Compliance with treatment in asthma and Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Among 1648 asthmatic patients, 17 families (1%) were identified as having Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Ten families did not treat their children's, attacks or refused medical care, and seven exaggerated the severity of symptoms to obtain invasive investigations and treatment. All the families had disturbed psychosocial backgrounds. The abuse consisted mainly of neglect, in that necessary treatment was not given. In some cases a more direct form of abuse was observed, when useless and sometimes harmful investigations and treatment were given. We conclude that medical control of the compliance of both parents and children is necessary in the management of childhood asthma

Surgical Management of Melanoma in Situ on Chronically Sun-Damaged Skin

Lentigo maligna (LM) commonly presents as a slow-growing pigmented macular lesion in chronically sun-damaged skin and may progress to invasive melanoma. Many regard it as a subtype of melanoma in situ (MIS), and surgical excision remains the preferred treatment, but standard 5-mm surgical margins recommended for typical MIS are often insufficient for LM due to its indistinct borders both clinically and histologically. A search of the literature was conducted to review specialized surgical techniques for the treatment of LM, focusing on methods that employ total peripheral margin assessment prior to definitive closure, using either frozen or permanent histologic sections. Many investigators have reported surgical modalities utilizing permanent sections for margin control, including variations of the "square" procedure and "perimeter" technique. Recurrence rates are low with these methods, but only short-term data have been reported. Similarly, several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) for treatment of MIS, with recurrence rates generally less than 1% over 3 to 5 years of follow-up. Many investigators have had success with immunohistochemical stains to identify melanocytes on frozen sections, aiding margin assessment in MMS. Compared to standard excision, methods that employ surgical margin control offer superior cure rates for LM and should be utilized when available. Total peripheral margin assessment using staged excisions and permanent sections is a simple and effective alternative to MMS for institutions that lack the resources for intraoperative frozen section analysis

Selection criteria for genetic assessment of patients with familial melanoma

Approximately 5% to 10% of melanoma may be hereditary in nature, and about 2% of melanoma can be specifically attributed to pathogenic germline mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (<i>CDKN2A</i>). To appropriately identify the small proportion of patients who benefit most from referral to a genetics specialist for consideration of genetic testing for <i>CDKN2A</i>, we have reviewed available published studies of <i>CDKN2A</i> mutation analysis in cohorts with invasive, cutaneous melanoma and found variability in the rate of <i>CDKN2A</i> mutations based on geography, ethnicity, and the type of study and eligibility criteria used. Except in regions of high melanoma incidence, such as Australia, we found higher rates of <i>CDKN2A</i> positivity in individuals with 3 or more primary invasive melanomas and/or families with at least one invasive melanoma and two or more other diagnoses of invasive melanoma and/or pancreatic cancer among first- or second-degree relatives on the same side of the family. The work summarized in this review should help identify individuals who are appropriate candidates for referral for genetic consultation and possible testing