Pathology Associates Of Lexington, P.A.

Skin Cancer & Diseases

Skin Diseases

There is a massive amount of information about skin diseases. Most patients with skin disease are first treated by primary care doctors & not to dermatologists until later. Either by greater savvy or because of referral or because of other recommendations, stubborn and odd skin problems end up with the skin experts...the dermatologists. Biopsy and excision specimens of skin diseases, tumors, and cancers are best handled when they end up with local ("point of service") pathologists. The most important factor in a patient's behalf as to what lab (pathologist) is "best" to process and interpret his/her specimen is that the pathologists really care to do the best for the patient. Such an attitude assures correct initial handling & processing of the specimen. Such an attitude is far more likely with a point of service (local) pathologist. If need be, expert consultation on the specimen can then be quickly obtained by overnight express or telepathology from anywhere in the USA (or the world, for that matter).

Pathology Associates of Lexington, P. A. (operating out of Lexington Medical Center, West Columbia, S.C.) has "cared" about skin problems since 1975 and has an unusually full range of excellently executed routine, specialized, and emergency services available to doctors and patients: routine histological exams, special histochemical stains, special immunohistochemical stains (IHC), fluorescent staining and microscopy (DIF/DFA), and a wide range of serological tests (ANA thru anti-skin types of antibodies)...almost all "in-house" and rapidly available...even by way of the ER or ICU...as necessary.

Emergency dermatopathology diagnosis notes & [flesh eating bacteria].
Newborn (congenital) skin spots/moles/lesions.
pigmentation disorders...streaks & spots & discolorations...HERE.
Skin eruptions of pregnancy.
Non-melanoma skin cancer:
- overview.
- skin cancer types.
- [(1) IHC DDX table.....(2) old IHC outline (some markers we don't have)]
- dark moles & lesions mimicking malignant melanoma & the melanoma types & varieties.
- lesions mimicking non-melanoma skin cancer (BCC & SCC).
- benign lesions possibly confused with malignant adnexal counterparts.
- layman source, Skin Cancer Foundation.

About MELANOMA skin cancer:
- An overview, screening, & melanoma variety definitions/criteria AND node nevi vs. met. melanoma.
- AND, if you have lots of nevi, the new “MoleMapCD™” System of tracking your moles may be at a site near you (my son worked with the Columbia, S. C. inventor). And, there is another MoleMap where photos & dermatoscopic photos are taken of a "suspicious mole" and reviewed & diagnosed via internet by a specialized dermatologist known as a "dermatoscopist".
- basic melanoma histologic criteria, tables; template parameters & criteria.
- pathology report parameters and their prognostic significance.
- the Clark 6-parameter prognosis tables; use your pathology report to get a general idea of your odds of cure.
- formula for your personal prognosis calculation (using your pathology report) with ability to adjust the survival intervals.
- link to a good site with on-line info, article links, and staging & prognosis calculator. (NOTE: We continue to see on-line advice to use specialist pathologists for diagnoses. After 26 years in practice, our advice is, rather, to deal with pathologists [and all other physician service providers] who "care" and are qualified).
skin cysts.
Rough, scaly skin, Keratoderma, hyperkeratoses, genodermatoses, nail disorders.
clavus & dozens of other localized friction & pressure-related callosities website file.
hard to cure Palm & foot dermatitis.
factitious (self inflicted) skin problems: dermatitis artefacta; think of this when you see odd abscesses, facial pigmentations & odd lesions, odd foreign body granulomata, and odd ulcers/excoriations (neurotic excoriations) or skin necroses, and certain types of hair loss (alopecia)...trichotillomania & traction alopecia.
cutaneous sarcoidosis, what to do?
skin scars:
alopecia; an alopecia website.
Dermatopathology on-line Czech outline and atlas.
Medscape's Primary Care (photo) Dermatology Atlas of skin disorders by lesion type, body location, and by search engine (access will require ID and password; another on-line atlas; New Zealand Dermatology website, DermNet, has search categories body area and symptom for patients and doctors.
A dermatology website.
A dermatopathology website.
A podiatric dermatopathology lab site.
A web site of information on blistering dermatoses.
chronic cutaneous urticaria [CCU].

DIF/DFA differential diagnosis notes:
- differential diagnosis NOTES.
- as a list of interesting cases solved by DIF/DFA.
- preferred biopsy sites based on differential diagnosis.
- as a decision tree or flow chart [pending].
Anti-skin antibody testing by IFA...blood (serum) sample [here].
Inflammatory dermatoses: [pending]
- diseases in each histological pigeon-hole category, list [pending].
- as decision trees or flow charts [pending].
- infectious, notes.

Miscellaneous:
- pellagra: hyperpigmented, symmetrical dermatosis that looks "cracked" like sunbaked mud (dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia)...niacin deficiency (J. SCMA Aug. 2003).
- acanthosis nigricans: "benign"...associated with excessive niacin intake (e. g., to increase HDL cholesterol) & some others; "malignant"...when it heralds an internal malignancy, especially stomach cancer.

(posted 2001; latest addition 14 April 2008)