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Query: UMLS:C0027960 (mole)
 21,279 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The stratum corneum (SC), the top layer of the epidermis, is the functional site of the skin barrier and serves to maintain hydration of the body by preventing water loss and thwarting the entrance of pathogens. The naked mole rat (NMR) (Heterocephalus glaber) is a rodent that resides in hypoxic underground tunnels in arid Africa. NMRs are not only hairless; their skin is devoid of glands and pain sensation. To understand how the skin barrier of the NMR is uniquely adapted to this environment, skin samples from the dorsum and ventral abdomen in one adult and one neonate were examined by transmission electron microscopy using both reduced osmium tetroxide to assess overall structure and ruthenium tetroxide post-fixation to assess lipid organization. These findings were compared with that of hairless mice-a well-defined model for skin barrier studies. The plasticity of the skin was evaluated on 10 NMRs from a colony at the Philadelphia Zoo in humid and dry conditions by measuring cutaneous hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and pH. The epidermal ultrastructure of the NMR differed from hairless mice by having the following features: decreased content of lamellar bodies (LBs), higher LB pleomorphism, periodic presence of abnormal lipid bilayers, and an unusually thick SC. The NMRs developed significant TEWL and a trend toward decreased hydration when subjected to dry conditions. While these features illustrate an imperfect skin barrier in terrestrial mammals, they likely represent adaptations of the poikilothermic NMRs to their unique natural fossorial climate. Prolonged exposure to decreased humidity could possibly lead to adverse health effects in this species.
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PMID:Unique features of the skin barrier in naked mole rats reflect adaptations to their fossorial habitat. 3163 22

Sebaceous nevus (SN), is a skin hamartoma, combining a variety of epidermal, follicular, sebaceous, and apocrine abnormalities. Although usually present at birth, it may become apparent later in life appearing as a yellowish-brown, verrucous plaque with alopecia. SN is implicated with secondary tumors arising on the hairless plaque during the adulthood. Lichen planopilaris is a common, primary lymphocytic scarring alopecia of unknown etiology, characterized by lichenoid/interface perifollicular lymphocytic infiltrate occurring at the level of the infundibulum and the isthmus. Here, we present a case of a 48-year-old Caucasian male with lichen planopilaris lesions developing at the periphery of a preexisting SN. Our case raises the question, whether the development of lichen planopilaris was coincidental, or is it indicative of an etiologic association between the lichen planopilaris and SN.
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PMID:Lichen Planopilaris Developing at the Margins of a Sebaceous Nevus of Jadassohn: Co-existence or Etiologic Association? 3218 Jun 1

Epidermal nevus syndromes are a group of rare multiorgan disorders. Schimmelpenning syndrome is a clinical variant of epidermal nevus syndromes. This congenital syndrome is characterized by the existence of nevus sebaceous and usually accompanied by abnormalities of the eyes, skeletal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. A 2-year-old girl presented with large, hairless, yellowish-brown plaques on the scalp and face along with multiple brownish-black verrucose plaques and brownish-black macules on almost all parts of the body. The skin-colored verrucose tumors were also found on the lips and around the mouth. Histopathological examination of the lesion on the forehead revealed hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and sebaceous gland hyperplasia supporting the diagnosis of nevus sebaceous, while histopathological examination of the lesions on the lips and abdomen demonstrated hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and papillomatosis consistent with verrucous epidermal nevus. The pediatrician suspected that the patient had mental retardation; however, there were no neurological, cardiac, skeletal, nor ophthalmologic abnormalities. The lesions on the lips and around the mouth were excised, and it demonstrated a good result. To conclude, epidermal nevus syndrome (e.g., Schimmelpenning syndrome) should be considered in children born with nevus sebaceous.
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PMID:Schimmelpenning Syndrome with Large Nevus Sebaceous and Multiple Epidermal Nevi. 3325 Jul 35


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