Health related quality of life in patients with anogenital warts

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) instruments are an important tool for the evaluation of medical outcomes. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) influence the patients' life. We aimed to evaluate the HRQoL in patients with anogenital warts at the time of and 1 month after the diagnosis.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>We used the short-form (SF)-36 questionnaire to compare the HRQoL of 91 patients with anogenital warts to 53 control subjects with the same socioeconomic characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no statistical difference in the overall HRQoL measurement between the anogenital wart patients and controls. However, there was an improvement in the scales of vitality (65.22 ± 15.70 vs. 69.04 ± 14.11, respectively; p < 0.05) and mental health (65.00 ± 20.09 vs. 69.43 ± 18.08, respectively; p < 0.05) in anogenital warts patients between the time of diagnosis and 1 month later. Furthermore, there was a significant deterioration in the scale of social functioning (73.47 ± 22.18 vs. 72.89 ± 19.28, respectively; p < 0.05). The small sample size is a limitation of our study.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>HRQoL does not appear to be influenced in anogenital wart patients, as measured by the generic instrument SF-36. It is therefore important to develop specific instruments for the measurement of HRQoL in this group of patients.</p

EVALUATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF A THREE-DIMENSIONAL HUMAN SKIN MODEL TO THE IN VITRO SKIN TOXICITY TESTING OF SEVERAL AGENTS

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL OF A HUMAN SKIN ORGAN CULTURE MODEL TO ASSESS THE SKIN TOXICITY OF TOPICALLY APPLIED SUBSTANCES. THE PROTOCOL INCLUDED HUMAN SKIN ORGAN CULTURES AND THE EVALUATION OF SKIN TOXICITY WAS BASED ON THE MTT ASSAY. SEVERAL CONCENTRATIONS OF ISOPROPANOL AND ACETONE WERE USED AS TEST AGENTS. THE TWO TEST AGENTS INHIBITED THE REDUCTION OF MTT IN A DOSE AND TIME RELATED MANNER AND THEIR OBSERVED TOXICITY WAS WELL CORRELATED WITH IN VIVO DATA. THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY ALONG WITH ITS LOW COST AND SIMPLICITY SUGGEST THE POTENTIAL UTILITY OF THE PROPOSED PROTOCOL AS A COMPONENT OF A BATTERY OF IN VITRO REPLACEMENT METHODS FOR THE CURRENTLY USED IN VIVO DRAIZE TEST.ΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΠΑΡΟΥΣΗΣ ΔΙΑΤΡΙΒΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ Ο ΣΧΕΔΙΑΣΜΟΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΞΙΟΛΟΓΗΣΗ ΕΝΟΣ IN VITROΠΡΩΤΟΚΟΛΛΟΥ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΕΛΕΓΧΟ ΤΗΣ ΔΕΡΜΑΤΙΚΗΣ ΤΟΞΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΤΟΠΙΚΑ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ ΟΥΣΙΩΝ. ΤΟ ΠΡΩΤΟΚΟΛΛΟ ΠΕΡΙΛΑΜΒΑΝΕΙ ΙΣΤΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΛΛΙΕΡΓΕΙΕΣ ΔΕΡΜΑΤΟΣ ΚΑΙ Η ΤΟΞΙΚΟΤΗΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΟΥΣΙΩΝ ΕΛΕΓΧΕΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΑ ΤΟΥ ΜΤΤ. ΩΣ ΕΞΕΤΑΖΟΜΕΝΕΣ ΟΥΣΙΕΣ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΟΠΟΙΗΘΗΚΑΝ Η ΙΣΟΠΡΟΠΑΝΟΛΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΑΚΕΤΟΝΗ ΣΕ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΕΣ ΣΥΓΚΕΝΤΡΩΣΕΙΣ. ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΕΚΤΕΛΕΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΠΡΩΤΟΚΟΛΛΟΥ ΕΛΗΦΘΗΣΑΝ ΔΟΣΟΕΞΑΡΤΩΜΕΝΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΧΡΟΝΟΕΞΑΡΤΩΜΕΝΕΣ ΚΑΜΠΥΛΕΣ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΩΝ ΚΑΙ Η ΣΥΣΧΕΤΙΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΕΥΡΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΜΕ IN VIVO ΔΕΔΟΜΕΝΑ ΥΠΗΡΞΕ ΙΚΑΝΟΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΗ. Η ΠΡΟΤΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΗ ΔΟΚΙΜΑΣΙΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΑΧΕΙΑ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΔΕΝ ΑΠΑΙΤΕΙ ΙΔΙΑΙΤΕΡΟ ΕΡΓΑΣΤΗΡΙΑΚΟ ΕΞΟΠΛΙΣΜΟ ΟΥΤΕ ΕΞΕΙΔΙΚΕΥΜΕΝΟ ΠΡΟΣΩΠΙΚΟ. ΤΑ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΙΣΤΙΚΑ ΑΥΤΑ ΣΕ ΣΥΝΔΥΑΣΜΟ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑΤΑ ΤΗΣ ΤΗΝ ΚΑΘΙΣΤΟΥΝ ΙΔΙΑΙΤΕΡΑ ΧΡΗΣΙΜΗΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΟΚΑΤΑΡΚΤΙΚΟ ΕΛΕΓΧΟ ΤΗΣ ΔΕΡΜΑΤΙΚΗΣ ΤΟΞΙΚΟΤΗΤΑΣ ΤΩΝ ΤΟΠΙΚΑ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΖΟΜΕΝΩΝ ΟΥΣΙΩΝ

Pigmentation disorders: hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation

Pigmentation disorders include a large number of heterogeneous conditions that are usually characterized by altered melanocyte density, melanin concentration, or both, and result in altered pigmentation of the skin. Some of these disorders are extremely common (melasma, vitiligo), whereas others are rare. In this contribution, we review the most common pigmentation disorders that appear on the face. These lesions, even though mostly asymptomatic, have a great impact on a patient’s quality of life. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Origin, clinical presentation, and diagnosis of facial hypermelanoses

Facial hypermelanosis is a clinical feature of a diverse group of disorders, the most common of which is melasma. Exposure to sunlight, genetic predisposition, the use of cosmetics, and certain drugs are implicated in the pathogenesis of most facial hypermelanoses. A detailed personal and family history and the histopathologic findings are, in most cases, enough for establishing the correct diagnosis. Systemic disorders such as Addisons disease should always be suspected and excluded in clinically relevant cases

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy and 308-nm excimer laser in the treatment of vitiligo: A review

Vitiligo is a common and chronic disease with a great impact on patients’ quality of life. Phototherapy with narrowband ultraviolet B radiation and excimer laser are two treatment modalities that are used increasingly for the management of the disease with variable results. In this article; we review the efficacy, adverse effects, and possible mechanisms of action of narrowband ultraviolet B and excimer laser in the management of vitiligo. Available data concerning the follow-up of treated patients and some criteria for the selection of patients with a greater chance to respond satisfactorily to treatment are also presented. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2009;60:470-7.

Efficacy, predictors of response, and long-term follow-up in patients with vitiligo, treated with narrowband UVB phototherapy

Background: Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy is considered an accepted therapy for vitiligo. Objective: We sought to estimate the effectiveness of NB-UVB in patients with vitiligo, identify predictive factors of response, and assess the stability of NB-UVB-induced repigmentation. Methods: In all, 70 patients with vitiligo were treated twice weekly with NB-UVB. Results: Cosmetically acceptable (&gt;75%) repigmentation was achieved in 34.4% of patients with lesions on the face and in 7.4% of patients with lesions on the body. Patients with phototypes III to V had a greater chance to achieve greater than 75% repigmentation on the face. Patients who responded in the first month of treatment were more likely to achieve better repigmentation rates. Repigmentation was stable in 14.3% of patients 4 years after cessation of treatment. Limitations: The study was uncontrolled. Treatment frequency was twice weekly. These results may not be representative of different treatment regimens. Conclusion: Patients with vitiligo who have lesions on the face, darker phototypes, and early response to treatment have a greater chance to achieve satisfactory repigmentation after NB-UVB phototherapy

The Effect of Atopy in the Prevalence of Contact Sensitization: The Experience of a Greek Referral Center

Contact dermatitis is a well-known skin condition, which is related to stimuli and environmental exposure to chemicals, affecting all ages as well as both genders. In the present work, we attempt to investigate the patterns of contact sensitization, with respect to the personal history of atopy (AT), in Greece in a large number of allergens, using patch testing. The retrospective analysis included clinical routine data of 1978 patients collected from 2014 to 2016 in the Laboratory of Patch Testing, National Referral Centre of Occupational Dermatoses. Sensitization, in all cases, was tested with 28 allergens of the European baseline series as adjusted to our local circumstances and clinical experience. A total population of 1978 patients was evaluated, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.45 (1359 females/619 males). From our patient cohort, 693 (35%) patients were evaluated with a history of atopy, while 1285 (65%) were nonatopic. The five most prevalent allergens in the total population without AT were nickel sulphate 5% (15.47%), fragrance mix (I) 8% (9.10%), balsam of Peru (6.47%), cobalt chloride 1% (4.70%), and thiomersal 0.1% (4.10%). Respectively, in the total population with AT, the five most prevalent allergens were nickel sulphate 5% (10.36%), fragrance mix (I) 8% (5.11%), balsam of Peru (3.29%), thiomersal 0.1% (3.03%), and cobalt chloride 1% (2.78%). Contact dermatitis surveillance is of great importance towards the clinical and systematic understanding of the disease. Further studies should be directed towards that end, in order to facilitate more effective health policies

Human papillomavirus assay in genital warts - correlation with symptoms

Our purpose was to investigate the human papillomavirus (HPV) type distribution using the Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) Microplate assay in males. We tested a urethral swab from 550 HIV-negative males with genital warts and 64 HIV-negative males clinically free of genital warts, partners of HPV-infected females, using the HC2 Microplate assay. A perianal swab was also obtained from patients with perianal warts. In the first group, HPV DNA of any type was detected in 280 (50.9%) patients. Relatively few patients with urethral or perianal warts demonstrated a negative test (both P &lt; 0.0001). Low-risk types were commoner, accounting for 60.0% of the HPV cases, high/intermediate-risk types accounted for 23.6%, while 46 men (116.4%) were infected with both types. Of 13 subjects (20.3%) of the second group who tested positive for HPV DNA, 61.5% were infected by low-risk types, 23.1% by high/intermediate-risk types and 15.4% had a dual infection. In conclusion, male partners of infected females and males with genital warts are predominantly infected by low-risk HPV types, but a substantial proportion is also or only affected by high-risk types