A diagnostic challenge

A 74 year-old woman presented with a 9 month history of a slowly enlarging exophytic lesion over her left nasal alar. Examination revealed a firm, cystic mass fixed to underlying skin. It was pedunculated with occasional superficial telangiectasia and a violaceous hue. A differential diagnosis of dermoid or sebaceous cyst, dermatofibroma, and neurofibroma was considered. Histopathological examination confirmed the rare diagnosis of chondroid syringoma (CS), which has a reported incidence of 0.01- 0.098% of excised skin tumors. It is unusual for CS to present in an elderly woman, as these benign primary skin tumors normally present in adult males. Dermoscopy does not reveal any specific features and the diagnosis is difficult to make based on clinical examination alone.

Two cases of pustular toxic epidermal necrolysis

Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) is a life-threatening, immune-mediated reaction, characterized by severe cutaneous and mucosal blisters and erosions. It often presents with flu-like symptoms, followed by a maculopapular, urticarial, purpuric or erythema multiforme-like eruption, which then evolves into blisters and sheet-like erosions. Presentation with pustules, however, is not well described in the English literature, and may lead to delayed diagnosis. We present two unusual cases of TEN that initially presented with pustular lesions.

A rare case of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and verruciform xanthoma

A 33-year-old man with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa presented with a 3-month history of an enlarging mass within scarring on the posterior aspect of the right shoulder. The clinical appearance of the mass with an almost cobbled, verrucous surface, and its rapid evolution suggested the development of a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a chronically scarred site. Histopathological examination of a biopsy taken from the lesion subsequently revealed it to be a verruciform xanthoma. This case shows that benign phenomena can mimic SCC and underlines the need for a biopsy to be taken promptly.

Penile colloid degeneration

Colloid degeneration is a rare but well-recognized entity, usually occurring on chronically sun-exposed skin. We report a case occurring on penile skin with no history of such exposure.

Successful use of a thermoplastic dressing in two cases of the trigeminal trophic syndrome

Treatment of trigeminal trophic syndrome is challenging and often unsatisfactory, particularly in patients with cognitive impairment. We report the novel use of a thermoplastic dressing in two patients with trigeminal trophic syndrome. Use of the dressing resulted in successful healing of ulceration in both patients, which has been maintained in the short term, representing a simple and economical therapeutic option in the management of this difficult condition.