We describe the case of a 69-year-old man with malignant lymphoma who developed granuloma annulare on his fingers. The number of cutaneous nodules increased when a recurrence of lymphoma was demonstrated during the course of disease. Granulomatous lesions disappeared after the fifth cycle of chemotherapy with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, vincristine, prednisolone). The coexistence of these two diseases is relatively rare. The clinical features seen in this case, however, might suggest that granuloma annulare is a generalized granulomatous reaction induced by malignant lymphoma

A 3-month-old Japanese girl developed tender erythematous elevated plaques on her face and buttocks with fever up to 38 degrees C. Histology showed a perivascular neutrophil infiltrate with nuclear debris in the dermis. Endothelial cells were swollen but no hyalinization of the vessel wall was observed. The lesions recurred several times and responded little to antibiotics but dramatically to oral corticosteroid. We diagnosed her skin condition as Sweet's syndrome in infancy.

Background: Multiple dermatofibromas (DFs) are often associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). An increased number of mast cells is observed in the upper portion or over the lesion of DF Objective: To investigate the role of the serum of a patient with multiple DFs, we examined its growth effects on fibroblasts. Method: ³H-Thymidine incorporation was used to examine the effects of the serum of an SLE patient with multiple DFs on fibroblasts derived from DF and normal skin. Results: The serum of the SLE patient with multiple DFs exhibited a stronger growth-stimulatory activity on normal and DF-derived fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner, compared to that of SLE without DFs or normal sera. The growth effects were inhibited in 40% by anti-platelet-derived-growth-factor antibody and almost completely inhibited by antibody against basic fibroblast growth factor. Cultured fibroblasts derived from the upper portion of the DF lesion, which included most of the numerous mast cells, demonstrated a higher level of ³H-thymidine uptake after stimulation of autologous serum compared to that from the mid and lower portions of DF. Conclusion: These results suggested the existence of various fibroblast growth factors derived from the mast cells in SLE patients with multiple DFs.

Clinical and immunopathological analysis was performed on 24 cases of Sjögren syndrome with annular erythema (AESjS). AESjS predominantly appears on the cheek of the face where skin temperature is relatively low in comparison with other sites. VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 were strongly expressed on endothelial cells of AESjS, while epidermal expression of ICAM-1 was focal and weak. VCAM-1 mRNA expression was also much more intense compared to systemic lupus erythematosus. The lymphocyte response to staphylococcal enterotoxin B was higher in AESjS than that of controls, and cells positive for T cell receptor Vβ6,9,12 were expanded after the culture. Superantigen-driven endothelial-cell-dependent T cell infiltration to the skin plays a crucial role in AESjS.

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