Comparison of long-pulsed alexandrite laser and topical tretinoin-ammonium lactate in axillary acanthosis nigricans: A case series of patients in a before-after trial

Background: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a brown to black, velvety hyperpigmentation of the skin that usually involves cutaneous folds. Treatment of AN is important regarding cosmetic reasons and various therapeutic modalities have been used for these purposes. The goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of long-pulsed alexandrite laser and topical tretinoin-ammonium lactate for treatment of axillary-AN. Methods: Fifteen patients with bilateral axillary-AN were studied in Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Diagnosis was confirmed by two independent dermatologists. Each side skin lesion was randomly allocated to either topical mixed cream of tretinoin 0.05- ammonium lactate 12 or long-pulsed alexandrite laser. Duration of treatment was 14 weeks. At endpoint, the mean percent reduction from baseline in pigmentation area was compared between the two groups. Results: The study population consisted of 15 patients three males and 12, females. The mean age of patients was 28.5±4.9 years. The mean percent reduction was 18.3±10.6, in tretinoin/ammonium lactate group and 25.7±11.8 in laser group (P=0.004). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the application of alexandrite laser is a relative effective method for treatment of axillary-AN. However, this issue requires further studies with prolonged follow-up period

Demographic and histopathologic characteristics of Marjolin�s ulcers in Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran: A 5-year survey

Background: Approximately 0.77 to 2 of cutaneous ulcers and post-burn scars will develop malignant degeneration. When squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) emerges in a chronic scar or ulcer, it often is referred to as Marjolin�s ulcer (MU). Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed demographic information and pathological features of MU in Razi Hospital during 2009 to 2014. We reviewed 5150 chronic scar/ulcer cases and found 30 MU cases. Results: Patients had an average age of 59.2±19.9 years. Most cases were males Among 30 cases of MU, well-differential SCC accounted for 43.3 of cases. Moderately-differentiated SCC comprised 13.3 of cases, whereas there was invasive SCC in 10 of MUs. Only 3.3 of patients showed poorly-differentiated SCC and 9 (30) had undifferentiated SCC. The average latency between burn and malignancy was 32.4±18.5 years In the majority (90) of cases, the initial injury was a burn. The lower and upper limbs comprised 53.3 and 26.7 of cases, respectively. There was one case with a history of melanoma. Among the 4 measured concurrent risk factors for malignancy, sun exposure was the most prevalent. Conclusion: Since there is a high possibility of SCC formation in burn lesions and other identical lesions, rapid follow-up and appropriate treatment in acute burn lesions is necessary. © 2016 Iranian Society of Dermatology

The frequency of cigarette smoking in patients with psoriasis vulgaris: a comparative study

"n 800x600 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} Background: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disease of the skin. Recently, nicotinic cholinergic receptors have been demonstrated on keratinocytes, stimulating calcium influx and accelerating cell differentiation. Therefore, smoking and nicotine seem to influence inflammatory processes in psoriatic skin. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of cigarette smoking as an independent risk factor in patients with psoriasis who attended the department of dermatology at Razi Hospital in Rasht during the years 2008 and 2009. "n"nMethods : In this descriptive-inferential study, we recruited 96 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 96 individuals as the controls. The participants were adjusted for sex, age and body mass index. The collected data related to smoking status, duration of smoking habit, smoking intensity, pack-year smoking history, and passively exposure to smoking were documented in a researcher-devised questionnaire. Subsequently, the data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics such as χ2, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test by SPSS software."n"nResults : The smoking rate was 33.3% in the patients and 19.4% in the controls. Pack-year history, regarded as the intensity and duration (years) of smoking, significantly increased the risk of psoriasis vulgaris (P<0.05, OR=2.07, 95% CI=1.17-3.68). Being a passive smoker did not make significant differences between the cases and the controls. "n"nConclusion: Our study demonstrated that psoriasis vulgaris had a relationship with duration and intensity of cigarette smoking and revealed the importance of smoking cessation, particularly among patients with psoriasis

A subtle threat to urban populations in developing countries: Low back pain and its related risk factors

Study Design. A cross-sectional, population-based survey. Objective. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, and biological and psychological correlates of low back pain (LBP) in large, populated urban areas. Summary of Background Data. LBP is a common and costly medical problem all around the world. Currently, there are limited data available on prevalence as well as biological and psychological correlates of LBP in large urban populations in developing countries. Methods. Here, in a cross-sectional, population-based survey, we analyzed data obtained from 22,952 subjects living in Tehran. Results. Chronic, 1-year, and point prevalence of LBP among subjects were 12.2, 42.1, and 36.2, respectively. LBP was more prevalent among older population, women, housewives, and obese people after adjustment for confounding factors using logistic regression models. In addition, persons with a general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) score �6 were about 2 times more likely to experience LBP in comparison with others. Both subjects with higher educational levels and those who were never married reported significantly less LBP. Furthermore, we could not find any significant correlation between smoking and physical activity level with LBP. Conclusion. LBP is prevalent among the general population of Tehran. Our findings can help health care providers regarding logical assignment of limited resources, in order to create multidimensional prevention plans according to potentially modifiable associated factors. © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved