deck Flashcards
List the major cell types in the epi:
keratocytes:
- basal cell layer
- prickle cell or squamous
- granular (keratin)
- stratified squamous (lack nuclei)
clear cells:
-melanocytes
- merkel cells
- Langerhans cells
what is this? what are some associated characteristics? characteristic histo finding? what cell layer is being affected
seborrheic keratosis: raspberry waxy stuck on
pseudo horn cysts: accum of keratin (must be diff from pearls of squam cell carc.)
- proliferation of basal cells with various amounts of acanthosis (proliferation of squamous cells) -> usually broad-based and sessile
- greasy-looking lesions, “brown wax dripped on a background”
- varying amount of pigmentation
T/F: seborrheic keratosis is actinic
false
what causes seborrheic keratosis?
Idiopathic
what is Leser-Trelat sign:
- Leser-Trelat sign: fairly young and suddenly many seb keratosis lesions are appearing is more worrisome – linked to visceral cancers
tx for seborrheic keratosis?
- if small: observe, excision/curettage, cryosurgery involving “treat and retreat” with liquid nitrogen, electrodissection
- if 5mm+: debulk/shave, treat base with cryosurgery
what is this?
what are some associated characteristics?
characteristic histo finding?
what cell layer is being affected?
describe the typical time course of a keratoacathoma
keratoacanthoma;
- nodular: cup-shape, keratin core, pedunculated, rolled borders
- rapid growth – peak size within 6-8 weeks
- spontaneous involution/resolution may occur
- inflammation: micro-abscesses and inflammatory cells within and at base of lesion -> cells at base probably preventing from invading into lower tissue (mixed leukocytes w/ some dermal invasion)
- *very little cell atypia but mitotic figures can be seen
what is pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of eyelids? what other eyelid growth might it resemble? what will histo reveal?
- a type of keratocanthoma, but mimics basal cell carcinoma bc edges are raised and center is umbilicated / necrotic
- BIOPSY!
- path/histology: mixed leukocytes, some dermal invasion
- little cell atypia, but some mitotic features because rapidly growing
what causes keratoacanthoma?
probably UV light, possibly carcinogen exposure, HPV (some biopsies but this may be comorbidity rather than truly causal)
ALSO: usually originates from hair follicle
tx for keratoacanthoma? also include alt therapies.
are steroids effective?
- small: observation (usually go away by themselves), cryosurgery (if taking too long to resolve)
- 5mm or more: excisional biopsy (if persisting for more than 8 weeks) – needs to be deep to reveal normal tissue underneath
- alternative therapies:
- 5-FU, an anti-metabolite
- mitomycin C (alkylating agent),
- intralesional steroid bc of inflammatory component, but not very effective
- oral eretinate (can be used if many lesions, i.e. in cases of HIV/AIDS)
- oral methotrexate (antimetabolite blocks folic acid synthesis)
HPV is what kind of virus? where does it live in epidermis? what does it do/inactivate?
- live in basal epithelium, not activated until infected cell begins migration upward
- inactivates the p53 protein -> disables apoptosis, causes massive proliferation of the cells
- tons of viral replication in the highly differentiated keratinocytes
- may become cancerous via other mutations
what changes in epi layer occur in benign squamous papilloma (AKA skin tag)?
how is it different from verruca?
variable keratosis over fibrovascular core (key point)
- viral often have looping vascular pattern in fibrous tissue
- verruca will have viral inclusions and koilocytes on histology
pathogen. of papilloma? verruca?
- verruca: HPV, wart, p53 activation
- benign squamous papilloma: genetic damage because of environmental factors
tx for papilloma or verruca:
list some alt tx therapies as well
- small: observe, cryosurgery, keratolytic agents (acids), electrodessication, excision and curettage
- 5mm+: debulk, treat base with cryo
alternate topical therapies:
- cantharidin
- podophyllin (astringent from may-apple tree),
- retin A cream
- cidofovir (developed in HIV era for CMV, works as a DNA chain terminator to interrupt all cell division)
- alternate oral therapies: isoretinoin with caution
patho of molluscum:
how to tx? list some alt tx forms, too
- DNA pox virus
- self-limiting but highly contagious
- *varying degrees of inflamm, crops or singular
TX:
- small: observe, cryosurgery, cantharidin, podophyllin, bichloroacetic acid
- alternate therapies: Australian lemon myrtle oil, tea tree oil, duct tape (works in some people)
- SilverCure device, Zymadem (OTC-naturopathic found in tea tree and other natural oils)
telangiectasia vs angioma
- Telangiectasia – dilated but normal blood vessels that have become damaged and cannot recover
- Angioma – new vessel growth
what is this precursor to squam cell carc? what are some key histo findings?
- act. keratosis (but resembles SCC)
- histo: inflamm, various keratosis + pigment; exagg. surface topo
- typically full thickness dysplasia (cells irregular, loss of polarity)
- squamous eddies: epi cells swirling around the keratin due tohigh turnover
- usually intact BM w/inflammatory cells below
list one of the possible benign DDx of actinic keratosis:
- DDx: roasacea, but this would have thickened, ruddy skin with papules and pustules
what % of act keratosis proceed to squam cell carc
5%
patho of act keratosis
- Pathogenesis: UV exposure -> mild atypia, dysplasia, polarity loss, elastosis, base inflammation
tx for act keratosis (small vs large)
- if small: cryotherapy
- if broad based:
- 5-FU cream-causes epithelium to slough off
- PDT 5-ALA
- Solarize – an NSAID with unclear mechanism in this case (COX-2 inhibits PGE2)
- Imiquimod cream – suppresses the upregulation of growth via some opioid receptors
- Ingenol gel (plant extract) – 3d course with amazing results, but an unknown mechanism
what is Bowen’s disease? *
carcinoma in-situ -> not a UV-light induced lesion, can occur in non-sun-exposed areas
what is Xeroderma pigmentosum? predisposed to what condition?
-
AR trait, most common in the Japanese
- defective enzymes can’t replace DNA damage in cell
predisposed to squam cell carc
what are some classic features of squamous cell carc? histo feat?
squam cell carc, NO classic features, gotcha bitch
-
keratin pearls on histology
- suggest squam vs BCC
second most common mal lid lesion?
squam cell carc
patho of squam cell carc?
UV exposure, irritation (i.e. tobacco/esophageal), inflammation (i.e. colitis)
tx for squam cell?
- MOHS or wide-margin excision with frozen section
- alternate: cryosurgery or radiation
2 forms of squam cell?
1) ulcerative
2) nodular
3 histo types of basal cell carc:
1) nodular:
- can be ulcerative, cystic, or differentiated (other proliferating cell types within the lesion)
- ulcerative or non-ulcerative
- pearly borders
- slow growth
- local invasion
2) superficial
3) sclerosing
histo feature of basal cell:
- do not show exaggerated surface topography (are pearly instead)
“palisading of nuclei” = blunt leading edge of cohesive abnormal cells
where are you more likely to find BCC vs seb cell carc?
more commonly BCC are on the lower lid due to increased sun exposure in this location (compared to sebaceous cell carcinomas from the Meibomian glands that are more likely to occur on the upper lid)
what is one of the classic features of superficial BCC?
what does superficial BCC respond to as tx?
thread-like borders
Imiquimoid; other options are PDT or 5-FU therapy
morpheoform sclerosing BCC displays what kind of histo activity
- extends with fibrous bands and cords -> “cordlike infiltration”
- deeper penetration, skin buckling
Gorlin syndrome: what is it, genetics,
- AD tumor suppressor gene-related cancer, involving sonic hedgehog protein
- pts tend to develop multiple neoplasms including BCC and medulloblastoma
- pts are very sensitive to ionizing radiation/sunlight, high proliferation of cells in UV-light exposed areas
what are some risk factors for BCC?
UV/carcinogen exposure,
fair skin or albinism,
xeroderma pigmentosum,
p53 overexpression,
Gorlin syndrome
how to tx BCC?
- MOHs or wide margin excision with frozen section
- imiquimod if superficial/very thin/very early, cryosurgery if early lesion, radiation, 5-FU
- off-label: PDT with 5-ALA
ephelis/freckle has increased melanin or melanocytes?
increased melanin, but normal number of melanocytes
lentigo: increased melanin or melanocytes
increased melanocytes that do not change from summer to winter, do not darken with UV exposure
what are the 3 types of nevi?
- junctional nevus – along epidermal/dermal junction
- compound nevus – above and below border of BM: elevated but with normal skin markings, no exaggerated surface topography is seen
- intradermal nevus – nevus cells in dermis, mostly below dermal-epidermal border
what causes blue nevi?
migration of melanocytes from neural crest was arrested during development – the cells stop in dermis
what is the malignancy potential for nevi?
- low : 5% of large congenital nevi may convert because of the increased number of melanocytes
Should you biopsy a kissing nevus/Spitz nevi?
Yeah probably
what do halo nevi indicate? are they good or evil?
- immune cells digesting melanocytes/eating away at nevi (this also occurs in choroidal nevi)
- halo is good
what is lentigo maligna a precursor to?
lentigo maligna/Hutchinson’s freckle =precursor to lentigo malignant melanoma
what does lentiginious mean?
along epidermal-dermal junction
describe the appearance of lentigo maligna
- “black paint scattered on a brown background” with hyperemia and irregular borders
describe the classic appearance of nodular melanoma
**classic “broken blueberry” appearance – applies to most nodular melanomas
Name 6 DDx for melanoma:
- solar lentigo
- pig. actinic keratosis
- seborrheic keratosis
- keratoacanthoma
- nevus: common acquired nevi, dysplastic nevi, blue nevi, nevus of Ota
- pigmented BCC
Stage 0 Melanoma
- melanoma in situ, superficial and confined to the epithelium
Stage 1 Melanoma
still pretty superficial, not very far into the dermis
Stage 2 melanoma:
tumor has penetrated below the dermal/epidermal border
Stage 3:
- below epidermal junction, but even further and has encountered lymphatic vessel – is now travelling on its way to the sentinel node (first node) -> biopsy is needed to determine if the cancer has reached the node
- any thickness with or without ulceration
Stage 4:
has travelled through the node to another organ – places such as lung, liver, brain, bone, soft tissue, GI tract, or other places in skin far from original location
most melanomas metastasize to what organ first?
most melanomas metastasize to the liver and then to the lungs
Malignant melanoma patho:
UV exposure (chronic or intermittent), genetic predisposition
tx for melanoma:
- excision w/ narrow margins
- interferon alpha 2b adjunct
- zelboraf (vemurafenib)
- yervoy (ipilimumab)
congenital nevi are usually what kind of nevi? (junct, compound, or intradermal)
compound
what kind of biopsy is performed for a lentigo maligna?
punch biopsy
3 major forms of malignant melanoma:
1) lentigo maligna melanoma
2) superficial spreading: most common (upper back)
3) nodular melanoma(de novo or out of LMM or SMM)
What is this?
lentigo maligna (at risk for lentigo maligna melanoma)
risk factors for malignant melanoma:
atypical mole syndrome, 1st deg relative, northern european, UV exposure, age
how does the Zelboraf (vemurafenib) tx for malig melanoma work? what does it target?
Zelboraf (vemurafenib)“designer drug” = chemically synthesized
~50% of melanomas have oncogenic BRAF mutations at position V600 which allows for continuous proliferation of cells
how does the Yervoy (Ipilimumab tx for malig melanoma work? what does it target?
monoclonal antibody that blocks CTLA-4 receptor in sensitized T-cells
to turn on the T-cell, CD28 and B7 are coregulatory
to turn off the T-cell, CTLA-4 and B7 are coregulatory -> CTLA-4 activation leads to inhibitory signal production
there is a sudden burst of immune activity that CTLA-4 then shuts down
Ipilimumab allows CTLA-4 to prevent shut down of immune response
How does interferon alpha 2b tx malig melanoma?
- Excite NKs and T-1 helper cells >
- tumor cells increase MHC II expression for immune system to quickly recognize tumor
- suppress angiogenesis – robs the tumor of blood supply
What is Muir-Torre syndrome?
- sudden appearance of crops of sebaceous gland hyperplasias, even if benign-looking, can be a marker of internal malignancy
Describe the appearance of sebaceous gland hyperplasia on skin
-flesh-colored papular/placoid lesion on cheek
*may have umbilications and look like incipient basal cell carcinoma
what are eccrine/sweat gland hydrocystomas?
- little pockets of sweat retained in skin, occurring in hot and humid weather
- basically retention cysts in sweat glands, often called hydrocystomas because contain clear fluid
tx for eccrine/sweat gland hydrocystomas?
1) 1% atropine cream: sweat glands are under sympathetic control (Ach at first synapse and at effector), so reducing stimulus for sweat dries skin out
2) CO2 pulsed dye lasers – a little skin insult causes better epithelial regrowth
3) Botox (unknown mechanism)
**often go away on their own, but can be semi-permanent during the summer
tx for sudoriferous cysts:
- needle puncture – short term solution, but cyst will regrow
- electrodissection – older method of removal
- excision and curettage – removes the cyst and destroys the involved epithelial cells
What is this? where do they typically occur? size range?
- sudoriferous cyst, cyst of Moll -> clear fluid contents
- often translucent, may have bluish or purplish tinge due to hemorrhage if the vessels leak some blood as they are stretched
- often occur off to the side, at the inner or outer canthi
- rarely larger than 1-6mm
Describe the appearance of an eccrine syringoma:
- small fibrous growths, yellow or flesh colored papules or plaques
- appear as “buried grains of rice” wrapping around the eyelids/canthi
- sometimes become inflamed – esp will have large amount if auto-immune response occurs
What is this? where do they originate? What pop do they usually affect?
What are some DDx’es?
eccrine syringoma: originate from epidermal eccrine sweat ducts
- most often seen in young women, usually start in 20s and develop for 20y
- long lived and stable, without regression
- DDx: milia, sarcoidosis
what is the most common eyelid tumor from the appendages?
eccrine syringioma
List some possible appearances of sebaceous gland carcinomas:
- nodular – yellow (lipidized) firm to touch, rubbery
- nonulcerating
- can mimic many other findings, i.e. blepharitis, conjunctivitis, recurrent chalazion
- may destroy lashes
what pop is sebaceous gland carc most likely to affect? How lethal is it?
- most commonly: older females, Asians, upper lids
- lethal: 30%
List 3 glands/locations where sebaceous gland carc may affect. which has best prognosis? which has worst?
1) Zeiss gland – best prognosis
* mimics Zeiss cyst
2) caruncle – vascularization, non-ulcerating
3) Meibomian: mimic chalazion
- expansive and metastatic with high mortality
- may extend into the orbit, require removal of the entire orbit
what is the tx for sebaceous gland carc?
- MOHs micrographic necessary
- orbital exenteration may be necessary if has infiltrated far enough
visceral malignancy can occur in what % of sebaceous gland carcinoma patients?
up to 40%
what might this be?
sebaceous gland carcinoma
what are the 3 diff types of capillary hemangioma?
1) placoid
2) nodular
3) cherry hemangioma
where do you usually find capillary hemang? what do the placoid ones look like?
- on face, trigeminal dermatome
- superficial, placoid, with crepe paper appearance
- begins as small red lesion, usually on the upper lid
- may be associated with intraorbital extension
Describe the course of placoid capillary hemangiomas: who are they more common in?
- usually present at birth, may grow rapidly in first 12 months but often significantly regress (sponatenously) by age 5
- more common in females
How do you tx capillary hemangioma?
- steroid injections -> steroids are anti-angiogenic, suppresses growth of capillaries (nodular not as responsive as placoid)
- ?anti-VEGF in the future
- may respond to propranolol – direct, multiple applications – unclear mechanism
How is a nodular capillary hemangioma diff from a placoid?
- nodular variety: still a ball of capillaries, just growing in a slightly different form
- also present early in life with rapid initial growth, but less regression than with the placoid type
- less resp to steroids
what is a naevus flammeus / port-wine stain? where are they found?
- telangiectasia
- usually segmental and unilateral, following the trigeminal dermatome
- does not blanch with pressure
- usually segmental and unilateral, following the trigeminal dermatome
naevus flammeus / port-wine stain have a mutation in what gene? what are some assoc of importance?
- mutation in GNAQ gene
associated with:
- ipsilateral glaucoma (30%)
- Sturge-Weber syndrome (5%) which is neuro-cutaneous brain+skin issues
what’s one form of tx for port wine stains?
yellow pulsed dye laser, early in life
- endothelial cells (there are many in blood vessels)
- the laser is very superficial and causes thrombosis/shriveling of the vessels
- can debulk and lead to a decrease in color of the lesion
describe how port wine stains may change in appearance over time:
initially flat and red -> darkening and hypertrophy of the skin -> skin becomes coarse, nodular, and friable (easily broken up, like very dry and crumbly cheese)
what is this?
(placoid) capillary hemangioma
what is this?
(nodular) capillary hemangioma
when do cavernous hemangiomas occur in life? how do you tx?
- begin later in life, just sort of showing up after 6mo – don’t spontaneously regress
- also difficult to surgically remove – steroids may help a little bit, but overall do not make much difference
Describe how cavernous hemangiomas differ in appearance and formation from capillary hemag:
- form in deeper tissue than capillary hemangioma
- these lesions are deep purple or blue (if more superficial) or more flesh colored (if deeper)
- lumpy appearance
what are cherry hemangiomas? when do they occur?
- another subtype of capillary hemangioma, but this one occurs with age
- usually just pop up and stay there, benign and dormant
- common for adults to have 20-30 cherry hemangiomas by age 70y
what are AV malformations?
- arteriovenous malformation: no capillary beds, artery plugs directly into a vein with high pressure – blows up the vein like a balloon, blood doesn’t flow and becomes deoxygenated, appears dark
- slow growing, may not be noticed until later in lifetime
- can occur in any vascularized structure, including brain and retina (in which they look all screwy like a bag of intestines)
what are venous malformations:
- abnormal veins being fed by normal capillaries
- weak-walled veins that stretch out under normal amounts of pressure
- deep purple hue, commonly small
- do not regress, actually grow slowly with time
lymphangioma affects what part of the eye? how can you treat?
- lymphangioma (growth of lymph vessels) – hard to diagnose
- if lymphangioma of lid, often affects orbit, conj, or both -> often this spreads to lids, sometimes to other parts of the face
- may have fistulas with the blood supply, which can give a chocolate color
- uncommon, and surgical removal is complicated because the visible lymphangioma is only “the tip of the iceberg” and the lesion is quite extensive
- tend to wrap around, deep into the orbit and skin
- sometimes respond to steroids
- usually benign
what causes a pyogenic granuloma? what is it made of?
- neither pyogenic (pus-producing) or a granuloma (clump of inflammatory cells)
- aberrant wound healing response to minor trauma, surgery (i.e. for chalazion) or inflammation
- 5% of pregnancies
- granulation tissue is made of inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, neo– uncontrolled angioleading to a nodule of immature blood vessels that are very fragile
how do you tx this?
- pyogenic granuloma:
shave biopsy, then pulsed dye laser
what is Kaposi’s sarcoma (made of?)
- vascular and lymphatic angioma of skin, mucous membranes, viscera
- seen in HIV, immunosuppression, certain races (Mediterranean, Jewish ancestry, Sicily and Sardina)
Kaposi’s are associated with what virus?
- 90% of lesions have HHV8 – pro-angiogenic in nature, usually suppressed by the immune system in normals
- advanced AIDS/ immunosuppression
what is this? how do you treat?
Kaposi’s:
*begin as small reddish-brown macules
- if AIDS-related : HAART
- radiotherapy because many vessels are involved and these have tons of endothelial cells
- cryotherapy
- topical retinoid cream – unclear mechanism but slows growth
- chemotherapeutic injections
what is this? describe its appearance and characteristics
Epidermal Inclusion Cyst:
freely movable, solid cysts with cheesy contents but no keratosis, area may be inflamed
- often have a yellow-ish hue, but are not sebaceous
how do you tx epidermal inclusion cysts?
marsupalization: cyst is removed within fibrous capsule – want to make sure no epithelial cells get left behind and grow back
what is this? how do you tx?
milia
- easily removed via surgical excision
- stable and do not change over time (rule out molluscum and herpes)
- may also mimic syringoma
what is this? how do you remove it? describe the appearance
Zeiss Cyst
- derives from epithelium of the gland
- can grow out of any sebaceous gland, typically on the lid margin
- appear pearly, nodular, yellow-ish because they contain sebum
- non-translucent*
- remove via marsupalization
what is the difference between a choristomatous and a hamartomatous growth?
- choristomatous growths = tissue elements that don’t necessarily belong are included in the growth, i.e. hair/teeth
- hamartomatous growth = tissue elements that are normally present in the location of the lesion
where do dermoid cysts typically occur?
frontozygomatic suture and are rather superficial
- entrapped epi/subepi tissue within the facial clefts during development
How do you tx dermoid or epidermoid cysts?
- remove via endoscopic surgery – minimal scarring
what kind of deposits are pictured here? what are the deposits made of?
- amyloid: non-collagenous protein deposited from some cellular/vascular abnormality
- can be induced by trauma, etc.
what kind of deposits are lipoid proteinosis? what are they made of?
lipoid proteinosis: hyalinized lipids forming glassy smooth-looking tissue bulbs, can be mistaken for granuloma or other things
- tends to occur along lid margin
- also occurs in voice box giving raspy voice
- fairly uncommon
what is CALT?
- conjunctival accessory lymphoid tissue
- patchy groupings of lymphocytes and plasma cells that produce IgA to respond to immune challenges
describe the difference bw an exudate and transdudate (and discharge)
- transudate: acellular fluid, fibrin, protein leakage
- occurs first, before exudative response
- exudative response: fluid with cellular material (WBC) forms pus in early stages
- discharge: exudate or transudate released from/out of the body
- i.e. can be picked up/removed from the tissue
what is ocular pemphigus? what is occurring at the cellular level? where is the inflamm occurring?
- autoimmune response to intercellular proteins that form tight junctions
- destroys glue (desmoglein) to allow epi cells to separate and become loose
- acantholysis- separation of epi cells - occurs between the walls of cells
- interepithelial bullous inflammation results
what is ocular phemigoid? where is the inflamm occurring?
- more severe than pemphigus: autoimmune response against adhesion components and the laminar component of the basement membrane
- destroys BM which exposes sticky collagenous fibers
- symblepharon more likely
- inter- and subepithelial bullous inflammation
- ulcerated and exposure of sticky material can lead to scarring, etc. and secondary destruction of the goblet cells -> advanced dessication can lead to keratinization
- destroys BM which exposes sticky collagenous fibers
what is a pseudopemphigoid: what systemic conditions cause it?
- autoimmune/allergy induced by an exogenous material, usually meds
- Toxic Epidermal Necrosis and Steven’s Johnson syndrome -> more often due to meds, i.e. sulfonamides and some antibacterials
- Erythema Multiforme -> another autoimmune from exogenous cause