14 workers in the 1, 8-diaminonaphthalene workshop of a chemical company in Nantong City had symptoms or signs of varying degrees of pruritus and pigmentation of the face, neck and waist. Pathological examination of skin biopsies showed hyperkeratosis, the basal cells were liquefied and denatured. Seven workers were eventually diagnosed with occupational melanosis. To explore the causes of occupational melanosis caused by exposure to 1, 8-dinitronaphthalene and 1, 8-diaminonaphthalene, and to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of occupational melanosis in the future, this paper reported 14 cases of melanosis in the skin of workers in chemical industry.
Humans ; Melanosis/pathology* ; Pigmentation ; Skin/pathology*

OBJECTIVETo explore the therapeutical effect of ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting on haemorheology in chloasma patients with Gan (Liver) depression pattern.

METHODSA total of 180 chloasma patients were randomly assigned to three groups, 60 cases in each. Patients in the earacupuncture (EA) group were treated with ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting; vitamins C and E were put into practice in the Western medicine (WM) group together with 0.025% tretinoin cream for local external application; patients in the placebo group were treated with urea-cream by external use, while 30 healthy volunteers were in the control group. After a treatment course of 2 months, the changes of haemorheology, injury skin area, colour score and symptom score before and after the treatment were observed.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference on whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear, medium shear, and low shear), erythrocyte aggregation index, hematocrit, plasma viscosity among the four groups (F =2.65, P>0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the whole blood viscosity (high shear) and whole blood reduced viscosity (high shear) after treatment in the EA group, the WM group and the placebo group were with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The injury skin area and colour score after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment in the EA group and the WM group (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in placebo group (P>0.05). Clinical symptoms of the EA group were obviously improved after the 2-month treatment, which was significantly different compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), there was significant difference compared with those of WM group and placebo group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThere was no significant difference on haemorheology index between healthy people and chloasma patients without angionosis, cerebrovascular disease, hematopathy, metabolic disease or any other organic disease. Ear-acupoint pressing combined with Ear Apex (HX6,7) bloodletting can effectively improve concurrent symptoms, lighten chloasma and lower chloasma area in patients accompanied by Gan depression.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; adverse effects ; methods ; Adult ; Bloodletting ; Ear ; Female ; Hemorheology ; Humans ; Melanosis ; blood ; therapy ; Skin ; pathology ; Skin Pigmentation

The diagnosis of exogenous ochronosis is often challenging and requires a high index of suspicion. Herein, we report a case of exogenous ochronosis in a Chinese patient. The condition was caused by the use of bleaching agents, including creams containing hydroquinone. We demonstrate the use of dermoscopy as an invaluable tool for the early recognition of the condition, as well as in the selection of an appropriate site for a skin biopsy.
Alkaptonuria ; Biopsy ; Bleaching Agents ; adverse effects ; China ; Dermoscopy ; methods ; Humans ; Hydroquinones ; adverse effects ; Male ; Melanosis ; drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Ochronosis ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Skin ; drug effects ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic features and differential diagnosis of cutaneous regressing/regressed melanoma.

METHODSHistopathologic evaluation and immunohistochemical study by EnVision method were performed in 8 cases of cutaneous regressing/regressed melanoma. The clinical presentation, treatment and follow-up data were analyzed.

RESULTSThe age of the patients ranged from 40 to 69 years (mean 58 years). The male-to-female ratio was 3: 1. Tumors were located on the back (4 cases), sole of the foot (2 cases), ventral aspect of the toes (1 case), and the forearm (1 case). Clinically, 6 patients presented with progressive black mole of the skin, followed by subsequent focal hypopigmentation, even scarring. Two patients presented with multiple foci of dark-brown pigmentation. Microscopically, 3 cases were completely regressed malignant melanoma. Tumoral melanosis was found in 1 of 3 cases. The other 5 cases were melanoma with severe regression. The extent of regression ranged from 75% to 90%. The Breslow depth of the tumors ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 mm. Immunohistochemically, both metastatic and primary tumor cells were diffusely positive for S-100, HMB45 and Melan A, while melanophages were positive for CD68. Follow-up data were available in 8 patients, ranging from 8 to 27 months. Five patients were alive with no evidence of disease, 1 patient was alive with stable disease and 2 patients died of metastatic melanoma.

CONCLUSIONSCorrelation between clinical presentation and pathologic features is important for diagnosis of cutaneous regressing/regressed melanoma. Thin melanoma with extensive regression ( ≥ 75%) should not been regarded as low metastatic risk and wide excision combined with sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended.

Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Back ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Foot ; pathology ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; MART-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Melanosis ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy ; Skin Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Toes ; pathology ; Treatment Outcome

An accumulation of pigment deposits on mucosa, called melanosis or pseudomelanosis, of the small bowel is observed infrequently during endoscopic examination. We describe 6 cases of small bowel pseudomelanosis; the possible etiology of which was chronic iron intake. We observed numerous brown spots in duodenum, jejunum, and terminal ileum during upper and lower endoscopy. Interestingly, all patients have been taking oral iron for several years. Histology showed pigment depositions within macrophages of the lamina propria and a positive Prussian blue stain indicating hemosiderin deposition. Herein, we demonstrate that long term iron therapy may result in pseudomelanosis of small bowel, such as duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
Adult ; Aged ; Duodenum/pathology ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Ileum/pathology ; Intestinal Mucosa/*pathology ; Iron/administration & dosage/*adverse effects ; Jejunum/pathology ; Macrophages/cytology ; Male ; Melanosis/*chemically induced/diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo explore the significance of colonic epithelial cell apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) changing in pathogenesis of melanosis coli (MC) in guinea pig and the molecular mechanism of rhubarb (Rhu) in inducing the disease, by means of using different dosages of Rhu to induce the disease.

METHODSOne hundred and forty-four male guinea pigs, clean grade, were randomized according to their body weight into 5 groups, the untreated normal group and the 4 Rhu groups treated, respectively, with different doses of Rhu, 3 g/kg·d for low dose (Rhu-l) group, 6 g/kg·d for moderate dose (Rhu-m) group, 12 g/kg·d for high dose (Rhu-h) group and 24 g/kg·d for super-high dose (Rhu-s) group via gastric infusion. All animals were sacrificed 60 days later, their viscera were taken for observing the pathologic and morphologic changes with HE, melanin and melatonin staining, and the apoptosis of colonic epithelial cells was detected with TUNEL stain and transmission electric microscopy. In addition, the levels of TNF-α in serum and colonic tissue were measured using ELISA and RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe pathological changes of MC could be found by naked eye in all Rhu groups, especially apparent at caecum and proximal end of colon, but did not found in gallbladder, jejunum and ileum. In normal guinea pigs, the colonic membrane was pink in color with no apparent pigment deposition. Membranous color deepened in the Rhu groups depending on the dosage of Rhu used. MC scoring showed the highest scores revealed in the Rhu-s group (6.00±0.00), which was significantly different to those in the Rhu-l (3.86±0.69), Rhu-m (4.43±0.79) and Rhu-h groups (4.88±0.35, all P<0.05). Levels of cell apoptosis in colon and TNF-α in serum in all Rhu groups were higher than those in the normal group (P<0.01), but showed no significant difference among the Rhu groups (P>0.05). Moreover, a positive correlation was found in the degree of induced MC with apoptosis rate and TNF-α level.

CONCLUSIONSRhu (anthraquinone purgatives) had apparent effect on inducing MC; its molecular mechanism is maybe to destroy intestinal mucosal barrier and advance proinflammatory factor TNF-α releasing, which leads to colonic epithelial cells apoptosis, and finally induce the change of MC due to the deposition of brown pigments, i.e. the macrophage phagocytized apoptotic body, on the colonic membrane.

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; adverse effects ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cathartics ; adverse effects ; Colon ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Colonic Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; complications ; pathology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Guinea Pigs ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Melanosis ; blood ; chemically induced ; complications ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; genetics

Adnexa Uteri ; surgery ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Melanosis ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Pelvic Neoplasms ; secondary ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; secondary ; Teratoma ; drug therapy ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo explore the relatively efficacious acupuncture treatment for chloasma, to promote its clinical application in medical settings.

METHODSForty cases were randomly divided into a Feiteng Bafa group (FB) and a selecting points based on differentiation of syndromes group (DS), 20 cases in each group and acupoints. Hegu (LI 4), acupoints in close proximity to chloasma and according to differentiation of syndrome were selected in DS group. The acupoints selected according to Feiteng Bafa principles were adhered in FB group. After two treatment courses, the effectiveness rate, the pro-and post-size and pro-and post-color of the chloasma area were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThe size of the chloasma area decreased, and the color of the chloasma area became lighter in both groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and the FB group was better than the DS group (both P < 0.05). The effectiveness rate in the FB group was 95.0%, better than that of 70.0% in the DS group.

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture treatment adhered to Feiteng Bafa is better than the simple routine acupuncture for chloasma.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Melanosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Middle Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome

Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Melanoma ; cerebrospinal fluid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; Melanosis ; cerebrospinal fluid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Meningeal Neoplasms ; cerebrospinal fluid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Meninges ; chemistry ; pathology ; Neoplasm Proteins ; analysis ; S100 Proteins ; analysis

Adult ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Melanosis ; pathology ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology