As the lentigo maligna is often very large, it often merges with, or encompasses other skin tumors – such as lentigines, melanocytic nevi, and seborrheic keratosis. Second dilemma is the biopsy technique. Even though excisional biopsy (removing the entire lesion) is ideal, and advocated by pathologists; practical reason dictates that this should not be done. These tumors are often large and presenting on the facial area. Excision of such large tumor would be absolutely contraindicated if the lesions identity is uncertain. The preferred method of diagnosis is by using a punch biopsy, allowing the physician to sample multiple full thickness pieces of the tumor at multiple sites. While one section of the tumor might show benign melanocytic nevus, another section might show features concerning for severe cellular atypia. When cellular atypia is noted, a pathologist might indicate that the entire lesion should be removed. It is at this point that one can comfortably remove the entire lesion, and thus confirm the final diagnosis of lentigo maligna. The size of the punch biopsy can vary from 1 mm to 2 mm, but it is preferable to use a punch 1.5 mm or larger. Representative samples of the most atypical parts of the nevus should be biopsied, often guided by dermatoscopy. Treatment
The best treatment of lentigo maligna is not clear as it has not been well studied.Standard excision is still being done by most surgeons. Unfortunately, the recurrence rate is high (up to 50%).
Parosmia (from the Greek παρά pará and ὀσμή osmḗ "smell") is a dysfunctional smell detection characterized by the inability of the brain to correctly identify an odors "natural" smell. Instead, the natural odor is usually transformed into an unpleasant aroma, typically a "burned", "rotting", "fecal", or "chemical" smell. There can also be rare instances of a pleasant odor called euosmia. The condition was rare and little-researched until it became relatively more widespread since 2020 as a side effect of COVID-19. Causes
There are numerous diseases with which parosmia is associated. In a case study, Frasnelli et al. examined five patients that endured parosmia or phantosmia, most as a result of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). It is hypothesized that URTIs can result in parosmia because of damage to olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). The condition has been linked to coronavirus disease 2019 as a rare side effect. Common triggers in COVID-19 related parosmia include coffee, chocolate, meat, onion and toothpaste. Exposure to harmful solvents has also been linked to parosmia, specifically by damaging ORNs. Damage to these neurons could render them unable to correctly encode a signal representing a particular odor, which would send an erroneous signal to the odor processing center, the olfactory bulb. This, in turn, leads to the signal triggering a different smell than the stimulating odor, and thus the patient cannot sync the input and output odors.