Granular cell tumor (GCT) is a rare benign neoplasm of the skin that accounts for 0.5% of all soft-tissue tumors. The tumor mostly presents with a symptomatic slowly growing solitary nodule and overlying normal skin; therefore, it is not always considered in the differential diagnosis. Here, we report a 58-year-old female patient who presented with a 4-year history of a slowly growing mass, with a dimension of 5 × 4 cm on her left waist, diagnosed as a GCT at the histopathological examination. The neoplastic cells had centrally located nuclei and granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and stained positively for S100, neuron-specific enolase, and CD68 antibodies. Fifteen months after surgery, the patient still showed no signs of local recurrence or metastases. Although a large diameter is a feature of malignant GCT, our case with cutaneous GCT was localized on the trunk and did not present malignant features clinically and histopathologically.

Background and Aim. Contact dermatitis (CD) is the most prevalent occupational skin disease with a significant impact on quality of life. Patch testing is used for the identification of responsible allergens which may improve protective and preventive measures in the workplace. Herein, we aim to identify the demographic characteristics and occupation of patients with early diagnosis of occupational CD and compare patch test results. Materials and Methods. The study included 330 patients referred to our clinic between April 2009 and April 2011 and who were patch-tested with 28-allergen European Standard Test. Results. 126 (38%) patients were female and 204 (62%) were male with a mean age of 36.12 (±13.13) years. Positive allergic reactions were observed in 182 (55%) patients. Nickel sulphate (41/126) and potassium dichromate (39/204) were significantly the most common allergens in women and men, respectively (P < 0.005). Additionally, the most common occupation in women was household activities (83/126) and in men was manufacturing (80/204). Conclusion. The allergens to which people become sensitized differ according to their working environment and occupation. Classification of occupations is important for identification of sensitization risks and monitoring of changes in allergen distribution of different occupations.

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Background:The number of studies where non-malignant pulmonary diseases are evaluated after occupational arsenic exposure is very few.Aims:To investigate the effects of occupational arsenic exposure on the lung by high-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests.Study Design:Retrospective cross-sectional study.Methods:In this study, 256 workers with suspected respiratory occupational arsenic exposure were included, with an average age of 32.9±7.8 years and an average of 3.5±2.7 working years. Hair and urinary arsenic levels were analysed. High-resolution computed tomography and pulmonary function tests were done.Results:In workers with occupational arsenic exposure, high-resolution computed tomography showed 18.8% pulmonary involvement. In pulmonary involvement, pulmonary nodule was the most frequently seen lesion (64.5%). The other findings of pulmonary involvement were 18.8% diffuse interstitial lung disease, 12.5% bronchiectasis, and 27.1% bullae-emphysema. The mean age of patients with pulmonary involvement was higher and as they smoked more. The pulmonary involvement was 5.2 times higher in patients with skin lesions because of arsenic. Diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide was significantly lower in patients with pulmonary involvement.Conclusion:Besides lung cancer, chronic occupational inhalation of arsenic exposure may cause non-malignant pulmonary findings such as bronchiectasis, pulmonary nodules and diffuse interstitial lung disease. So, in order to detect pulmonary involvement in the early stages, workers who experience occupational arsenic exposure should be followed by diffusion test and high-resolution computed tomography.

One-year systemic use of isotretinoin had no significant effect on the thickness of macula ganglion cell. Macular ganglion cell analysis is useful for determining and following the toxic effects of systemic drugs on the retina. However, it is more rational to consider it as an adjunct to electrophysiological testing rather than used alone.

Trichostasis spinulosa (TS) is a common but rarely diagnosed disease. For diagnosis, it's sufficient to see a bundle of vellus hair located in a keratinous sheath microscopically. In order to obtain these vellus hair settled in comedone-like openings, Standard skin surface biopsy (SSSB), a non-invasive method was chosen. It's aimed to remind the differential diagnosis of TS in treatment-resistant open comedone-like lesions and discuss the SSSB method in diagnosis. A 25-year-old female patient was admitted with a complaint of the black spots located on bilateral cheeks and nose for 12 years. In SSSB, multiple vellus hair bundles in funnel-shaped structures were observed under the microscope, and a diagnosis of ‘TS’ was made. After six weeks of treatment with tretinoin 0.025% and 4% erythromycin jel topically, the appearance of black macules was significantly reduced. Treatment had to be terminated due to her pregnancy, and the lesions recurred within 1 month. It's believed that TS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of treatment-resistant open comedone-like lesions, and SSSB might be an inexpensive and effective alternative method for the diagnosis of TS.

Cysticercosis is caused by the hematogenous dissemination of the larval form (cysticercus) of Taenia solium. It can affect any organ or tissue in the body but commonly affects the subcutaneous tissue, central nervous system, eyes, and skeletal muscle. Skin lesions can assist as a marker in the diagnosis of asymptomatic neurocysticercosis in endemic areas. A 49-year-old HIV positive man presented with multiple cutaneous nodules confirmed as cysticercomas which led to the diagnosis of asymptomatic neurocysticercosis. He was successfully treated with albendazole and steroids at recommended doses with no adverse effects.

IntroductionThe aim of this study is to emphasize the therapeutic effect of thoracoscopic sympathicotomy performed at our clinic for facial/scalp hyperhidrosis or blushing on coincidental facial acne vulgaris based on previous reports indicating an association between the sympathetic nerve stimulus, epithelial melanocyte system and sebogenesis.Material and methodsThe possible therapeutic effects of sympathicotomy on facial acne vulgaris were analyzed in a study design of retrospective review with prospective collection of the data from March 2005 to March 2013.ResultsForty-two patients were operated on at our clinic due to facial/scalp hyperhidrosis or blushing and 30 of these also had facial acne vulgaris. However, none harbored a systemic co-morbidity. The patients’ medical history indicated that they had used several medical therapies including topical or systemic antibiotherapies to treat their acne for several years but this had met with limited success and the treatment was stopped in all patients an average of 8 ± 2.4 months prior to the operations. Furthermore, the patients with acne vulgaris also underwent a thoracoscopic sympathicotomy procedure at the second costal head (R2) for hyperhidrosis or blushing. All 30 patients showed marked improvement of their acne grade at the first postoperative month (p < 0.01).ConclusionsIn this study, the patients’ facial acne vulgaris grade significantly improved after undergoing a sympathicotomy. This can be explained by the possible effect the nervous system had on the epithelial melanocyte system and sebogenesis. However, prospective studies with an increased number of patients are needed to verify our findings.