Cranial neuralgias: from physiopathology to pharmacological treatment

Cranial neuralgias are paroxysmal painful disorders of the head characterised by some shared features such as unilaterality of symptoms, transience and recurrence of attacks, superficial and "shock-like" quality of pain and the presence of triggering factors. Although rare, these disorders must be promptly recognised as they harbour a relatively high risk for underlying compressive or inflammatory disease. Nevertheless, misdiagnosis is frequent. Trigeminal and glossopharyngeal neuralgias are sustained in most cases by a neurovascular conflict in the posterior fossa resulting in a hyperexcitability state of the trigeminal circuitry. If the aetiology of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and other typical neuralgias must be brought back to the peripheral injury, their pathogenesis could involve central allodynic mechanisms, which, in patients with inter-critical pain, also engage the nociceptive neurons at the thalamic-cortical level. Currently available medical treatments for TN and other cranial neuralgias are reviewed

Blistering lesions associated with Waldenström macroglobulinemia: New insights into pathogenesis.

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Do Sistema Solar à Terra

O presente trabalho abordou a temática do Sistema Solar à Terra, partindo dos estudos feitos durante o Curso de “Fundamentos Teóricos e Metodológicos para o Ensino-Aprendizagem em Astronomia: Formação de Educadores” (FEAA), ofertado pelo Polo Astronômico Casimiro Montenegro Filho do Parque Tecnológico Itaipu, PTI/BR, nos meses de agosto a outubro no ano de 2016. Com a finalidade de aplicação pratica dos estudos realizados no curso FEAA e como componente da carga horária do mesmo, foi proposta pela equipe de docentes do curso a elaboração de um trabalho final, cujo objetivo foi de construir conhecimentos acerca do Universo, do Sistema Solar e apresentar a Ciência a que chamamos de Astronomia aos alunos de 5o ano da Escola Municipal Presidente Getúlio Vargas em Foz do Iguaç

A nasalidade vocálica do português brasileiro: contribuições de um análise acústica e aerodinâmica da fala

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Linguística, Florianópolis, 2017.Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar uma caracterização acústica e aerodinâmica da nasalidade vocálica do português brasileiro, variedade dialetal florianopolitana. Investigamos os parâmetros acústicos de duração, frequências orais e nasais das vogais nasalizadas do PB. Realizamos um estudo aerodinâmico, utilizando dois dispositivos: o piezoelétrico e o microfone nasal. O uso conjunto das técnicas acústicas e aerodinâmicas fornecem informações indiretas sobre o movimento do esfíncter velofaríngeo. A partir das informações acústicas e aerodinâmicas, realizamos um estudo qualitativo das vogais nasais e nasalizadas do PB, a fim de identificar semelhanças e diferenças entre esses tipos de vogais. Realizamos também um estudo quantitativo de duração, frequência e de mensuração dos índices de fluxo aéreo nasal e oral. O corpus de pesquisa foi formado por logatomas, o que permitiu testar as cinco vogais do PB, em contextos anteriores e posteriores diversos, bem como de tonicidade e o sexo. Concluímos que as vogais nasais apresentam maior duração do que as orais e nasalizadas. As frequências F1 e F2 da vogal nasal baixa [a] são as mais afetadas pelo efeito da nasalidade. F1 abaixa, o que indica a elevação da língua, e F2 aumenta, o que indica a anteriorização da língua na emissão dessa vogal nasal. Nas vogais nasalizadas, a consoante palatal é a que mais coarticula com as vogais que a antecedem, seguida da alveolar e por último da bilabial. O fluxo aéreo nasal (FAN) é mais elevado nas vogais altas. No PB, a nasalização é regressiva e progressiva. Além das contribuições para o campo linguístico, essa pesquisa pode ser útil também para a área de Fonoaudiologia, pois de posse dos padrões de normalidade da nasalidade vocálica, é possível avaliar a disfunção velofaríngea, bem como monitorar as terapias de reabilitação através de dois dispositivos de uso simples e não invasivo, que são o piezoelétrico e o microfone nasalAbstract : The objective of this research was to make an acoustic and aerodynamic characterization of the Brazilian Portuguese, dialectical Florianopolitan variety. We investigated the acoustic parameters of duration, oral and nasal frequencies of the nasalized vowels of the Brazilian Portuguese.We conducted an aerodynamic study, using two devices: the piezoelectric and the nasal microphone. The conjunct use of acoustic and aerodynamic techniques provides indirect information on the movement of the velopharyngeal sphincter. Based on the acoustic and aerodynamic information, we conducted a qualitative study of the nasal and nasalized vowels of the Brazilian Portuguese, in order to identify similarities and differences between these types of vowels. We also conducted a quantitative study of the measurement of nasal and oral airflow rates. The corpus of investigation was formed by nonsense words, which allowed testing the five vowels of Brazilian Portuguese in different contexts before and after, as well as of tonicity and sex. We conclude that nasal vowels are longer than oral and nasal vowels. The frequencies F1 and F2 of the low nasal vowel [a] are the most altered by the effect of nasality. F1 falls, indicating the elevation of the tongue, and F2 increases, indicating the anteriorization of the tongue in the emission of that nasal vowel. In nasalized vowels, the palatal consonant is the one that articulates the most with the vowels that precede it, followed by the alveolar vowels and finally the bilabial vowels. The nasal airflow is higher in high vowels. In Brazilian Portuguese, nasalization is regressive and progressive. Beyond the contributions for the linguistic field, this research may be useful for the area of Speech Therapy, because of the property patterns, it is possible to assess velopharyngeal dysfunction, as well as to monitor rehabilitation therapies through two devices of simple and little invasive use, which are the piezoelectric and the nasal microphone

Usefulness of Ultrasound Imaging in Detecting Psoriatic Arthritis of Fingers and Toes in Patients with Psoriasis

Background. Given that clinical evaluation may underestimate the joint damage and that early treatment can slow down psoriatic arthritis (PsA) progression, screening psoriasis patients with imaging tools that can depict early PsA changes would entail clear benefits. Objective. To compare the ability of X-ray and ultrasound (US) examination in detecting morphological abnormalities consistent with early PsA in patients with psoriasis, using rheumatological evaluation as the gold standard for diagnosis. Methods. Patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and no previous PsA diagnosis attending our outpatient dermatology clinic and reporting finger/toe joint and/or tendon pain underwent X-ray and US evaluation; they were subsequently referred to a rheumatologist for clinical examination and review of imaging findings. Results. Abnormal US and/or X-ray findings involving at least one finger and/or toe (joints and/or tendons) were seen in 36/52 patients: 11 had one or more X-ray abnormalities, including erosion, joint space narrowing, new bone formation, periarticular soft tissue swelling, and periarticular osteoporosis; 36 had suspicious changes on US. Conclusion. US proved valuable in detecting joint and/or tendon abnormalities in the fingers and toes of patients with suspicious changes. The dermatologist should consider US to obtain an accurate assessment of suspicious findings

Dupilumab improves clinical manifestations, symptoms, and quality of life in adult patients with chronic nodular prurigo

Background: Chronic nodular prurigo (CNPG) is a multifactorial skin disease characterized by itchy papules and nodules, usually resistant to standard treatment and associated with markedly impaired quality of life. Objective: To describe dupilumab effectiveness and tolerability in treating adult patients with CNPG refractory to both topical and systemic therapies. Methods: Retrospective, multicenter study including adult patients affected by CNPG, who were treated with dupilumab for at least 16 weeks. Results: Twenty-seven CNPG patients showed clinical improvement in terms of skin lesions, itch, sleeplessness, and quality of life. A consistent proportion of patients (24/27; 88.9%) had at least 16-week continuous treatment and achieved Investigator Global Assessment score 1 (11/24; 45.8%). An increased number of patients achieved at least a 2-grade reduction in Investigator Global Assessment score (19/24; 79.2%). Numeric rating scale values for itch and sleeplessness decreased from 8.9 to 2.7 and from 8.2 to 1.7, respectively (P .001) after 16-week therapy. Ten patients achieved 36 weeks of continuous treatment while maintaining clinical efficacy. Limitations: Major limitations included lack of validated assessment tools at the initial data collection, a limited cohort of treated patients, and a short-term observation period. Conclusion: Dupilumab was proven effective in reducing itch and improving CNPG skin lesions

Pustular psoriasis with a focus on generalized pustular psoriasis: classification and diagnostic criteria. An Italian expert consensus

Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a severe and life-threatening systemic disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Recent progress has been made in understanding the pathogenetic pathways involved in GPP and an intricate interaction between innate and adaptive immune mechanisms has been suggested. Despite formal consensus guidelines on pustular psoriasis currently available in the literature, the definitions and classifications of GPP used across studies were inconsistent. Consequently, there are no unified criteria that can be universally adopted for precise diagnosis, classification and effective treatment of GPP patients with new targeted drugs. The aim of this review was to col- lect all the main evidence on available diagnostic criteria for GPP and to establish recommendations in order to promote a better stratification and therapeutic management of this severe and heterogeneous disease. (Cite this article as: Costanzo A, Bardazzi F, De Simone C, Fabbrocini G, Foti C, Marzano AV, et al. Pustular psoriasis with a focus on generalized pustular psoriasis: classification and diagnostic criteria. An Italian expert consensus. Ital J Dermatol Venereol 2022;157:489-96. DOI: 10.23736/ S2784-8671.22.07415-1

Silent acro-osteolysis in a patient with psoriatic disease and recurrent micro-trauma

A 42-year-old woman with a 15-year history of psoriatic disease with skin, nail and joint involvement presented for routine follow-up visit. The patient did not complain of relevant articular symptoms, physical examination was unremarkable excepted for feet nail onychodystrophy and routine laboratory tests were unaltered

Can BODIPY Dimers Act as Photosensitizers in Photodynamic Therapy? A Theoretical Prediction

The photophysical properties of some monomeric and dimeric BODIPY systems were investigated at the density functional theory level and herein reported. In particular, the absorption spectra were fully characterized, low energy singlet and triplet excited states were discussed also focusing on the energy difference gaps between them and computing the spin-orbit couplings values for the possible intersystem crossing channels. The heavy atom effect of iodine substituents on the photophysical properties of a monomer and on a dimer under investigation was also estimated. Results obtained on the considered compounds allow us to predict which is the most promising candidate to be suggested as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy