Skin tags: markers for colonic polyps?

Lymphedematous fibroepithelial polyps of the glans penis and prepuce: a clinicopathologic study of 7 cases demonstrating a strong association with chronic condom catheter use

This report describes an underrecognized entity of the penis that is associated with chronic condom catheter use and phimosis. Our study group consisted of 7 patients who presented with polypoid or cauliflower-like masses that involved the glans penis or prepuce and that ranged in size from 2 to 7.5 cm in greatest dimension (median size, 2.5 cm). The majority of lesions affected the ventral surface of the glans, near the urethral meatus. The patients ranged in age from 25 to 58 years (median age, 40 years) at the time of initial surgical resection. The preoperative duration of the lesions ranged from 6 months to 10 years. Five patients had a history of long-term condom catheter use (duration: 5 to 21 years), and 1 patient had paraphimosis. The background history for 1 patient is unknown. Histologically, all specimens had a polypoid configuration and a keratinizing squamous epithelial surface. The underlying stroma was notably edematous, and there was vascular dilation of preexisting vessels, and in many instances, a focal mild small vessel proliferation. The stroma had mildly to moderately increased cellularity with mononucleated and multinucleated mesenchymal cells. A mild inflammatory infiltrate was often present. Two cases were examined with immunohistochemistry, and the stromal cells had limited immunoreactivity for muscle-specific actin, alpha-smooth muscle actin, and desmin and had no reactivity for S100 protein or CD34. Surgical intervention was local in all instances. Follow-up information was available for 5 of the 7 patients (71%), with a mean follow-up interval of 11 years 4 months. Two patients developed a local recurrence of the process at intervals of less than 1 years and 3 years 7 months. Both recurrent lesions were also managed by local excision.

Skin tags as markers of diabetes mellitus: an epidemiological study in India

To ascertain whether skin tags (ST) are associated with a higher risk for diabetes mellitus (DM), 35 patients with ST were screened out of 5000 consecutive patients visiting our dermatology clinic. The study group ranged in age from 35 to 73 years, with a mean of 52.03. Twenty-six of the patients were men, and nine, women. The risk of getting ST was found to increase with age, but this risk decreased after the fifth decade. The neck was invariably involved, followed by the eyelids, axillae and groin. Of the cases, 62.8% (22 patients) had DM. Four new cases of DM were found among this group. All the diabetic patients in this study population had noninsulin dependent DM. The frequency of DM in ST patients was found to increase with age, however, it was statistically insignificant. No correlation was found between localisation, size, color, or number of ST and the presence of DM. The frequency with which ST had been found to co-exist with DM in this population is significant, and ST may serve as a marker for DM.