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Biomed Res Int 2020 17;2020:6195975. Epub 2020 Sep 17.

Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Purpose: Previous studies confirmed that chronic arsenic exposure could lead to pigmentary changes and hyperkeratosis. However, skin health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people under lifetime arsenic exposure remains underappreciated. Our study is aimed at investigating several patient-reported outcomes in a population under chronic arsenic exposure. Read More

Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent) 2020 Jul 24;33(3):415-416. Epub 2020 Apr 24.

Division of Dermatology, Baylor University Medical CenterDallasTexas.

Porokeratosis is an uncommon cutaneous condition with multiple clinical variants that is defined by round patches with a raised, fine scaling border. Punctate porokeratosis is a rare variant of porokeratosis that is characterized by elevated, seed-like lesions of the palms and soles. While variants of porokeratosis may be associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma within the lesion, punctate porokeratosis does not increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2019 Jan 21;58(1):e9-e10. Epub 2018 Oct 21.

Department of Dermatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.

JAAD Case Rep 2018 Jan 19;4(1):72-74. Epub 2017 Dec 19.

Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.

Sci Rep 2018 01 29;8(1):1745. Epub 2018 Jan 29.

Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, via Cinthia 4, 80126, Naples, Italy.

Inorganic trivalent arsenic is a major environmental pollutant and exposure to human results in many pathologies, including keratosis and carcinoma. Here, we analyzed the effects of B. subtilis spores on human normal keratinocytes in the presence of sodium arsenite oxidative stress. Read More

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2017 Oct 15;144:227-235. Epub 2017 Jun 15.

Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal 741 252, India.

Safe limit of arsenic in soil in relation to dietary exposure of arsenicosis patients was established in Malda district of West Bengal. Out of 182 participants examined, 80 (43.9%) participants showed clinical features of arsenicosis, characterized by arsenical skin lesion (pigmentation and keratosis), while 102 participants did not have any such lesion (control). Read More

Australas J Dermatol 2016 May 24;57(2):e66-8. Epub 2015 Aug 24.

Division of Dermatology, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

Agent Blue was an arsenical herbicide used extensively in the Vietnam War. Arsenic is one of the known causes of acquired palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK). The most common manifestation of arsenic exposure in susceptible individuals is bilateral palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. Read More

J Cutan Med Surg 2016 Jan 3;20(1):67-71. Epub 2015 Aug 3.

Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, NL, Canada

Background And Objective: Millions of people worldwide suffer from chronic arsenic poisoning due to contaminated drinking water. The devastating effects of chronic arsenic ingestion are multisystem, but depending on the dose and frequency of exposure, may take many years to become clinically apparent. The earliest and most common manifestations are dermatological, and therefore, recognition of hallmark lesions is key. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2016 Mar 31;55(3):289-95. Epub 2015 Jul 31.

Division of Arsenic Research, Department of Pharmacology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background: Chronic arsenic exposure can lead to palmoplantar keratosis. In the stratum corneum of skin, linoleic acid is of the utmost importance to the inflammation, keratinization, and regeneration processes.

Objectives: The aims of this study were: (i) to present quantitative information on the linoleic acid fraction of intercorneocyte lipids, and (ii) to elucidate the role of linoleic acid in the pathophysiology of arsenical keratosis. Read More

Int J Clin Exp Med 2015 15;8(1):1487-90. Epub 2015 Jan 15.

Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University Hefei 230022, P. R. China.

Medication-induced arsenical keratosis is a rare type of arsenical keratosis. We describe here a case of 70-year-old man to explore the clinical characters, diagnosis and treatment of medication-induced arsenical keratosis in order to improve the understanding of this disease and reduce the misdiagnosis rate. The clinical characters, signs, lab findings as well as progression, diagnosis and treatment in the case of arsenical keratosis were analyzed. Read More

Ugeskr Laeger 2014 May;176(19)

Plastikkirurgisk Afdeling Z, Plastikkirurgisk Forskningsenhed, Aarhus Universitetshospital, Nørrebrogade 44, 8000 Aarhus C.

Cutaneous malignancy in association with arsenic exposure is a rare but well-documented phenomenon. Signs of chronic arsenic exposure are very rare in Denmark today. However, arsenic was used in the medical treatment of psoriasis vulgaris up till the 1980's and several patients suffer from this arsenic treatment today. Read More

Actas Dermosifiliogr 2013 Oct 20;104(8):672-8. Epub 2013 Aug 20.

Centro Dermatológico Federico Lleras Acosta, E.S.E, Bogotá D.C., Colombia. Electronic address:

Introduction: Nonmelanoma skin cancer is the most common malignancy in white individuals. The risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma, which belongs to the family of nonmelanoma skin cancers, have not been studied in Colombia.

Objective: To determine the risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma in patients at a national referral center for skin diseases in Colombia. Read More

Internist (Berl) 2013 Jun;54(6):671-82

Klinik für Dermatologie, Venerologie und Allergologie, Hauttumorcentrum, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Deutschland.

Precancerous skin lesions and carcinomas in situ of the skin represent the early stages of epithelial skin tumors. There is no invasive tumor growth, so the basement membrane is completely intact. These lesions show a wide variation of clinical and histological appearances on the skin or mucosa. Read More

Am J Epidemiol 2013 Feb 7;177(3):213-6. Epub 2013 Jan 7.

Center for Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60615, USA.

Arsenic exposure affects millions of people worldwide, causing substantial mortality and morbidity from cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. An article in the current issue (Am J Epidemiol. 2013;177(3):202-212) reports that classic dermatological manifestations, typically associated with chronic arsenic exposure, are predictive of internal cancers among Taiwanese decades after the cessation of exposure. Read More

Environ Geochem Health 2012 Oct 12;34(5):563-74. Epub 2012 May 12.

Department of Earth Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan.

Drinking of arsenic (As)-contaminated groundwater has adverse effects on health of millions of people worldwide. This study aimed to determine the degree of severity of As exposure from drinking water in peri-urban Moyna and Ardebok villages, West Bengal, India. Arsenic concentrations in hair, nail and urine samp les of the individuals were determined. Read More

Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2011 Jun 17;49(5):374-8. Epub 2011 May 17.

Division of Arsenic Research, Department of Pharmacology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Shahba, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Background: Melanosis and leucomelanosis with or without keratosis are the earliest symptoms of arsenicosis. Uneven distribution of arsenical melanosis and leucomelanosis in skin led us to investigate the possibility of preferential secretion of arsenic and three constituents of sweat; cholesterol, vitamin E, and zinc.

Methods: Twenty-four-hour skin secretion was collected from skin lesions and unaffected sites of 20 patients. Read More

J Assoc Physicians India 2010 Oct;58:617-24, 629

Department of Gastroenterology, Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai 400012.

Human health in the past and presently is influenced by the amounts and proportion of chemical elements to which humans have been exposed. Arsenic, as a therapeutic agent was known to ancient Greeks and Romans. Ehrlick introduced organic arsenicals as anti linetic agents but with advent of penicillin these have nearly become obsolete. Read More

Am J Epidemiol 2011 Apr 4;173(7):778-86. Epub 2011 Mar 4.

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

Inorganic arsenic is metabolized to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). Limited evidence suggests that the ability to fully metabolize arsenic into DMA influences susceptibility to disease. To determine whether percentage of MMA was predictive of disease, the authors used data from a case-control study conducted in Bangladesh (2001-2003). Read More

Dermatol Clin 2011 Jan;29(1):45-51

Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, IL 60637, USA.

Arsenic is considered a Class I human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer because of its increased risk for skin cancer, as well as internal cancers, such as lung and bladder cancer. Arsenic contamination of drinking water in Bangladesh has been called the "largest mass poisoning of a population in history." This inorganic arsenic contamination is of natural origin, with arsenic thought to be released to the groundwater from the surrounding sediment. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2012 Jul 3;67(1):e49-55. Epub 2010 Nov 3.

Department of Dermatology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia.

Background: Multiple minute digitate hyperkeratosis (MMDH) is a rare disorder of keratinization with many different names.

Objective: We present a case of MMDH and review the literature. We propose and discuss the classification the digitate keratoses, which include MMDH, lichen spinulosus, phrynoderma, spiny keratoderma, arsenical keratosis, multiple filiform verrucae, postirradiation digitate keratosis, trichodysplasia spinulosa, and hyperkeratotic spicules. Read More

Cutis 2010 Apr;85(4):199-202

Department of Dermatology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, USA.

Long-term exposure to arsenic has been linked to the development of numerous cutaneous neoplasms including arsenical keratoses, basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). We report a patient with a remote history of psoriasis treated with arsenic who subsequently developed more than 40 nonmelanoma skin cancers as well as arsenical keratoses. This patient had a remarkable response to imiquimod cream 5% applied once daily to affected areas for 6 weeks with complete resolution of all cutaneous neoplasms and no evidence of recurrence in more than 3 years of clinical surveillance. Read More

N Z Med J 2010 Feb 19;123(1309):111-3. Epub 2010 Feb 19.

Department of Medicine, Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, India.

Sci Total Environ 2010 Mar 22;408(7):1523-9. Epub 2010 Jan 22.

Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran.

First, we determined the levels of 8 trace elements (As, Se, Hg, Cd, Ag, Mn, Cr and Pb) in 530 village drinking water sources by graphite furnace or flame atomic absorption spectroscopy method, in Kurdistan Province in the west of Iran. The results showed that the level of As, Cd and Se in 28 village drinking water sources exceeded WHO or National Standard limits. The levels of concentration of arsenic in drinking water ranged from 42 to 1500microg/L. Read More

Indian J Med Res 2009 Jan;129(1):75-82

Department of Community Medicine, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, India.

Background & Objective: Pigmentation and keratosis are the prerequisites to diagnose arsenicosis. However, many systemic manifestations occur in association with pigmentation and keratosis in people exposed to chronic drinking of arsenic contaminated water. The present study aim to find out whether systemic manifestations occur in significant number of cases in arsenic exposed people in the absence of skin lesions in an affected district in West Bengal, India. Read More

Dermatol Online J 2008 Oct 15;14(10):24. Epub 2008 Oct 15.

Department of Dermatology, New York University, USA.

A 42-year-old man presented with a six-month history of a slowly-enlarging ulcer on his right sole, a 30-year history of altered pigmentation of the trunk and extremities, and hyperkeratotic papules of the palms and soles. Histopathologic examination showed an invasive squamous-cell carcinoma of the right sole and hyperkeratosis with keratinocyte atypia of the left finger and left lateral foot. The clinical and histopathologic findings are consistent with chronic arsenicism, which most commonly occurs in the setting of drinking contaminated water or after occupational exposure. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2008 Jun;47(6):618-21

Department of Dermatology and Venereology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Background: Ayurvedic medicines are known to contain arsenic and concentrations up to toxic levels have been reported in certain formulations. However, clinical disease due to arsenic containing ayurvedic medicines has rarely been reported. We seek to highlight the existence of toxic levels of arsenic in certain ayurvedic preparations that can produce serious systemic manifestations. Read More

Int J Dermatol 2008 Jun;47(6):592-3

Department of Dermatological Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.

Clin Exp Dermatol 2008 Mar 24;33(2):202-4. Epub 2007 Nov 24.

Rev Med Liege 2007 Feb;62(2):94-6

Service de Dermatologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Belgique.

Arsenic is an ubiquitary element which has been widely used for centuries in different fields such as medicine, agriculture or industry. Acute or chronic exposure to As can lead to various dermatological and systemic disorders with a possibe latency over decades. The dermatological signs of As intoxication are important to detect since one of the potential complications is carcinoma. Read More