to know. No significant preference was found between descriptive and metaphoric terminology among panelists.

Introduction: Skin cancer is the third most common type of cancer worldwide that has increased in incidence. Quality of life (QoL) instruments have been developed to measure the efficacy of treatments of cancers. Objectives: The only validated tool that can be used in both nonmetastatic skin cancer types is the SCQOLIT. This study aimed to validate the Turkish version of the Skin Cancer Quality of Life Impact Tool (SCQOLIT). Methods: A total of 141 patients diagnosed and treated for skin cancer within the previous 3 months were included. The tool was translated into Turkish in accordance with International Translation Guidelines. The Dermatology Quality of Life Index that was used for external validation. Patient demographics were recorded. Results: Question 3 had a factor load of 0.372, indicating the inadequacy of this question in predicting QoL, a point that the original study did not mention. The SCQOLIT had external validity, convergent validity and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.863), and test-repeat-test correlation coefficient was 0.824 (95% confidence interval; 0.644 – 0.918). Patients diagnosed with melanoma had poorer QoL scores. High-risk tumor characteristics in nonmelanoma skin cancer and stage of melanoma had no impact on QoL (p=0.235 for basal cell carcinoma, p=1.00 for squamous cell carcinoma, p=0.635 for melanoma). Conclusions: The Turkish version of the SCQOLIT is validated. Age was shown to have a statistically significant negative correlation with QoL, while Fitzpatrick skin type, gender, risk classification, stage, history of skin cancer, family history of skin cancer and treatment modality had no effect on QoL.

The article presents a case study of a 42-year-old woman who presented with a large erythematous plaque on her scalp, extending from the vertex to the supraorbital ridge. A suggestive diagnosis of Lupus vulgaris (LV) was made through histopathological findings and the patient received a standard antituberculous treatment regimen of 6 months which resulted in complete clinical response.

Introduction and purpose: Since there are only a few population-based studies about the incidence of melanoma in Turkey which do not cover the whole population, we aimed to contribute the data regarding the current situation and the changes in the frequency of primary cutaneous melanoma (PCM) diagnosis in our country by evaluating our results and comparing them with national literature from Turkey. Methods: Consecutive PCM lesions diagnosed at the Dermatovenereology Departments of the Istanbul Medical Faculty (first center) between 1997 and 2016 and of the Ankara Medical Faculty (second center) between 2007 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The yearly number of PCMs diagnosed in each clinic over study period were compared about any change in the frequency of melanoma diagnosis. Results: There were 239 and 183 PCMs diagnosed in the two centers in twenty and ten years study period and the mean PCM diagnosis per year was 11.9 and 18.3, respectively. The number of PCM diagnosis markedly increased over time in both centers: 36, 45, 75 and 83 diagnosis for the subsequent five-year periods in the first center and 51 and 132 diagnosis for the subsequent five-year periods, in the second center. Discussion: It was striking that the number of PCM diagnosis increased steadily in both dermatovenereology centers. As several large melanoma series have been reported from various disciplines all over Turkey in the last two decades and numerous of them have also drawn attention to the increasing frequency of PCM diagnosis similar to our results, supporting data about increasing incidence of melanoma diagnosis for our country have been obtained. Keywords: Melanoma, Incidence, Frequency, Primary cutaneous melanoma, Turkey

Objective: Transformed mycosis fungoides (T-MF) is a rare variant of MF with an aggressive course. In this study, we aimed to describe characteristics of MF/Sezary syndrome (SS) patients with transformation. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with T-MF among MF/ SS patients between 2000 and 2014 in a tertiary single center were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic data, clinical data, laboratory data, immunophenotype features, response to treatment, survival, and histopathologic features were analyzed. Results: Among 254 MF patients, 25 patients with T-MF were identified (10.2%) and included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 2.6/1. The median time between MF diagnosis and transformation was 32 months (range: 0-192). Nine (36%) patients were diagnosed initially with T-MF. Advanced disease stage and high serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were indicators of poor prognosis and treatment response. Five of the 18 patients with progressive disease had undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Allo-HSCT resulted in complete remission in three (60%) patients. Ten (40%) patients died as a result of disease progression. Mean survival time was 25.2+-14.9 (2-56) months after transformation. Conclusion: Advanced stage, high serum LDH levels, and loss of CD26 and CD7 expression in the peripheral blood are poor rognostic factors in T-MF. Treatment-resistant tumors and nodules should be cautionary for T-MF. Patients with T-MF have a shortened survival. Some patients may respond to first-line treatments. However, the majority of patients who do not respond to first-line therapies also are unresponsive to second or third-line therapies. Allo-HSCT may be an alternative option in patients with T-MF.

Abstract The coiled and dotted vessels in a serpiginous arrangement or “string of pearls” is considered a classical vascular pattern associated with clear cell acanthoma. We present three cases of epidermal tumors different from clear cell acanthoma that have the same “string of pearls” vascular pattern. Even though most authors keep considering the “string of pearls” vascular pattern an almost pathognomonic sign of clear-cell acanthoma, the cases presented here suggest that some other epidermal tumors can also show this pattern.

Reticulated acanthoma with sebaceous differentiation (RASD) is a rare, benign cutaneous tumor with peculiar histopathologic characteristics [1]. RASD had been described under various synonyms such as superficial epithelioma with sebaceous differentiation, sebocrine adenoma, poroma with sebaceous differentiation, and seborrheic keratosis with sebaceous differentiation [2]. Clinical differential diagnosis of RASD includes cutaneous superficial epithelial neoplasia such as Bowen’s disease, superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and intraepidermal eccrine poroma [1]. We report the first case of RASD mimicking both clinically and dermoscopically a melanoma.

We present a case of nail apparatus melanoma in a 50-year-old woman presenting as new and changing longitudinal melanonychia of the right thumb. Very heavy melanin pigmentation involving both the epidermis and dermis interfered with dermatopathological assessment, which initially leads to a diagnosis of nail matrix blue nevus. After consultation with a specialist multidisciplinary clinic the diagnosis was revised to invasive melanoma, a diagnosis consistent with the clinical and dermatoscopic assessment.

Bowen’s disease (BD) is an in situ form of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), often occurring in the chronically UV-damaged skin of elderly people. The risk of progression of BD to invasive SCC varies between 3% and 5%, and one-third of invasive tumors may metastasize. Herein we discuss the dermatoscopic findings of a case of giant Bowen’s disease, which progressed to poorly differentiated invasive SCC.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical features of sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 423 patients who underwent AHSCT. We assessed age, sex, pre-transplant diagnosis, conditioning regimen, GVHD prophylaxis, and occurrence of acute GVHD (aGVHD), chronic lichenoid and chronic systemic GVHD, and clinical properties of sclerodermatous GVHD. RESULTS: Sclerotic skin lesions developed in 22 patients after a mean of 752+-647 days (median 480). aGVHD appeared in 17 patients, with hepatic involvement in 2, gastrointestinal tract involvement in 2 and skin involvement in 13 of these patients. Extensive chronic GVHD (liver, pulmonary, skin and oral mucosa) developed in 12 patients. Sclerosis was generalized in 19 patients (86.4%) and localized in 3 patients (13.6%). Leopard skin eruption appeared in 8 (36.4%) of the 19 patients with generalized sclerodermatous changes. In most cases, sclerotic lesions appeared on the trunk, and distal parts of the extremities were spared. Eight patients (36.4%) progressed from lichenoid to sclerodermatous lesions, 2 (9.1%) with lichenoid and sclerodermatous phases together and 12 (55.5%) with de novo sclerodermatous lesions. Five patients died because of late transplant-related complications. CONCLUSION: Sclerodermatous GVHD has a late onset and may be quite disabling. Unlike scleroderma, acral involvement is seen rarely. Although most lesions do not disappear in the course of the disease, most patients have a good prognosis.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is an uncommon locally aggressive mesenchymal tumor with a high local recurrence rate. Atrophic DFSP is a rare variant of DFSP characterized by a non-protuberant lesion. We report on a 23-year-old female, who presented with an atrophic, asymptomatic macule on the right side of her back 2 cm in diameter. Dermatoscopic examination revealed homogenous pigment network on a purplish erythematous background. The histopathological finding of the incisional biopsy material was consistent with DFSP. To our knowledge, this is the second case of atrophic DFSP discussing the dermatoscopic features of this relatively rare condition.

After sporadic reports of post-treatment control of HIV in children who initiated combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) early, we prospectively studied 284 very-early-cART-treated children from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, after vertical HIV transmission to assess control of viremia. Eighty-four percent of the children achieved aviremia on cART, but aviremia persisting to 36 or more months was observed in only 32%. We observed that male infants have lower baseline plasma viral loads (P = 0.01). Unexpectedly, a subset (n = 5) of males maintained aviremia despite unscheduled complete discontinuation of cART lasting 3-10 months (n = 4) or intermittent cART adherence during 17-month loss to follow-up (n = 1). We further observed, in vertically transmitted viruses, a negative correlation between type I interferon (IFN-I) resistance and viral replication capacity (VRC) (P < 0.0001) that was markedly stronger for males than for females (r = -0.51 versus r = -0.07 for IFN-α). Although viruses transmitted to male fetuses were more IFN-I sensitive and of higher VRC than those transmitted to females in the full cohort (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0003, respectively), the viruses transmitted to the five males maintaining cART-free aviremia had significantly lower replication capacity (P < 0.0001). These data suggest that viremic control can occur in some infants with in utero-acquired HIV infection after early cART initiation and may be associated with innate immune sex differences., (© 2024. The Author(s).)