Localized scleroderma denotes a spectrum of conditions characterized by circumscribed fibrotic areas involving different levels of the dermis, subcutis, and sometimes underlying soft tissue and bone. Although the clinical course of the disease is often benign, widespread lesions and disabling joint contractures may lead to significant complications. The pathogenesis of the different types of localized scleroderma is still unknown. Numerous therapeutic agents have been reported to be effective in this disease spectrum, but controlled studies are rare. The purpose of this review is to summarize previous experience and to discuss recent advances in the management of localized scleroderma.
Cutaneous metastases may be the first sign of a previously undiagnosed visceral malignancy or the initial presentation of a recurrent neoplasm. Rarely, skin metastases can resemble a pyogenic granuloma. Three oncology patients who developed new pyogenic granuloma-like cutaneous lesions are described. Histopathologic examination showed metastatic visceral malignancy in the skin. The characteristics of the previously reported cancer patients with metastatic tumor to the skin that mimicked a pyogenic granuloma are reviewed. A biopsy of a skin lesion that clinically appears to represent a pyogenic granuloma should be performed for microscopic examination in patients with a previous visceral malignancy or in cancer-free individuals whose lesions do not resolve after conservative treatment.
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