Do you know this syndrome? Sjogren-Larsson syndrome

We report a typical case of Sjogren-Larsson syndrome in a male patient, aged 20. The Sjogren-Larsson syndrome is a neurocutaneous, autosomal recessive and disabling condition, characterized by congenital ichthyosis, spastic paraplegia and mental retardation. It is caused by deficiency of the microsomal enzyme fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase. It has no cure, but most patients survive up to an adult age. Treatment should be multidisciplinary and dermatological therapy aims at relieving the persistent itching and ichthyosis.     

Do you know this syndrome? Chediak-Higashi syndrome

Chediak-Higashi syndrome is characterized by varying degrees of oculocutaneous albinism, recurrent infections, bleeding disorders and variable neurological involvement. The treatment consists of bone marrow transplantation, which corrects the immunologic and hematologic defects. Untreated patients die as the result of bacterial infections or develop "accelerated phase" lymphoproliferation. We present a case of Chediak-Higashi syndrome and discuss the clinical and laboratorial features that determine its diagnosis.     

Do you know this syndrome? Becker nevus syndrome

Patients presenting with plantar puncture wounds with presence of foreign bodies are treated in emergency departments, dermatology and orthopedic clinics. The clinical features of these lesions are rarely cited in journals and textbooks of dermatology. We report a case of foreign body in the plantar surface of the foot, in which clinical history and dermatological examination were decisive for the diagnosis.     

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome

We present three members of a Queensland family with clinical and histopathological features consistent with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome. Two of the three family members were able to be screened for associated disorders. The mother of the family was found to have a solitary colonic polyp, a large ovarian cyst and two chorioretinal scars. No associated disorders were found on investigation of one of the two affected sons.     

Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and Sturge-Weber syndrome: variations on a theme?

We describe a patient with a complex neurocutaneous syndrome of congenital vascular malformations, abnormalities of brain and bones, and soft tissue hypertrophy of one leg. According to eponymous classification schemes, the patient can be assigned to two different clinical entities. Using the lethal gene theory it is possible to unify these different syndromes and to explain the overlap and diversity of these congenital vascular syndromes. We argue that it is better to describe such vascular malformation syndromes in anatomical/histological or functional terms and map the extent of the disease, rather than name it according to the eponymous classification.     

Conradi-Hünermann-Happle syndrome

A seven-year-old girl was born with red, scaly skin that later evolved into hypopigmentation and follicular atrophoderma in a widespread distribution that followed Blaschko lines. She also had patchy, scarring alopecia, left microphthalmia, bilateral cataracts, dysmorphic facies, short stature, hip dysplasia, and vertebral abnormalities. An elevated plasma 8(9)-cholestenol level confirmed the diagnosis of Conradi-Hünermann-Happle syndrome, which is caused by mutations in the emopamil binding protein (EBP) gene. This reports highlights the evolution of clinical findings over time in this X-linked dominant form of chondrodysplasia punctata.     

Behçet syndrome

We present a 34-year-old man with a two-year history of aphthous stomatitis, who later developed painful, erythematous nodules on his lower extremities. A pathergy test was positive, and the diagnosis of Beh?et syndrome (BS) was made. It is important for the dermatologist to recognize the wide variety of cutaneous manifestations of this disorder. A pathergy test is a simple diagnostic tool that may assist in making a diagnosis. Case reports of other unusual skin manifestations in BS also are reviewed.     

Paraneoplastic Sweet’s syndrome

Sweet’s syndrome is a rare dermatosis with little-known pathogenesis, associated with some clinical conditions such as infections, autoimmune diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, vaccination, medications and neoplasms. Hematologic malignancies are the diseases most related to paraneoplastic Sweet’s syndrome, but this clinical entity can also be found occasionally in some solid tumors, including genitourinary tract tumors. We report a rare case of paraneoplastic Sweet’s syndrome associated with the diagnosis of cervical cancer.