Abstracts of the latest dermatology
studies and trials
Baseline Staging in Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (April 2004)
Authors: Hafner J, Hess Schmid M, Kempf W, et al.
Purpose: Investigators enrolled and performed baseline staging on
100 consecutive patients with malignant melanoma, in an effort to “evaluate
the sensitivity and specificity of baseline staging in the early
detection of regional lymph node metastases or distant metastases.”
Results: Because of the difficulty of detecting distant metastases,
the value of whole body staging is limited for this indication. The
overall survival benefit of staging at and surveillance from baseline
remains to be established via future research efforts.
www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.0007-0963.2004.05870.x/abs/
Excimer 308-nm Laser for Oral Lichen Planus
Journal: Archives of Dermatology (April 2004)
Authors: Trehan M, Taylor CR
Purpose: Nine patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus (confirmed
by biopsy) served as the study cohort for this investigation, which
tested the value of a novel therapy—low-dose 308-nm excimer
laser radiation—for this indication. Eight subjects completed
the trial; the ninth was hospitalized for an unrelated purpose and
not included in the final analysis.
Results: Of the eight subjects who received treatment, five experienced
clinical improvement graded as “excellent” (improvement
better than 75%). An additional two experienced “fair” improvement,
while one experienced improvement characterized as “poor.” The
treatment was painless and well-tolerated in all cases.
http://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/4/415
Fatty Acid Supplementation in Atopic Dermatitis
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (April 2004)
Authors: Van Gool CJAW, Zeegers MPA, Thijs C
Purpose: Previous research assessing the efficacy of fatty acid supplementation
in the treatment of atopic dermatitis has yielded inconsistent results;
the purpose of the present work was to compile the results of existing
studies and determine whether conclusions may be reached from the
combined data.
Results: A total of 34 placebo-controlled trials were included in
the meta-analysis described in this article. Authors report no evidence
that fatty acid supplementation has any clinical impact on the severity
of atopic dermatitis.
www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.0007-0963.2004.05851.x/abs/
Measures of Clinical Severity, QOL, and Psychological Distress in
Patients With Psoriasis
Journal: Journal of Investigative Dermatology (March 2004)
Authors: Sampogna F, Sera F, Abeni D
Purpose: The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the relationship
between traditional methods of evaluating clinical status in psoriasis—specifically
PASI and SAPASI scores—and quality of life. The latter was
measured in the present case using four instruments—Skindex-29,
the Dermatology Life Quality Index, the Psoriasis Disability Index,
and the Impact of Psoriasis Questionnaire—as well as a pair
of tools assessing psychological distress.
Results: Different measures of quality of life tended to yield similar
results, while different measures of clinical severity did the same.
However, clinical severity and quality of life were often extremely
dissimilar in this patient population, suggesting a “need for
a more comprehensive assessment of severity of psoriasis.”
www.jidonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/122/3/602
Predictors of Atopic Dermatitis Severity Over Time
Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (March 2004)
Authors: Ben-Gashir M, Derm D, Seed PT, Hay RJ
Purpose: To determine what characteristics and factors are associated
with increased atopic dermatitis (AD) severity over the course of
approximately 18 months of follow-up.
Results: Of the 137 children with AD enrolled in the longitudinal
study reported here, only about 20% developed moderate or severe
forms of the disease. AD developing within the first year of life,
concomitant asthma or hayfever, and urban residence were all found
to be independent predictors of increased severity.
www.eblue.org/scripts/om.dll/serve?action=searchDB&searchDBfor=art&artType=
abs&id
=as0190962203032900&nav=abs
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