DD 03-10-14 10-11am Skin Signs of Systemic Disease - Dunnick Flashcards
Clubbing – defn.
Nail plate is enlarged & excessively curved (>180 degree angle btwn proximal nail fold & nail plate)
Caused by enlarge of the soft tissue of the distal digit
Clubbing – etiologies
Rarely idiopathic/primary
Pulmonary disease (idiopathic, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer)
Cardiac disease (cyanotic congenital heart disease)
GI disease (Crohn disease, Ulcerative colitis, Proctitis)
Malignancies (Thyroid / Thymus cancer, Hodgkin disease)
Hypoxemia (possibly related to long-term cannabis smoking)
Terry’s Nails
Liver cirrhosis in 82% (also in normal individuals)
Leukonychia affects entire nail except for 1-2 mm distal band
Half-n-half nails
Distal nail is normal, proximal nail is white
In 10% of pts w/chronic renal failure (also in normal individuals)
Proximal Subungual White Onychomycosis
Associated w/HIV disease
Usually due to Trichophyton rubrum (more specifically called tinea ungum)
Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS)
Usually related to immunosuppression
ENDOthelial malignancy, triggered by HHV-8
Slowly progressive, not very common
Generally brownish purple/red patches
Classic Kaposi’s sarcoma
Occurs mostly in elderly men of Eastern European descent
Lymphadenopathic Kaposi’s sarcoma
Aggressive form primarily in equatorial Africa
Affects young men & is rapidly fatal
AIDS-Associated Kaposi’s Sarcoma
More frequent in homosexual pts w/AIDS
Incidence declining w/better anti-retroviral therapy against HIV
Therapy for Kaposi’s Sarcoma
Radiation therapy
Excision
Interferon alpha
Chemotherapy
Thyroid disease – signs/symptoms
- Exophthalmos
- Pretibial myxedema
- May cause alopecia areata (if see alopecia, test TSH)
Alopecia areata – association
T cells fighting off hair cells, so…
Associated w/other autoimmune diseases:
- thyroid
- vitiligo
- IBD
Alopecia areata – Clinical Non-Scarring Alopecia
Round/oval patches of hair loss
Short “exclamation point” hairs, broader at distal end
Hairs often re-row w/ depigmentation
Alopecia areata – Clinical subtypes
Patch focal Ophiasis pattern Diffuse variant Alopecial totalis (all scalp hair) Alopecia unversalis (all body hair)
Vitiligo - characteristics
Development of total white macules / patches
Histology show complete absence of melanocytes
Vitiligo – Associations
Most commonly thyroid disease (Hashimoto thyroiditis, Graves’ disease) – screen TSH levels
Other endocrine disorders (Diabetes Mellitis, Pernicious Anemia, Addison’s disease)
Vitiligo – Treatment
Topical steroids
Topical calcineuron inhibitor (protopic ointment)
Narrow-band UVB (311nm) or Excrimer Laser (308 nm) –> repigmentation
Psoralens plus UVA (PUVA)
Minigrafting
Depigmentation (monobenzylether of hydroquinone cream)
Excimer laser
UVB ray source (308nm)
Xenon-Chloride lamp emitting non-coherent, monochromatic 308nm light
Erythema Nodosum – clinical manifestations
Painful, erythematous subQ nodules (subQ inflammation)
Usually symmetically over pretibial lower extremities
Develop bruiselike appearance in later stages
Erythema nodosum – M vs. F, Associated symptoms, Histopathology
More common in women
May also have fever, arthralgias, malaise
Histopathology shows septal panniculitis wit neutrophils (inflame. in subQ fat)
Erythemia nodosum - etiology
Delayed hypersensitivity to various antigen stimuli (usually infections)
Most common cause: Strep infections, esp. URI
Other infections (1/3 of the cases) – viral URIs, Mycoplasma, TB
Coccidioidomycosis
Erythema nodosum – other more common associations
Idiopathic (35-55%)
Drugs – estrogens, oral contraceptives, sulfonamides, penicillin, bromides, iodides
Sarcoidosis (11-22%)
IBD (esp. Crohn’s)
Treatment of Erythema nodosom
Bed rest
Treat underlying condition
NSAIDs – Naproxen, Indomethacin
Pyroderma Gangrenosum - clinical manifestations of lesions
Initial lesion often pustule on erythematous base or erythematous nodule
Characteristic lesion is an ulcer w/necrotic, undermined (rolled) border
Painful
Usually on lower extremities
Often begins in sites of minor trauma (pathergy)
Pyoderma Gangrenosum – associations
- 50-70% have underying associated condition
- IBD (20-30%)
- Arthritis (seronegative arthritis, RA – 20%)
- Monoclonal gammopathy (often IgA, up to 15%)
- Other hematologic disorders (Myelogenous leukemia, hair cell leukemia, myelofibrosis – 10%)
Treatment of Pyoderma Gangrenosum
- Conservative wound care
- AVOID SURGERY/DEBRIDEMENT (causes more injury, more inflammation, never heals)
- Oral / topical anti-inflammatory agents like steroids