Background: Scalp psoriasis severely affects patients' quality of life, and patients may occasionally be refractory to topical steroid application. Although systemic therapy combined with topical steroid application is recommended for treatment-resistant scalp psoriasis, previous research has not reported whether such combination treatment improves patients' quality of life.
Objective: This study investigated whether combination therapy using oral cyclosporine and topical steroid reduces the severity of scalp psoriasis and improves patients' quality of life compared with the use of topical steroid alone.
Methods: The study included 23 patients with scalp psoriasis who were categorized as patients who received topical steroid therapy alone vs. those who received combination therapy with topical steroid and oral cyclosporine for 12 weeks. The severity of psoriasis and quality of life were evaluated at 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment.
Results: No significant improvement was observed in the severity of psoriasis or in patients' quality of life during the treatment period in patients receiving topical steroid alone. Patients treated with a combination of topical steroid and oral cyclosporine showed a reduction in the severity of psoriasis from the 4th week of treatment and their quality of life improved from the 12th week of treatment.
Conclusion: Combination therapy with oral cyclosporine and topical steroid may reduce the severity of scalp psoriasis and improve patients' quality of life. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):513∼518)

Background: Kaposi varicelliform eruption (KVE) is a disseminated viral infection primarily caused by the herpes simplex virus in the setting of an underlying chronic skin disease. Few studies have reported the clinical characteristics and predisposing factors for recurrent KVE.
Objectives: To characterize the clinical features and predisposing factors for recurrent KVE.
Methods: This retrospective comparative study of recurrent vs. single-episode KVE was performed at the Pusan National University Hospital between 2004 and 2017.
Results: A total of 84 episodes occurred in 60 patients, and of these, 13 patients developed recurrence (21.7%). No statistically significant intergroup difference was observed in the mean age and sex distribution. The face was the most common site of involvement in both groups, followed by the trunk and the upper and lower extremities. Atopic dermatitis was the most common pre-existing disease in both groups; however, Darier's disease was more common in the recurrent KVE group, and this difference was statistically significant. Most patients with KVE (66.7%) showed aggravation of the underlying skin disease within 3 months of KVE onset. This finding was more prominent in patients with recurrent episodes (91.7%) than in those with single-episode KVE (58.3%), (p=0.040).
Conclusion: This study can contribute to a better understanding of recurrent KVE and guide clinicians in treating patients with conditions predisposing to KVE. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):519∼526)

Background: Serial (staged) excision of congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) is an important treatment option for medium-sized CMN. However, few studies have investigated the outcomes of serial excision in detail.
Objective: We report our experience regarding serial excision of CMN, including methods to effectively reduce the procedural stages and scar length. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with CMN treated between 2008 and 2015; 33 patients (7 men and 26 women) underwent serial excision.
Results: The CMN were located on the face (n=11), arms (n=6), legs (n=11), and other areas of the body (n=11), including the back (n=2), chest (n=1), deltoid region (n=1), and buttocks (n=1). The mean CMN area was 19.7 cm2. The mean number of surgical stages was 2.2. The mean interval between surgeries was 10.6 months. A marginal S-shaped incision along both edges of the nevus was preferred over elliptical excision, to reduce scarring. Pulsed dye, erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG), neodymium-doped:YAG, and carbon dioxide fractional lasers were used to improve the final outcomes and minimize scarring.
Conclusion: Serial excision is an effective treatment option associated with greater patient satisfaction, particularly for medium-sized and hairy CMN. Conventional elliptical serial excision is associated with the formation of elongated scars and sacrifices normal skin adjacent to the lesion. The marginal S-shaped incision reduces scarring by dispersing mechanical tension on the scar without skin wastage. Compared with the elliptical excision method, the marginal S-shaped incision reduces the number of surgical stages and results in a cosmetically superior scar. Performing a marginal S-shaped incision is technically challenging in certain anatomical locations, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth. Therefore, it is necessary to combine this procedure with erbium:YAG and neodymium-doped:YAG ablation. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):527∼531)

Rapidly involuting congenital hemangioma (RICH), a subtype of congenital hemangioma (CH), is fully developed at birth and undergoes rapid involution by 6-14 months of age. Clinically, this vascular lesion differs from both non-involuting CH and infantile hemangiomas. It is important to distinguish between this rare condition and other vascular lesions to ensure appropriate management (active intervention vs. non-intervention). We describe 5 patients diagnosed with RICH based on clinicopathological and/or imaging studies. Three patients showed red-stippled bluish to purplish tense plaques and two showed slightly depressed red-stippled hypopigmented rubbery patches at their initial visit. Spontaneous involution commenced shortly after birth, and complete involution occurred by 16.0±9.9 months of age. Doppler ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed for further evaluation. Histopathological examination revealed vascular lobules of various sizes without true arteriovenous microfistulae, and thickened intra- and interlobular vessels were prominent with glucose transporter isoform-1 protein negativity. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):532∼537)

Currently, the World Health Organization classifies Langerhans cell tumors into Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS). LCS is a neoplastic proliferation of Langerhans cells showing malignant cytological features and aggressive clinical behavior with grave prognosis. Only a few cases have been reported in the available literature; therefore, to date, no definitive treatment has been established. A 64-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of an asymptomatic, slow-growing erythematous nodule measuring 0.7 cm on her scalp. The patient also reported a 3-month history of a painful swelling on the right side of her neck. Histopathological examination of a scalp biopsy specimen revealed sheets of atypical cells with hyperchromatic nucleoli and clear cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical studies revealed malignant cells positive for CD1a, CD31, CD68, and S-100 expression. Additionally, positron emission tomography-computed tomography and fine-needle aspiration revealed LCS of the cervical lymph nodes and surrounding soft tissue. We recommended surgical excision and adjunctive chemotherapy; however, the patient refused treatment and died of the disease 28 months later. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):538∼543)

Here we present a case of an unusual variant of keratoacanthoma, eruptive keratoacanthoma en plaque, occurring on the upper lip of a 58-year-old man. The lesion was a flesh-colored nodular plaque measuring 1.5×1.0 cm that rapidly grew within 2 months. After two biopsies, the cutaneous lesion grew more rapidly for 1 month, covering the entire cutaneous surface of the upper lip and measuring 6.0×2.0 cm. Thereafter, it disappeared without any treatment within 3 months, resulting in mild scarring with a cobblestone-like surface similar to the stereotypical involuting course of ordinary keratoacanthoma. In addition to the clinical features, the present case displayed essential diagnostic features of eruptive keratoacanthoma by showing typical spontaneous involution not reported in previous reports. Furthermore, it also revealed histopathology suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma, at least focally in addition to that of keratoacanthoma, which may evoke the potential for a misdiagnosis of malignancy. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):544∼547)

Apert syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by malformations of the skull, face, hands, and feet. We report a case of severe hyperhidrosis in a 13-month-old female infant with Apert syndrome who was born with craniosynostosis, midface hypoplasia, and syndactyly of both hands. She had a history of excessive sweating since birth and this was confirmed using the iodine-starch test. Hyperhidrosis was first reported as a key cutaneous manifestation of Apert syndrome in 1993. However, the main focus in the field of dermatology is on antibiotic-refractory acne, which serves as another cutaneous hallmark of the disease. This is the first report in the Korean literature that describes hyperhidrosis in Apert syndrome. We highlight the presentation of hyperhidrosis as a key cutaneous manifestation in Apert syndrome. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):548∼550)

Nivolumab is a fully-humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that competitively binds to the programmed cell death receptor-1 protein (an immune check-point molecule) present on activated T cells. Nivolumab is approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma, lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma. It attenuates the inactivation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and, produces an antitumor effect; however it may be associated with immune-related adverse events, including the development of lichen planus (LP). A 72-year-old man presented with a 2-month history of multiple, polygonal, purplish papules on the dorsal aspect of both hands. He was diagnosed with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the lung 4 years earlier and was treated with nivolumab (3 mg/kg every 2 weeks) for 9 months. By the 14th course of nivolumab therapy, the patient developed multiple rashes on the dorsal aspect of both hands, and biopsy was consistent with findings of LP. We report a rare case of LP in a patient with lung cancer treated with nivolumab. (Korean J Dermatol 2019;57(9):551∼555)