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Ann Plast Surg 2021 Jun;86(6S Suppl 5):S487-S490

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.

Abstract: Adipose fat grafting (AFG) is a popular technique used to add volume in the face, breasts, and other tissue deficient areas of the body. In terms of scar release, not only has fat provided additional soft tissue coverage but also the relief of pain in scars in those patients suffering from disease processes, such as complex regional pain syndrome with steroid-induced atrophy, burn scars, morphea, and lupus. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the senior author's technique and outcomes of using AFG in the face and body for treating volume deficiency, atrophic scarring, and deformities. Read More

Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2021 28;14:575-580. Epub 2021 May 28.

Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.

Background: Localized scleroderma (LoS) is an inflammatory fibrosing disease of the connective tissue, whose esthetic sequelae are atrophic skin lesions with hyperpigmentation. The key element of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is the assessment of the disease's severity and damage. The study objective was to analyze the usefulness of narrow-band reflectance spectrophotometry (NBRS) to assess erythema and hyperpigmentation in LoS lesions. Read More

Facial Plast Surg 2021 Jun 1;37(3):412-414. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China.

Epilepsy Behav 2021 May 27;121(Pt A):108068. Epub 2021 May 27.

Department of Neurology, University of Colorado, CU Anschutz Research Complex II, 12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; Mayo Clinic Neurology and Neurosurgery, 13400 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA. Electronic address:

Parry-Romberg syndrome (PRS) and linear sclerosis en coup de sabre (LScs) are rare, related, autoimmune conditions of focal atrophy and sclerosis of head and face which are associated with the development of focal epilepsy. The scarcity of PRS and LScs cases has made an evidence-based approach to optimal treatment of seizures difficult. Here we present a large systematic review of the literature evaluating 137 cases of PRS or LScs, as well as three new cases with epilepsy that span the spectrum of severity, treatments, and outcomes in these syndromes. Read More

Eur J Dermatol 2021 May 27. Epub 2021 May 27.

Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SB SpA IRCCS, Via Salvatore Maugeri 10, 27100 Pavia, Italy.

The peculiar combined, or binary involvement of epithelium and stroma makes basal cell carcinoma (BCC) a unique tumour. Nerve fibres have been shown to play an active role in different cancers. A prospective observational study was carried out on punch biopsies harvested within BCC surgical excision specimens. Read More

Clin Rheumatol 2021 May 27. Epub 2021 May 27.

Department of Internal Medicine, Suzu General Hospital, 1-1, Nonoe, Suzu, Ishikawa, 927-1213, Japan.

Actas Dermosifiliogr 2021 May 18. Epub 2021 May 18.

Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Universitario de Assuit Assuit, Egypt. Electronic address:

Background: Lichen sclerosus (LiS) is a chronic scleroatrophic condition that usually affects the anogenital area and occasionally the extragenital sites. CD34-positive dermal dendritic cells (DDCs) contribute to the maintenance of the dermal microarchitecture and modulation of the immune response. p53 is a tumor suppressor gene important for the regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis. Read More

Yonago Acta Med 2021 May 18;64(2):214-216. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine of Sensory and Motor Organs, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago 683-8503, Japan.

Lichen nitidus and morphea are common diseases, but an associated localization of both lesions is rare. Here, we describe the first case of lesions distributed along Blaschko's lines. A 24-year-old Japanese woman was referred to our clinic for evaluation of band-like plaques of 18-months history on the right lateral side of her abdomen. Read More

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2021 May 20. Epub 2021 May 20.

Dermatologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Dermatol Ther 2021 May 18:e14990. Epub 2021 May 18.

Dermatology Department, Nedlands, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Western Australia, Australia.

Tocilizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody to the interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor which was first approved for use in refractory rheumatoid arthritis almost a decade ago. Since then, its use has expanded to a number of rheumatological and inflammatory conditions. In dermatology, off-label use of tocilizumab has been reported to be efficacious in morphoea, systemic sclerosis, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, graft-versus-host disease, pyoderma gangrenosum, Behcet's disease, Schnitzler's syndrome, sarcoidosis, and cutaneous adverse reactions. Read More

Clin Immunol 2021 May 13;228:108756. Epub 2021 May 13.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Lupus Center of Excellence, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address:

Scleroderma refers to a group of chronic fibrotic immune-mediated diseases of unknown etiology. Characterizing epigenetic changes in childhood-onset scleroderma, systemic sclerosis or localized scleroderma, has not been previously performed. The aim of this study was to assess DNA methylation differences and similarities between juvenile systemic sclerosis (jSSc) and juvenile localized scleroderma (jLS) compared to matched healthy controls. Read More

Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2021 Apr 23:1-4. Epub 2021 Apr 23.

Department of Dermatology, KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

A nematode parasite, Dracunculus medinensis, causes dracunculiasis. Despite being non-fatal, this condition causes significant morbidity. Dracunculiasis is considered an eradicated disease in India since 1999. Read More

Cleft Palate Craniofac J 2021 May 10:10556656211013168. Epub 2021 May 10.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang-si, Republic of Korea.

En coup de sabre is an unusual variant of localized scleroderma characterized by its distinct location involving the frontoparietal region of the forehead and scalp. The authors describe a rare case of en coup de sabre in a 3-year-old boy whose disease onset was at 12 months of age. This article presents the clinical manifestations of continuous changes in the lesion photographed over time. Read More

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Jul 30;85(1):36-37. Epub 2021 Apr 30.

Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Marlton, New Jersey. Electronic address:

Skinmed 2021 1;19(2):132-133. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Department of Dermatology, Hedi Chker Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.

Int J Womens Dermatol 2020 Dec 30;6(5):349-356. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Department of Dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.

Breast-conserving surgery with adjuvant radiation therapy has become the standard of care for women with early stage breast cancer, and as a result, a large number of patients are affected by the cutaneous sequelae of radiation therapy. These dermatologic toxicities may present during treatment or years later and can significantly impact patients' quality of life. In this review, we discuss the clinical presentation, prevention, and management of radiation-induced cutaneous toxicities in women with breast cancer, including radiation dermatitis, radiation recall, radiation-induced morphea, radiation-induced fibrosis, and cutaneous malignancies in irradiated skin. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Apr;100(16):e25513

Department of Dermatology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.

Rationale: Immune checkpoint inhibition has dramatically altered the therapeutic landscape in the treatment of a range of locally advanced and metastatic skin cancers. In particular, the treatment of metastatic melanoma with combined anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1) and anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (anti-CTLA4) antagonists has resulted in median 5-year survival rates of over 50%. However, combined immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy frequently results in the development of immune-related adverse events (irAE) which can be severe and life-threatening. Read More

Stem Cells Transl Med 2021 Apr 19. Epub 2021 Apr 19.

Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

In patients with localized scleroderma (LoS), facial deformity induced by subcutaneous atrophy greatly reduces life quality. Autologous fat grafting (AFG) is used for volume restoration but with low-fat retention due to various reasons. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have shown potential effects in improving fat retention. Read More

Arthritis Rheumatol 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Objective: Juvenile localized scleroderma (jLS) is an autoimmune disease of the skin in which the pathogenesis is not well understood due to its rarity. Our goal was to determine the skin transcriptome of LS tissue compared with healthy controls to identify molecular targets using RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in jLS patients were compared with histopathological features, clinical features and used to cluster jLS patients. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Mar;9(5):441

Department of Dermatology, Gachon Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea.

Pruritus is one of the most common and bothersome symptoms of skin disorders, and its clinical characteristics and related pathomechanisms have been well described in certain dermatologic conditions, such as atopic dermatitis and urticaria. Although pruritus is believed to be as common in cutaneous autoimmune connective tissue diseases (ACTDs) as in other inflammatory skin disorders, its true characteristics have not been elucidated either qualitatively or quantitatively. Pruritus is present in ACTDs with various prevalence rates, characteristics, and mechanisms depending on the disease types. Read More

Ann Transl Med 2021 Mar;9(5):437

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

Morphea is a rare autoimmune condition causing inflammation and sclerosis of the skin and underlying soft tissue. It is characterized by periods of activity (inflammation admixed with fibrosis), ultimately resulting in permanent damage (pigment change and tissue loss). Damage resulting from unchecked activity can lead to devastating, permanent cosmetic and functional sequelae including hair loss; cutaneous, soft tissue and bony atrophy; joint contractures; and growth restriction of the affected body site in children. Read More

Arthritis Res Ther 2021 Apr 6;23(1):101. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

J Am Acad Dermatol 2021 Apr 3. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address:

Clin Exp Rheumatol 2021 Mar 30. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Department of Health Science, Section of Dermatology, USL Toscana Centro, Rare Diseases Unit, European Reference Network-Skin Member, University of Florence, Italy.

Acta Reumatol Port 2021 Jan-Mar;46(1):72-76

Centro Hospitalar Universitário Cova da Beira.

Localized scleroderma (LoS) is a rare condition featuring skin and underlying tissue sclerosis not usually compromising other systems. A subtype of LoS including lesions in the head is further classified as linear scleroderma en coup de sabre (LSeCS). Neurological involvement in LSeCS can reach up to 4% and may include seizures. Read More

SAGE Open Med Case Rep 2021 19;9:2050313X21993304. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Division of Dermatology, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.

The en coup de sabre variant of linear scleroderma typically occurs in children. We report a unique case of adult-onset en coup de sabre scleroderma in a patient with linear localized scleroderma profunda. The patient was treated with oral steroids and oral methotrexate improving her cutaneous disease. Read More

JAAD Case Rep 2021 Apr 3;10:78-80. Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Ellis Medicine, Schenectady, New York.

J Dermatol 2021 Jun 25;48(6):e271-e272. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

Department of Dermatology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

Front Immunol 2021 9;12:656407. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Pediatric Dermatology Unit, Department of Pediatrics and Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Lausanne and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Pansclerotic morphea (PSM) is a rare skin disease characterized by progressive stiffening of the skin with or without the typical superficial skin changes usually seen in morphea (localized scleroderma). Standard therapy, consisting of a combination of systemic glucocorticoids and methotrexate or mycophenolate mofetil, does rarely stop disease progression, which may lead to severe cutaneous sclerosis and secondary contractures. Little is known about the efficacy of newer biologicals such as abatacept, a fusion protein antibody against CTLA-4, or tocilizumab, a fully humanized IL-6R antibody, in the treatment of this pathology. Read More

Clin Exp Dermatol 2021 Apr 10;46(3):487-494. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Paediatric Skin Center, Paediatric Dermatology Department, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Paediatric morphoea (localized scleroderma) is an inflammatory sclerosing disorder of the skin and subcutis associated with tissue atrophy. It is thought that the disease develops on the background of genetic predisposition (e.g. Read More