Malaysian Herbs in Contraception: Public Perception (Herba Malaysia dalam Kontrasepsi: Persepsi Masyarakat) / Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia

@#Medicinal plants have been used in Malaysia for a long time ago. These plants have been marketed as herbal product and used in the traditional healthcare system because of its positive therapeutic effects. This paper discusses particularly several types of Malaysian herbs that are traditionally used for contraception and scientific studies related to its pharmaceutical properties showing its use among the public for its anti-fertility effects. Even though several methods of contraception have been promoted for family planning, yet, the perception of the public on the usage of synthetic steroidal contraceptives due to its serious adverse effects has made them focus on indigenous plants. Contraceptives drug-containing oestrogen and progesterone have proven to be effective and popular, However, the side effects of these drugs have sparked the idea of scientists to develop newer molecules from medicinal plants. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate in-depth qualitative research on conceptions and concerns about traditional contraceptive methods using herbal ingredients among Malaysians.

The Effect of Narrowband Ultraviolet B Phototherapy on Vitamin D Status in Psoriasis Patients with Skin Phototype III, IV and V

Background@#Narrowband ultraviolet-B (NBUVB) is an effective treatment option for psoriasis. Vitamin D insufficiency is common in psoriasis patients. We assessed the effect of NBUVB on vitamin D levels amongst psoriasis patients with skin phototype III, IV and V.@*Methods@#Psoriasis patients planned for NBUVB phototherapy were enrolled in a prospective cohort study in Hospital Putrajaya and Hospital Kuala Lumpur from May 2020-December 2020. NBUVB phototherapy was given twice weekly for 12 weeks. Serum 25 (OH)D level was measured at baseline and at week 12.@*Results@#A total of 21(63.6%) male and 12(36.4%) female patients aged 18-66 years participated. Majority were Fitzpatrick skin phototype (FSP) IV (66.7%) followed by FSP V (21.2%) and FSP III (12.1%). Serum 25(OH)D increased significantly (p<0.001) from 52.09±21.43 nmol/L at baseline to 72.80±19.56 nmol/L at week 12 with the most increment seen in skin type V. There was also a significant improvement seen in Body Surface Area (BSA) involvement after 12 weeks of phototherapy (p<0.001). There was no correlation seen between BSA at week 12 with serum 25(OH)D and percentage of serum 25(OH) D increment.@*Conclusion@#NBUVB phototherapy increases the level of serum 25(OH)D in psoriasis patients with darker skin types while simultaneously clearing psoriasis.

Paraneoplastic Bullous Pemphigoid Masquerading as Hand-foot Syndrome: A Case Report of Rare Entity

@#Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a chronic and the most frequent immune-mediated subepidermal blistering disorder which mainly affects elderly individuals. The autoantibodies produced following T-cell dysregulation are directed against BP180 (BPAg2) and BP230 (BPAg1), hemidesmosomal proteins located in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) of the epidermis. BP may present with polymorphic dermatological features including non-bullous manifestations and blisters. Therefore, a wide range of differential diagnoses such as eczema, urticaria, pemphigus and the differentials for subepidermal blister with eosinophils such as epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) and bullous drug eruptions should be considered in such cases. The associations of solid organ internal malignancies and BP are quite rare and vary between studies. Here, we present a case of paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid (PNBP) in a patient with underlying renal cell carcinoma who was initially diagnosed with worsening hand-foot syndrome (HFS) which has led to withdrawal of his oral chemotherapy treatment.