Photodynamic Therapy of Necrobiosis Lipoidica - A Multicenter Study of 18 Patients

Background: Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a granulomatous skin disease of unknown origin, and no reliably effective treatment option exists to handle this often disfiguring disease. Recently, a patient with long-lasting NL was reported to be cured by topical photodynamic therapy (PDT). Objective: To evaluate the overall potential of PDT in the treatment of NL on the lower legs. Methods: Retrospective study of 18 patients (aged 16 - 62 years) from 3 European university departments of dermatology treated with PDT for NL. Methyl aminolevulinate or 5-aminolevulinic acid were used as topically applied photosensitizers. Illumination followed with red light-emitting diode light. Results: Complete response was seen in 1/18 patients after 9 PDT cycles, and partial response in 6/18 patients (2 - 14 PDT cycles) giving an overall response rate of 39% (7/18). Conclusion: Although almost 40% of the cases showed some degree of response, PDT cannot currently be recommended as first-line therapy of NL. Subpopulations of therapy-resistant NL patients may, however, benefit from PDT. Copyright (C) 2008 S. Karger AG, Base

Application available through the web page for simulation of the SH wave scattering by an elastic rigidly supported inclusions

Mathematical model of SH wave scattering by an elastic thinwalled rigidly supported inclusion is presented. The inclusion is replaced by the effective boundary condition that allow to simplify calculations of the scattered field significantly. Using the proposed model the problem is reduced to the system of hyper singular integral equations that is solved numerically.The numerical algorithm is implemented in the application that is available through the Web page and can be used as a tool in non destructive testing of elastic materials with thin plane rigidly supported inclusions of arbitrary stiffness

The potential carcinogenic risk of tanning beds: clinical guidelines and patient safety advice

Mette Mogensen1, Gregor BE Jemec21Department of Dermatology, Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark; 2Department of Dermatology, Roskilde Hospital, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Copenhagen, Roskilde, DenmarkIntroduction: In 2009, the WHO listed ultraviolet (UV) radiation as a group 1 carcinogen. In spite of this, each year, millions of people tan indoor in Western countries. The aim of this review is to summarize evidence of tanning bed carcinogenesis and to present guidelines for use of tanning beds and patient safety advice.Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted based on both PubMed and Medline searches and on literature review of the retrieved papers.Results: Use of indoor tanning beds represents a significant and avoidable risk factor for the development of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Frequent tanners are more often adolescent females. Tanning beds have additional potential adverse effects such as burns, solar skin damage, infection, and possibly also addictive behavior.Discussion: The effort in preventing UV light-induced carcinogenesis should currently be aimed at developing new strategies for public health information. Tanning beds are one preventable source of UV radiation. In the majority of people solar UV radiation continues to be the major factor and therefore anti-tanning campaigns must always include sunbathers.Keywords: tanning beds, skin cancers, melanoma, nonmelanom