It has been our holy month of Ramadan since the 29th of June! The month during which we fast from dawn till sunset every day. This month represents a great opportunity for our souls and bodies to undergo spiritual and physical re-shaping.

It is part of our culture and tradition during this month to gather as families and friends at the "Iftar" meal at sunset to break our fasting. This meal is very important and although it should be nutritious, it still should be light and healthy especially with the very long fasting hours during summer. This year I have been trying lots of new recipes together with my friends and colleagues at work. We were trying to make the preparation of this meal as much fun as possible.

Now I am required to write a dermatopathology blog, with my mind full of recipes!!!! The best thing I thought of was to try to collect all food related signs described in dermatopathology literature. What I have managed easily to recall were: the Sandwich Sign of dermatophytosis, the Bean Bag Sign of cytophagic panniculitis, the Swiss Cheese Sign of foreign body granulomatous reactions to silicone and the Spaghetti and Meat Ball Sign of Tinea versicolor. I searched the internet trying to look for other signs that I do not know. I found some more food related signs in dermatopathology collected by Martin Reichel in his letter published in the American Journal of Dermatopathology *, they included: String Bean Nuclei of electrocautery, Wedding Cake Pattern of NLD and the Fettucini Sign which was reported after Ackerman and describes the thickened collagen in the papillary dermis of MF cases... Isn't it interesting!!! Even food lovers can find their passion in Dermatopathology!! Any other food related signs missing?!!


*More Food for Thought
Reichel, Martin M.D.
American Journal of Dermatopathology:
December 1997 - Volume 19 - Issue 6 - p 619