The management of solitary trichoepithelioma versus basal cell carcinoma

Currently, all lesions diagnosed clinically as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) are treated by the excision of the lesion with 3–4 mm margins followed by histopathological examination to assess clearance and confirm the diagnosis. We present the findings of surgical incisional and excisional biopsy of three young patients diagnosed on clinical examination as having BCC, who were found on histological examination to have trichoepithelioma. Whilst it may be possible to distinguish the features of trichoepithelioma in incisional biopsy specimens on morphological grounds alone it is often difficult, and immunohistochemical staining, to delineate the features of the basement membrane, provides useful additional information in the histological diagnosis. As trichoepithelioma is more common in the young it should be considered in the differential diagnosis in young patients presenting with BCC-like lesions of the periocular tissues. This subgroup of patients should have incisional biopsy carried out, and if the diagnosis of trichoepithelioma is confirmed the lesion may be excised with a small margin of healthy tissue, thereby facilitating surgical repair

Antioxidant enzymes activities in obese Tunisian children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The oxidant stress, expected to increase in obese adults, has an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. It results when free radical formation is greatly increased or protective antioxidant mechanisms are compromised. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the antioxidant response to obesity-related stress in healthy children.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A hundred and six healthy children (54 obese and 52 controls), aged 6–12 years old, participated in this study. The collected data included anthropometric measures, blood pressure, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and enzymatic antioxidants (Superoxide dismutase: SOD, Catalase: CAT and Glutathione peroxidase: GPx).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The first step antioxidant response, estimated by the SOD activity, was significantly higher in obese children compared with normal-weight controls (p < 0.05). Mean activities of anti-radical GPx and CAT enzymes were not affected by the BMI increase. Although, total cholesterol levels were statistically higher in the obese group, there was no significant association with the SOD activity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The obesity-related increase of the oxidant stress can be observed even in the childhood period. In addition to the complications of an increased BMI, obesity itself can be considered as an independent risk factor of free radical production resulting in an increased antioxidant response.</p