Background:
Excessive sun exposure is the major risk factor for skin cancer. Thus, sun
exposure behavior is the major focus for prevention of this disease, since
it is potentially modifiable. Increasing the knowledge on sun related habits
and other skin cancer risk factors is fundamental in the development of
preventive programs, especially when directed to young people.
Objectives:
To assess the photoprotection habits and the knowledge about skin cancer in
college students.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study from Oct. 16 to Feb. 17, including 371
students from the Federal University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil, through a
self-administered questionnaire.
Results:
The level of knowledge about skin cancer and photoprotection was
unsatisfactory in more than 10% of the students. The occurrence of sunburn
was extremely high among students, and 25% reported at least one episode of
second degree sunburn. Proper use of sunscreen was referred by only 34% of
individuals. Students who reported having received photo education in
college were associated with a more consistent use of sunscreen.
Study limitations:
health area represented a large part of the sample; instrument validated
outside Brazil.
Conclusions:
Young people are unaware of basic information about sun protection and
exposure. Even among those with proper knowledge, the use of photoprotective
measures is very low. The sun exposure has shown to be excessive in most of
the students, which makes this population an important target for
photo-educational measures.
Recurrent melanocytic nevus is a proliferation of melanocytes arising from a
melanocytic nevus removed partially. Asymmetry and irregular pigmentation may
lead to misdiagnosis of melanoma. We report a patient presented with a lesion on
the lower abdomen, which was removed by shave excision. Anatomopathological
examination revealed an intradermal melanocytic nevus. Two months later, a new
irregular hyperpigmented lesion appeared in the surgical scar. Histopathology of
the excisional biopsy revealed a recurrent melanocytic nevus. Recurrent
melanocytic nevus manifests as a scar with hyper or hypopigmented areas, linear
streaking, stippled pigmented halos, and/or diffuse pigmentation patterns.
Histologically, the dermoepidermal junction and the superficial dermis show
melanocytic proliferation overlying the scarred area. When a pathological report
of the previous lesion is not available, complete excision is the gold standard.
Otherwise, regular dermoscopic monitoring is a therapeutic option. The present
report emphasizes the importance of histopathological examination of the excised
material - even in cases of suspected benign lesions - and warns patients about
the possibility of recurrence in case of incompletely removed lesions.
Sporotrichosis is the most prevalent subcutaneous mycosis and is characterized by a subacute or chronic development of a cutaneous or subcutaneous nodular lesion. It is caused by the dimorphic fungus Sporothrix spp, which may manifest in different clinical forms. The disseminated cutaneous form is uncommon and is more likely to occur in immunocompromised patients. We report a 47-year-old male patient with multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules. The patient was diagnosed with disseminated cutaneous sporotrichosis based on the isolation and identifi cation of Sporothrix spp. The patient was treated with potassium iodide, which resulted in clinical improvement of the lesions.
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