A 49-year-old man presented with a tumoral lesion of the tip of the nose which had been manifest for 2 months. Within a few weeks, the tumour increased in size and became infiltrated. The biopsy showed a squamous cell carcinoma. Treatment consisted of a radical surgical excision.

Docetaxel (RP 56976 or Taxotere), a semisynthetic drug belonging to the family of taxoids, is a new chemotherapeutic agent used in phase II trials for breast, ovarian and lung cancer. We report 2 cases of subungual hemorrhages, which, to our knowledge, have yet to be cited in association with the use of docetaxel. Although not incapacitating, the patient should be made aware of the potential risk of this drug reaction.

A male infant was born with generalized erythroderma and scaling; the newborn demonstrated poor neonatal development and developed several complications such as hypernatremic dehydration, septicemia, gastroenteritis and seizures. In the neonatal period, the erythema faded, but exfoliation persisted. The parents are healthy but related. One older brother, who died at the age of 3 months, had shown the same clinical picture in the neonatal period and was diagnosed with congenital psoriasis. All clinical investigations, including serum immunoglobulins, complement levels and lymphocyte counts, were normal. Only raised total IgE and multiple positive specific IgE reactions were noted. Skin biopsy revealed an image of ichthyosis. Polarization microscopy of scalp hair showed trichorrhexis nodosa and discrete focal twisting of the hair shaft. This clinical picture and all histological findings are compatible with the indications of Netherton's syndrome. The purpose of this report is to call attention to this severe presentation of congenital ichthyosis in the neonatal period and to the difficulty of a correct diagnosis when confronted with congenital erythroderma.