Successful treatment of periungual warts using photodynamic therapy: a pilot study

AIM: The aim of this pilot study was an investigation on photodynamic therapy (PDT) whether it is a good alternative for treating periungual and subungual warts of the hands. STUDY DESIGN: Twenty patients (mean age: 30.5 years) with a total of 40 periungual and subungual warts were treated with PDT. A photosensitizer, 20%delta-aminolevulinic acid was applied on the warts. After a mean incubation time of 4.6 h (SD: 1.2), the warts were irradiated with the VersaLight for 5-30 min (15.2 +/- 4.3 min). RESULTS: After a mean of 4.5 treatments a mean clearance of 100% was achieved in 90% of the patients. One patient (5%) showed a clearance of 50% and another showed no improvement. The subungual or periungual location of the wart had no influence on the number of treatments or end result (P > 0.05). There were two recurrences during the mean follow-up period of 5.9 months (SD: 7.6). Besides mainly pain and hyperpigmentation, most treatments had no side-effects. CONCLUSION: PDT can offer a good alternative for treating periungual warts of the hands. Larger studies are indicated.     

Recommendations for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease and other disorders associated with dementia: EFNS guideline

The aim of this international guideline on dementia was to present a peer-reviewed evidence-based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists, and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with dementia. It covers major aspects of diagnostic evaluation and treatment, with particular emphasis on the type of patient often referred to the specialist physician. The main focus is Alzheimer's disease, but many of the recommendations apply to dementia disorders in general. The task force working group considered and classified evidence from original research reports, meta-analysis, and systematic reviews, published before January 2006. The evidence was classified and consensus recommendations graded according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided. The recommendations for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, tissue biopsy, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and counselling and support for caregivers were all revised when compared with the previous EFNS guideline. New recommendations were added for the treatment of vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies, for monitoring treatment, for treatment of behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, and for legal issues. The specialist physician plays an important role together with primary care physicians in the multidisciplinary dementia teams, which have been established throughout Europe. This guideline may contribute to the definition of the role of the specialist physician in providing dementia health care.     

An open-label efficacy pilot study with pimecrolimus cream 1% in adults with facial seborrhoeic dermatitis infected with HIV

BACKGROUND: Seborrhoeic dermatitis (SD) is a common dermatosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients, many of whom do not respond satisfactorily to conventional topical treatments such as corticosteroids and antifungals. OBJECTIVE: A pilot study to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of pimecrolimus cream 1% in HIV-positive patients with facial SD. METHODS: In a single-centre study, 21 HIV-infected patients with mild to severe SD were treated twice daily with pimecrolimus cream 1% for 14 days. Thereafter, treatment was discontinued and patients followed up for 5 weeks. Skin involvement at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, 35 and 49 was assessed using a four-point clinical score and digital photography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Efficacy and safety of pimecrolimus cream 1% treatment and incidence of relapse in the follow-up phase. Results Marked improvement was seen in clinical parameters at day 7, with >or= 90% patients clear of symptoms at day 14. Relapse was observed at day 35 but signs were milder than at baseline. All patients responded to therapy, despite their immunological status. Pimecrolimus did not alter CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell counts or viral load during the treatment period. CONCLUSION: Pimecrolimus cream represents a new, effective therapeutic option for facial SD in HIV patients.     

Predicting work status following interdisciplinary treatment for chronic pain.

The effectiveness of interdisciplinary treatments for chronic pain is well established. In general, these treatments decrease psychosocial distress and increase physical abilities. Further, return to work rates following interdisciplinary treatment tend to be quite high. Previous studies have highlighted a number of factors that individually influence return to work rates; however, there is a need for more comprehensive and unified models that allow an evaluation of the inter-relations among these factors. The present investigation examined how demographic and treatment outcome variables interacted to influence post-treatment return to work rates in a sample of individuals with chronic pain following interdisciplinary treatment. Results indicated that patient age, lifting ability, pain duration, depression level, and reported disability were individually related to return to work; however, when these variables were evaluated relative to one another, level of depression and patient age had the best ability to predict post-treatment work status. These results add to the literature by specifically highlighting post-treatment factors that best discriminate patients who had returned to work from those that had not. Furthermore, they provide evidence that general emotional distress is perhaps the most important predictor of work status following treatment.     

口腔门诊治疗并发晕厥106例回顾分析

目的：通过对1983年以来，孝感市中心医院口腔中心门诊治疗并发晕厥106例的回顾性分析，探讨口腔门诊治疗并发单纯性晕厥的原因及一些相关因素，增强医患双方的防治意识，安全顺利的进行口腔门诊治疗。方法：对106例单纯性晕厥反应，采取现场询问式调查的方法，对其一般情况，口腔门诊治疗经历，治疗时的心态，口腔门诊治疗的了解，以及不同口腔治疗晕厥发生情况等进行调查、归纳、分析。结果：1)晕厥的发生与患者的年龄有关，12～40岁口腔门诊治疗经历欠缺的患者是口腔门诊治疗并发晕厥的高危人群。2)口腔患者进行治疗前心理准备充足与否对并发晕厥反应的影响较大。3)晕厥在口腔门诊某些治疗中发生率较高，拔牙术最多，其次为脓肿切排。86％(92例)属因畏惧疼痛导致紧张而诱发的血管抑制性晕厥。4)晕厥多发生于治疗初期(93：13)。结论：口腔门诊治疗并发晕厥临床表现多不严重，但对患者就诊和医师的治疗影响明显，切实做好口腔治疗错误信息，消除和减轻他们的疑虑和畏惧的紧张心情，对保障口腔门诊治疗安全尤为重要。     

Distal radial fractures Injectable calcium phosphate bone cement versus conventional treatment

AMEDLINEsearchwasconductedtoidentifystudiespublishedfromJanuary1999toMarch2004thatcom-paredinjectablecalciumphosphatebone(NorianSRS)cementwithconventionaltreatmentindistalradialfrac-tures.Fromalistof13articlesidentifiedfromthesearchstrategy,fourarticleswe…     

不同方法治疗特殊部位白癜风疗效的比较

目的通过不同方法治疗特殊部位白癜风的疗效观察,以便筛选出对不同部位白癜风的最佳治疗方法.方法随机将l 22例(375区白斑)特殊部位白癜风患者分为5组,移植微型毛胚组42例,磨削去除白斑组52例,毛囊刮取物注射组35例,液氮冷冻起疱去除白斑组30例,外用药物治疗组45例.观察其疗效,对各组病例统一疗效标准判断,统计学处理.结果移植微型毛胚组总有效率97.1 %,磨削去除白斑组总有效率94.7 %,毛囊刮取物注射组总有效率59.7 %,液氮冷冻起疱去除白斑组总有效率57.1%,外用药物治疗组总有效率45.5 %.经统计学处理,各组之间比较,差异有非常显著性意义(χ^2＝111.77,P＜0.005).结论特殊部位白癜风的治疗,目前仍是一个棘手的问题,上述所介绍的方法无疑是在实践中切实可行的方法,各有特色,可以根据不同部位,酌情选择最佳方法,也可以联合应用,相互补充,提高疗效.     

术中射频消融后病灶刮除治疗脊柱转移瘤

目的:探讨术中射频消融(RFA)后再行病灶刮除术治疗脊柱转移瘤的可行性及疗效.方法:2004年～2006年,对11例脊柱转移瘤患者术中实施RFA后再行病灶刮除术,将FRA前后病灶标本进行光镜和电镜病理检查,随访患者疼痛缓解情况及肿瘤复发情况.结果:术中未出现脊髓和神经根损伤,RFA后瘤组织固缩,刮除顺利,出血量350～3800ml,平均1024.5ml.全部病例得到6个月以上随访,平均9.8个月,全部患者生存期超过6个月,VAS评分术前平均5.8分,术后6个月时平均1.9分.1例出现局部肿瘤复发.RFA前的标本光、电镜检查均未见肿瘤组织坏死.RFA后光镜检查3例无明显坏死,9例肿瘤细胞完全坏死:电镜检查10例肿瘤细胞完全坏死,1例肿瘤细胞部分坏死,1例无明显坏死.结论:术中RFA后再行病灶刮除治疗脊柱转移瘤安全可行,有利于肿瘤的刮除,减少局部复发的风险.