Cancer of the male breast is a rare disease in men. It composes less than 1% of all breast carcinomas and less than 1.5% of all malignant tumors in men [1]. Epidemiologic features, prognostic factors, survival by stages, patterns of metastasis, treatment and response to treatment in men are similar to that of women with breast carcinoma. However, breast cancers in men are more likely to respond to hormonal manipulation [2]. Metastases will occur in about one third of the patients; as in female breast cancer, the common sites are the lung, bone, brain, liver, lymphnodes and skin [3].

Skin involvement as a symptom, or even the presenting sign, of this cancer in men is not well known by dermatologists [4]. In fact, a review of the literature reveals few references about this subject.

The purpose of ourwork, through a case of breast cancer in humans and a literature review, is to describe the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of breast cancer in humans.

A 25-year-old male presented with a painful pruritic rash on his right leg that began approximately one week earlier after clearing brush from his back yard. The rash, which was located on the anterior shin, began to swell, darken and weep fluid over the previous 72 hours. The patient denies any previous similar rashes.

His past medical history was unremarkable. He denied any history of known allergies or prior allergic reactions, insect bites or stings, reptile bites, or trauma to the leg.

On examination, an erythematous-violaceous plaque with interspersed vesicles weeping yellow serous fluid and a well-demarcated distal border along the sock line was present on the right anterior shin (Figure 1).

A 28-year-old female presented with one-week history of progressively worsening cutaneous lesions. Patient is a helicopter pilot that moved to Texas from Hawaii three weeks prior to initial encounter, with a stop in Florida for a week of water survival training. While in Florida she noted a small red welt on the dorsal aspect of her left wrist. Over a one week period she noted new lesions developing over her arms and legs, with two new lesions on her chest over the last two days just below her clavicles. The patient believed they were spider bites due to finding a spider in her rental car while in Florida.

Significant recent history includes frequent extended isolated camping trips in Hawaii and the adoption of two kittens that had been treated at a shelter before adoption. She denies any new sexual contacts and no known contacts with similar lesions.

The effect of male and female sex steroid hormones on the proliferation of both male and female epidermal keratinocytes was investigated in cells cultured in a completely defined serum-free medium. Growth was assessed by clonal growth assays. The clonal growth of male foreskin-derived keratinocytes was strongly inhibited at micromolar concentrations by both 17-β-estradiol and progesterone, and had only a moderate inhibitory effect on the clonal growth of female adult skin-derived keratinocytes. By contrast, clonal growth of either male or female keratinocytes was unaffected by micromolar concentrations of testosterone. Morphological studies provided additional support for the effect of female sex steroid hormones, showing drastic decrease in cell number, abnormal cell morphology and altered colony and cell arrangements. Evidence is provided for a specific and saturable 17-β-estradiol receptor present of the surface of male-derived suprabasal keratinocytes challenged by unlabelled competitor male and female sex steroid hormones: estradiol, estriol, norethistrerone, levonorgesterol and testosterone in a radio-labelled 17-β-estradiol binding assay.

Background: Partial nail plate avulsion and chemical matricectomy is the most successful modality for the treatment of unguis inkarinatus. Phenol, sodium hydroxide and Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) have been used for chemical matricectomy. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy and postoperative morbidity of phenol and Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA).

Materials and Methods: Seventy-five patients with 107 ingrowing nails were treated with either phenol or TCA. In the postoperative period, all patients were evaluated at 48 hours and afterward weekly until full wound healing was achieved for postoperative complication. All patients were followed up for the recurrence and effectiveness of treatment.

Results: The incidence of postoperative pain was found to be equal between phenol and TCA groups. Postoperative infection was occured 3 patients (8,3%) in the phenol group. Postoperative infection did not occur in TCA group. The incidence of drainage and complete healing duration was significantly higher in the phenol group (p<0.05). The overall success rates in the phenol and TCA groups were found to be 88,2% and 98,2%, respectively (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Postoperative morbitidy and recurrence rate was lower in the TCA group. Therefore, we suggest that TCA can be used in stead of phenol for chemical matricectomy.