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Epidermal Lesions (epidermal + lesion)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Life Sciences	50%

Selected Abstracts

Effects of contaminated sediment on the epidermis of mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2000
Laurent C. Mézin
Abstract Secretion of mucus by epidermal goblet cells protects fish against many biological, physical, and chemical insults encountered in the environment. This study monitored changes in hemoglobin concentration in epidermal mucus and in the density, diameter, and mucus quality of epidermal goblet cells in the mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus, following exposure to creosote-contaminated sediment from the Elizabeth River, Virginia, USA. Fish were exposed for 13 d in flow-through aquaria to either uncontaminated (US) or contaminated (CS) sediments and were sampled periodically. The condition index was lower and the mortality rate and the occurrence of epidermal lesions were higher in CS-exposed fish than in US-exposed fish. Hemoglobin contents in epidermal mucus from the former group were significantly higher than from the latter. Significant reductions in both size and density of goblet cells in CS-exposed fish suggested a mucus secretion rate exceeding its production rate. Significant changes in mucin types between treatments did not occur until day 13 and are not believed to be directly related to the creosote present in the contaminated sediment. These results all indicate that exposure to creosote-contaminated sediment had a profound and deleterious effect on fish health. [source]

Determining the sex of bottlenose dolphins from Doubtful Sound using dorsal fin photographs

MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2009
Lucy E. Rowe
Abstract Sexing cetaceans usually requires time-consuming observation, or genetic sexing via biopsy sampling or skin swabbing. We developed a method to determine the sex of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, using laser-metric dorsal fin photographs. From dorsal fin photographs of 43 bottlenose dolphins of known sex (25 females, 18 males) we analyzed the shape, proportion of fin area covered in scarring and epidermal lesions, and the number of fin nicks. Males had significantly higher rates of scarring (P < 0.001) and dorsal fin nicks (P < 0.01) than females, whereas the severity of epidermal lesions was higher in females (P < 0.05). A logistic regression applied to all measured variables, and measurements of dorsal fin size, indicated that the proportion of dorsal fin scarring (P < 0.001), number of fin nicks (P < 0.01), and dorsal fin surface area (P < 0.01) were significant variables and together correctly predicted the sex of 93% (40/43) of the dolphins. The classification function may not be applicable to other populations due to geographic variation in bottlenose dolphin morphology and social structure. The method is quick and noninvasive to apply, and further increases the value of dorsal fin photo-identification pictures. [source]

Dermoscopic pattern of intermediate stage in seborrhoeic keratosis regressing to lichenoid keratosis: report of 24 cases

BRITISH JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
P. Zaballos
Summary Background, Lichenoid keratosis (LK) is a well-described entity which has been proposed to represent an immunological or regressive response to pre-existing epidermal lesions such as solar lentigines or seborrhoeic keratoses. Objectives, To evaluate the dermoscopic criteria of a series of cases of LK with remaining areas of seborrhoeic keratosis which were both dermoscopically and histologically diagnosed. Methods, Pigmented lesions with dermoscopic areas of seborrhoeic keratosis and LK in the same tumour were consecutively diagnosed and prospectively included in the study. All pigmented lesions were examined and registered using DermLite Foto equipment (3Gen, LLC, Dana Point, CA, U.S.A.), at 10-fold magnification, at the Dermatology Department of Hospital de Sant Pau i Santa Tecla (Tarragona, Spain), between 1 January 2003 and 31 December 2005. Results, In total, 24 cases of lesions with dermoscopic areas of seborrhoeic keratosis and LK were collected. In four lesions (17%), the clinical differential diagnosis without dermoscopy included malignant melanoma and in seven lesions (29%), basal cell carcinoma. The diagnosis of LK was clinically considered without dermoscopy in only six cases (25%). A granular pattern was observed to be distributed throughout the LK areas of the lesions. This pattern consisted of the presence of brownish-grey, bluish-grey or whitish-grey coarse granules that formed, in 11 cases (46%), globules and/or short lines. In one lesion, located on the face, these short lines produced annular or rhomboid structures as seen in lentigo maligna melanoma. Conclusions, Dermoscopy is a useful tool which assists in the correct clinical recognition of LK, which may also potentially illuminate the pathogenesis of these tumours, showing the intermediate stage of regressing epidermal lesions in an LK. [source]