Digital ulcerative lichenoid dermatitis in a patient receiving anti-PD-1 therapy

Programmed cell death receptor 1 inhibitors (anti-PD-1) constitute a form of immunotherapy for the treatment of several cancers. They are associated with cutaneous immune-related adverse events (irAE), occurring in up to 50% of patients. Lichenoid dermatitis is frequent and several presentations have been described. Although attempts have been made to study these reactions, they are yet to be fully characterized and the relationship with tumor response is unclear. We describe a case of digital ulcerative lichenoid dermatitis resembling ulcerative cutaneous lichen planus that occurred during pembrolizumab therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The patient developed a painful ulcer on his index finger 18 months into therapy. Biopsy revealed epidermal ulceration with intense lichenoid dermatitis. Immunohistochemical study revealed intense CD8 positivity at the ulcer's edges and marked CD163 positivity at its base. Although idiopathic forms of this type of lichenoid dermatitis are particularly recalcitrant, our case was successfully managed with topical therapy and oncologic treatment did not require modification. One year after ending treatment the patient remains free of disease progression. It is unclear if this reaction is associated with his favorable oncologic response. This report adds an undescribed reaction to the increasing diversity of cutaneous irAE associated with anti-PD-1 therapy

Apocrine hidrocystoma on the nipple: the first report in this unusual location

Apocrine hidrocystoma is a rare, benign, cystic tumor of the apocrine sweat glands. They are most commonly located around the eyes and may also be found on the scalp and neck. However, despite the fact that the nipple and areola contain numerous apocrine sweet glands, apocrine hydrocystomas have not been described previously in this area to the best of our knowledge. We report the first case of this cyst in this unsual location

Acneiform eruption induced by vedolizumab

The development of new biological drugs for the treatment of advanced oncological processes or severe inflammatory diseases brings with it the appearance of new adverse effects. Vedolizumab, an α4β7 integrin inhibitor antibody, is approved for induction and maintenance therapy in both Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. We report a case of severe acneiform eruption induced by vedolizumab in a 17-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis

Acneiform eruption induced by vedolizumab

The development of new biological drugs for the treatment of advanced oncological processes or severe inflammatory diseases brings with it the appearance of new adverse effects. Vedolizumab, an α4β7 integrin inhibitor antibody, is approved for induction and maintenance therapy in both Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis. We report a case of severe acneiform eruption induced by vedolizumab in a 17-year-old woman with ulcerative colitis

Ectopic intestinal mucosa implanted on the perianal skin of a patient with Crohn disease

ntestinal mucosa implanted in skin is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Implantations are thought to occur during the creation of ostomy sites or other surgical procedures in which suture goes through bowel mucosa and then skin. Current ostomy literature reports this as a very uncommon complication. We present a 54-year-old man diagnosed with Crohn disease with severe perianal involvement who was referred to our outpatient clinic because of two persistent perianal cutaneous ulcerations. He previously underwent several interventions to drain complex perianal fistulas and abscesses, the last of them involved placing seton stitches to ensure continuous draining during the healing process. Physical examination revealed two painful ulcerations with bleeding on contact. A skin biopsy was performed, revealing ectopic intestinal mucosa with crypts, villi, and goblet cells. Perianal ulcerations characteristic of Crohn disease might be difficult to differentiate from ectopic implant of bowel mucosa secondary to a surgical procedure in the perianal area. Therefore, we believe a high degree of suspicion and skin biopsy are key to the diagnosis

Ectopic intestinal mucosa implanted on the perianal skin of a patient with Crohn disease

ntestinal mucosa implanted in skin is an exceedingly rare occurrence. Implantations are thought to occur during the creation of ostomy sites or other surgical procedures in which suture goes through bowel mucosa and then skin. Current ostomy literature reports this as a very uncommon complication. We present a 54-year-old man diagnosed with Crohn disease with severe perianal involvement who was referred to our outpatient clinic because of two persistent perianal cutaneous ulcerations. He previously underwent several interventions to drain complex perianal fistulas and abscesses, the last of them involved placing seton stitches to ensure continuous draining during the healing process. Physical examination revealed two painful ulcerations with bleeding on contact. A skin biopsy was performed, revealing ectopic intestinal mucosa with crypts, villi, and goblet cells. Perianal ulcerations characteristic of Crohn disease might be difficult to differentiate from ectopic implant of bowel mucosa secondary to a surgical procedure in the perianal area. Therefore, we believe a high degree of suspicion and skin biopsy are key to the diagnosis

Effective treatment of nail psoriasis with apremilast: report of two cases and review of the literature

Nail psoriasis can cause great morbidity and a negative impact on the personal and work-related life of the patients. However, it responds more poorly to most drug therapies. Classically, the first line of treatment for nail psoriasis has been topical medication, but the new biological drugs seem to be the most effective treatment. Apremilast is another systemic oral drug that has shown a significant reduction of the severity in moderate-severe plaque psoriasis, as well as nail and scalp psoriasis. We present two cases of patients who exhibited a rapid response to treatment with apremilast

Treponema Pallidum epidermotropism in nodular secondary syphilis

Nodular secondary syphilis results from the hematogenous and lymphatic dissemination of spirochetes. Clinically, the lesions appear as partially infiltrated plaques or red-violaceous nodules, which can be solitary or multiple. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the formation of these infiltrated or granulomatous lesions. Among the most accepted are the specific hypersensitivity reactions to Treponema pallidum or the lenghty duration of the disease. We present a case of nodular syphilis where immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of multiple spirochetes invading the epidermis

Digital ulcerative lichenoid dermatitis in a patient receiving anti-PD-1 therapy

Programmed cell death receptor 1 inhibitors (anti-PD-1) constitute a form of immunotherapy for the treatment of several cancers. They are associated with cutaneous immune-related adverse events (irAE), occurring in up to 50% of patients. Lichenoid dermatitis is frequent and several presentations have been described. Although attempts have been made to study these reactions, they are yet to be fully characterized and the relationship with tumor response is unclear. We describe a case of digital ulcerative lichenoid dermatitis resembling ulcerative cutaneous lichen planus that occurred during pembrolizumab therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The patient developed a painful ulcer on his index finger 18 months into therapy. Biopsy revealed epidermal ulceration with intense lichenoid dermatitis. Immunohistochemical study revealed intense CD8 positivity at the ulcer's edges and marked CD163 positivity at its base. Although idiopathic forms of this type of lichenoid dermatitis are particularly recalcitrant, our case was successfully managed with topical therapy and oncologic treatment did not require modification. One year after ending treatment the patient remains free of disease progression. It is unclear if this reaction is associated with his favorable oncologic response. This report adds an undescribed reaction to the increasing diversity of cutaneous irAE associated with anti-PD-1 therapy