Introduction: Sister Mary Joseph Nodule (SMJN) is a metastatic umbilical lesion secondary to a primary malignancy of any viscera, stomach and colon being most common in men, and ovary in women. Case report: In this article, we present the case of SMJN in a 54-year old female patient. An urgent diagnostic workup was performed with a computerized tomography of abdominal cavity and pelvis showing an expansive tumorous formation covering uterus with a carcinomatosis of peritoneum. After biopsy, immunohistochemical profile suggested adenocarcinoma of the ovarian origin. The patient was then referred to the Oncology Consilier of Gynecology Department and further continued followed by the Oncology team.

Introduction: There are limited numbers of studies which focused on the identification of Malassezia yeasts to a species level in onychomycosis. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and species composition of Malassezia yeasts in patients with clinically suspected onychomycosis and to examine if the range of species varies with patient gender, age, site of involvement and clinical pattern of onychomycosis. Methods: Specimens were taken from 785 patients presenting signs of onychomycosis and then incubated on Sabouraud dextrose agar and modified Dixon agar. The yeasts isolated were identified according to their macroscopic and microscopic features and physiological characteristics. Results: Malassezia species were diagnosed both by microscopy and culture in fourteen (1.8%) patients. M. globosa was the predominant, if not only, species identified from nail samples. Mixed cultures were observed in five cases: in 4 cases Malassezia was co-isolated with Candida albicans and in one case with dermatophyte. Fingernails were affected more frequently than toenails (85.7%) and distolateral subungual onychomycosis was the most common clinical type (78.6%). Conclusion: No significant differences were found in the distribution of Malassezia species isolated according to demographic parameters.

Currently, the genus Malassezia includes 14 species, which have been identified traditionally based on their morphology and biochemical features (Cafarchia et al., 2011). Since the description of new species a number of studies have evolved to elucidate the role of the different species in the ecology and pathogenicity in a range of dermatoses, in which variable results have been reported from different geographical regions.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common form of localized, nonscarring hair loss. It is characterized by the loss of hair in patches, total loss of scalp hair (alopecia totalis, AT), or total loss of body hair (alopecia universalis, AU). The cause of AA is unknown, although most evidence supports the hypothesis that AA is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the hair follicle and that cytokines play an important role. Aims: The aim of the study was to compare the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in patients with AA and the healthy subjects and also to investigate the difference between the localized form of the disease with the extensive forms like AT and AU. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with AA and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Forty-six patients had localized AA (LAA), and 14 patients had AT, AU, or AT/AU. The serum levels of TNF-α were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassay techniques. Results: Serum levels of TNF-α were significantly higher in AA patients than in controls (10.31 ± 1.20 pg ml vs 9.59 ± 0.75 pg/ml, respectively). There was no significant difference in serum levels of TNF-α between patients with LAA and those with extensive forms of the disease. Conclusion: Our findings support the evidence that elevation of serum TNF-α is associated with AA. The exact role of serum TNF-α in AA should be additionally investigated in future studies.