Evaluation of hydrocolloid occlusive dressing in the local management of leg ulcers

The present study was carried out to clinically evaluate the use of hydrocolloid occlusive dressing [HCD] in the treatment of leg ulcers. The material of this study consisted of 27 patients with ulcerations in the lower extremities due to variable causes. Most of the ulcers [74%] healed and the mean duration from onset of treatment to healing was 46.6 days. The need for infrequent change of dressing [mean duration 4.8 days] and the ease of application and use made this type of dressing convenient to most patients. HCD provided a moist environment which is beneficial for the healing process: it does not damage newly formed epithelium during its removal. Only one patient suffered wound infection. Four of our patients had excessive wound exudate which was judged unacceptable to them. HCD could therefore be recommended in superficial, clean, rather small wounds. Modifications increasing the absorbent capacity and the size of HCD could help to overcome the limitation of its use

Topical 5-fluorouracil in alopecia areata

5-fluorouracil ointment was applied under occlusion in 20 patients of different types of alopecia areata including six patients with alopecia universalis, nine patients with single patch of alopecia areata and five patients with multiple patches of alopecia areata. Intralesional Triamcinolone acetonide was used in another five patients of multiple patches of alopecia areata. 25% of patients [5 patients] who underwent controlled therapeutic trial with 5-fluorouracil showed hair re-growth. One patient of alopecia universalis showed minimal villous hair re-growth and four cases were f areata type with moderate hair was maintained by the end of the follow up period. Spontaneous drug independent hair growth could be excluded by the lack of hair growth in patches treated with vanishing cream as a control. Intralesional Triamcinolone acetonide appeared to be superior to 5-fluorouracil in this study with success rate of 80%. Topical 5-fluorouracil might be added to the still unsatisfactory therapeutic agents in alopecia areata; although, it is safe and may be indicated in patches which fail to respond to intralesional steroids. Alopecia universalis and totalis are expected to show the poorest response

Clinical and laboratory studies of chronic diffuse hair fall in Saudi women

A total of 167 Saudi women with confirmed excessive hair loss were subjected to completed history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including hemoglobin concentration, red cell count, total serum iron, total iron binding capacity, T3 and T4 serum levels in order to detect the possible underlying etiological factors responsible for the problem of chronic diffuse hair fall. This was controlled by a group of normal healthy females with a confirmed lack of excessive hair shedding and clinically free local and systemic factors which may cause hair fall. The most common detectable factors of underlying etiological role in order of frequency were postpartum telogen effluvium [56.4%], seborrheic states [37.1%], iron deficiency [34.1%], traumatic factors [29.3%], male pattern androgenic alopecia [18.6%], emotional stress [10.2%], contraceptive pills [6.6%], drug intake [3.6%], fever [1.8%], thyroid dysfunction [1.2%], dietary restriction [1.2%] and contact dermatitis [0.06%]

Diagnostic importance of lupus band test in clinically normal oral mucosa in lupus erythematosus

The present study was undertaken to determine the role of lupus band test as a prognostic and diagnostic value in 17 patients with LE using direct fluourescent an-tibody technique. They were 9 CDLE patients and 8 SLE patients and other 10 normal indivudals as controls. From the results, the following can be concluded:1 - The high frequency of lupus band test in SLE in comparison to CDLE. 2 - Positive lupus band test in patients with CDLE may represents a prognostic value since some of these patients develop systemic manifestions later in the course of the disease. 3 - Positive lupus band test in SLE patients with appraently normal oral mucosa may help to confirms a diagnosis of SLE in patients where a skin biopsy is not possible