Infections sexuellement transmissibles à Chlamydia trachomatis

Depuis quelques années, le diagnostic d’infection sexuellement transmissible à Chlamydia trachomatis est de plus en plus souvent posé. Les infections à Chlamydia, qui touchent principalement les jeunes femmes, sont redoutées en raison du risque d’infection ascendante (maladie inflammatoire pelvienne) et des complications potentielles sévères, telles que grossesse extra-utérine et stérilité. Même si ces troubles sont beaucoup plus rares que ce que l’on pensait, la prise en charge des personnes atteintes doit être améliorée

Scabies outbreak in an intensive care unit with 1,659 exposed individuals--key factors for controlling the outbreak

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a large outbreak of scabies in an intensive care unit of a university hospital and an affiliated rehabilitation center, and to establish effective control measures to prevent further transmission. DESIGN: Outbreak investigation. SETTING: The intensive care unit of a 750-bed university hospital and an affiliated 92-bed rehabilitation center. METHODS: All exposed individuals were screened by a senior staff dermatologist. Scabies was diagnosed on the basis of (1) identification of mites by skin scraping, (2) identification of mites by dermoscopy, or (3) clinical examination of patients without history of prior treatment for typical burrows. During a follow-up period of 6 months, the attack rate was calculated as the number of symptomatic individuals divided by the total number of exposed individuals. INTERVENTIONS: All exposed healthcare workers (HCWs) and their household members underwent preemptive treatment. Initially, the most effective registered drug in Switzerland (ie, topical lindane) was prescribed, but this prescription was switched to topical permethrin or systemic ivermectin as a result of the progression of the outbreak. Individuals with any signs or symptoms of scabies underwent dermatological examination. RESULTS: Within 7 months, 19 cases of scabies were diagnosed, 6 in children with a mean age of 3.1 years after exposure to the index patient with HIV and crusted scabies. A total of 1,640 exposed individuals underwent preemptive treatment. The highest attack rate of 26%-32% was observed among HCWs involved in the care of the index patient. A too-restricted definition of individuals at risk, noncompliance with treatment, and the limited effectiveness of lindane likely led to treatment failure, relapse, and reinfestation within families. CONCLUSIONS: Crusted scabies resulted in high attack rates among HCWs and household contacts. Timely institution of hygienic precautions with close monitoring and widespread, simultaneous scabicide treatment of all exposed individuals are essential for control of an outbreak

Prevalence of skin lesions in familial adenomatous polyposis : a marker for presymptomatic diagnosis?

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Benign skin tumors such as lipomas, fibromas, and epidermal cysts are among the extracolonic manifestations of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Readily detectable by inspection, they could serve as presymptomatic diagnostic markers to identify FAP patients. We therefore prospectively determined the prevalence of cutaneous lesions in genetically confirmed adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) mutation carriers and assessed their potential usefulness in the identification of FAP patients. METHODS: Whole-skin examination was performed in 56 adult APC mutation carriers, compared with a control group (n = 116). In addition, FAP patients were investigated for the presence of congenital hypertrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium (CHRPE), an established clinical marker for FAP, and a detailed review of medical records was performed. RESULTS: Nearly half of all FAP patients (48.2%) had at least one FAP-associated skin lesion, compared with one third (34.5%) of controls. Only multiple lipomas and combined skin lesions were significantly more prevalent in APC mutation carriers. CHRPE was observed in 22 (43.1%) of 51 FAP patients, including 14 (37.8%) of 37 individuals with APC mutations outside the CHRPE-associated region between codons 311 and 1465. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a significantly higher prevalence of multiple lipomas, occurring at younger age, and combined skin lesions in APC mutation carriers, the low diagnostic sensitivity of FAP-associated skin lesions precludes their use as markers for FAP in clinical practice. Based on our findings, the common CHRPE-associated region should be extended to APC codons 148-2043

Assessment of the impact of sex in intensity, skin flares and central processing of histaminergic itch - a pilot study.

Itch is the commonest skin-related symptom and sex differences are increasingly recognised as important determinants in stratified medicine, but only little is known about sex differences in itch. Questionnaire-based studies indicated that women perceive itch as more intensive and bothersome in comparison to men. However, data of studies using standardised itch models to objectify sex differences are scarce and inconsistent. To determine sex differences in intensity, skin flares and central processing of histaminergic itch we compared 15 female and 15 male healthy subjects in a double-blinded, within-subject, placebo-controlled study using a histamine skin prick itch-model (histamine 1% applied onto the volar forearm) and functional MRI. We found trends in higher mean itch intensity (0.58 VAS, CI 95% 0.004-1.19, p=0.056) and maximum itch intensity (men 3.93 VAS ± 0.39 SD at 3 minutes, women 4.73 VAS ± 0.31 SD at 4 minutes, p=0.073) in women paralleled by a trend in a stronger positive correlation between itch intensity and blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) activity in brain structures identified during itch in comparison to men (r in women: 0.46, p=0.08, r in men: 0.07, p=0.79). The erythema and wheal following histamine skin pricking were (non-significantly) larger in men indicating that higher mean itch intensities on the right volar forearm in women may not be explained by more intense flares. The comparison of the activation patterns between the sexes revealed increased activity in men compared to women in the left middle temporal gyrus (temporooccipital part)/lateral occipital cortex. Thus, our findings indicate that histaminergic itch perception and central itch processing differ between the sexes under standardised conditions

HPV-Impfung: Update 2019 für die Impfberatung

Die HPV-Impfung wurde weltweit ab 2006 (Schweiz: 2008) eingeführt; sie hat eine deutliche Reduktion von Zervixdysplasien bewirkt. Nun gilt es, auch die Knaben und jungen Männer zu impfen (Impfempfehlung seit 2015), denn 20–30% der HPVassoziierten Karzinomdiagnosen betreffen Männer (v.a. Oropharynx-, Anal- und Peniskarzinome). Die Impfung schützt auch gegen die häufigen und psychisch belastenden Genitalwarzen und ihre Sicher heit ist gut etabliert. Ein neuer Neunfachimpfstoff steht seit 1.1.2019 zur Verfügung