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SummaryThe objective of this review article is to assess skin cancer and sun protection trends in darker-skinned Africans. The published information suggests that in order to reduce the skin cancer mortality rate amongst people of colour, a broader effort towards public awareness/education is necessary.What's already known about this topic?• There have been review articles published examining skin cancer amongst people of colour in sub-Saharan or north Africa. What does this study add?• This article looks at skin cancer in all of Africa, not just the north or south.• It looks at skin cancer/sun protection practices in Africa.• It examines African skin cancer trends and puts them in a global context. When approaching nonwhite African populations, issues related to skin cancer might not be at the forefront of their minds. Although cutaneous malignancies are not extremely common within this group, mortality rates remain much higher compared with their white counterparts.1 It can be inferred that these discrepant outcomes may be attributed to both late detection and/or biologically more aggressive tumours. In order to prevent future skin cancer-related deaths amongst those with brown skin, teaching all patients, regardless of ethnicity, about sun protection, the importance of skin checks and the risk factors associated with cutaneous malignancy is critical. Sun protection and skin cancer perceptions amongst nonwhite AfricansSkin cancer and disorders of pigmentation make protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays an issue of paramount importance. Is this message getting across to the diverse African population? Although a few published studies have attempted to answer this question, the available data show that much more education is needed. Meziane et al.3 examined the results of a Moroccan public awareness campaign created to teach north-African citizens about the sun's deleterious effects. Four hundred and eleven participants, who varied in age, sex, socioeconomic status, education level and skin type (Fitzpatrick I-V), were surveyed on sun safety. Sixty-four percent of respondents had a 'poor' or 'bad' understanding of solar risk, and the majority of those with skin types IV and V had a 'poor' or 'bad' understanding of solar risk. Fewer than 50% of the participants had ever purchased sunscreen; 75% believed that one application was sufficient for all-day coverage; 15% used hats for sun protection; 19% used sunglasses for sun protection; 32% knew to avoid the sun between 10Á00 and 16Á00 h; and most were not aware of the connection between sun exposure and hyperpigmentation. Women and those with

Calciphylaxis is a rare but highly morbid disorder of vascular calcification and skin necrosis, affecting 1% to 4% of adults with end-stage renal disease. Only three affected children have previously been described. We report an unusual instance of fatal calciphylaxis involving a 10-year-old boy, in the setting of sarcoidosis-induced end-stage renal disease. A review of pediatric calciphylaxis cases suggests: (a) increased risk in boys with end-stage renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism; (b) frequent distal extremity and visceral organ involvement, (c) worse prognosis with acral necrosis, and (d) possible increased resistance to medical treatment compared to adult patients. Hyperesthetic pain is a common sentinel symptom, and soft tissue x-rays or xeroradiography or both may aid in the diagnosis of pediatric calciphylaxis. Parathyroidectomy in combination with supportive medical management may be the best treatment option in stopping the progression of disease in the pediatric population.

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