Psoriasis in childhood and adolescence: evaluation of demographic and clinical features

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed to define the gender ratio, familial occurrence, age of onset, precipitating factors, clinical types, nail and joint involvement of psoriasis in childhood and adolescence in Turkey. METHODS: A total of 61 children with psoriasis under 18 years old were evaluated retrospectively, for age, gender, age of disease onset, family history, concomitant disease, the clinical type of psoriasis, clinical localization, nail and joint involvement and treatment modalities. RESULTS: Of the patients, 23 (37.70%) were boys and 38 (62.30%) were girls. Mean age was 9.28 +/- 4.02 years in girls and 11.18 +/- 3.85 years in boys (9.96 +/- 4.03 years in all children). Mean age at the onset of the disease was 6.81 +/- 4.11 years in girls and 7.03 +/- 4.28 years in boys (6.89 +/- 4.14 years in all patients). In 14 (23%) cases, a positive family history was detected. The most frequent probable triggering factors were upper respiratory tract infections (14.8%) and positive throat culture for A group ss-hemolytic streptococcus (21.3%). Frequency of emotional stress and psychiatric morbidity were 54% and 9.8%, respectively. The most frequent localizations at onset were trunk (44.3%), extremities (54.0%), and scalp (36.0%). Three children (4.9%) had a history of dissemination from psoriatic diaper rash. In total, 51 (83.6%) patients presented with psoriasis vulgaris, eight (13.1%) with generalized pustular psoriasis, and the remaining two (3.3%) with erythrodermic psoriasis. CONCLUSION: The incidence of psoriasis among dermatological patients in childhood and adolescence was 3.8%. The disease tends to appear earlier in girls than boys. The authors suggested that stress and upper respiratory infections are the most important triggering factors in childhood and adolescence psoriasis.     

Does prophylactic sotalol and magnesium decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation following coronary artery bypass surgery: a propensity-matched analysis

Background  

Atrial fibrillation can occur in up to 40% of patients undergoing coronary surgery.     

原发性胆汁性肝硬化伴系统性硬化症的临床特点与预后

背景与目的：原发性胆汁性肝硬化（PBC）伴系统性硬化症（SSc）的预后仍不十分清楚，该研究拟对其临床特点及预后进行评估。方法：从一个含580例患者的PBC数据库中选出43例PBC伴SSc患者，同时为每例PBC—SSc患者匹配2例单纯PBC患者作为对照，监测初次就医时的血清胆红素浓度。结果：局限皮肤型SSc者40例（93％）。诊断PBC时的中位年龄为49．7岁，胆红素浓度为17μmol／L，白蛋白水平为40．5g／L。24例（56％）患者于SSc后在中值为4．9年发生PBC。配对患者诊断PBC时的中位年龄为53．2岁、胆红素浓度为12μmol／L、白蛋白水平为41g／L。两组患者中位随访时间相似：PBC—SSc组为3．16年，单纯PBC组为4．8年。PBC—SSc患者南于较少接受移植手术（HR0．068；P：0．006），在校正性别、年龄、胆红素对数及碱性磷酸酶等因素后，其移植术或死亡风险（HR0．116；P=0．01）均明显降低，同时胆红素上升的比例亦较低（P=0．04）。