ABSTRACT
Background: In this clinical trial, we examined whether or not expressive writing as a psychological intervention reduces psychological distress in vitiligo patients receiving phototherapy
Methods: A total of 139 adult vitiligo patients were asked to complete the GHQ-28 in order to identify their psychiatric disturbances. The GHQ-28 scores showed that 78 patients [56.5%] had psychiatric distress. They were later enrolled in this randomized controlled clinical trial conducted during June 2009 until Dec. 2009 at Razi Hospital in Tehran. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A underwent the routine treatment protocol. Group B did the same, but they were also instructed to practice 'expressive writing'. The intervention continued 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, patients in both groups were re-evaluated using the GHQ-28
Results: The overall GHQ-28 scores and sub-scores were significantly reduced in both groups A [47.9 +/- 11.71, P=0.000] and B [48.94 +/- 10.69, P=0.000] after 4 weeks of intervention. However, no statistically significance difference was found between the two groups in terms of their overall scores [P=0.7] and their sub-scores
Conclusion: The effect of expressive writing on reducing psychological distress in patients with vitiligo remains equivocal. Nonetheless, further studies with larger sample sizes and of longer duration especially in non-western cultural contexts are recommended
ABSTRACT
Kaposi's sarcoma is a low-grade vascular tumor that its prevalence is increasing all around the world due to the increasing prevalence of HIV and organ transplantations. In this study, we assessed risk factors of Kaposi's sarcoma among Iranian patients were referred to Dermatopathology Department of Razi Hospital of Tehran University of Medical Sciences between the years of 2006 to 2011. Also, disease stages have been assessed on pathologic specimens. Thirty four patients diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma entered the study. Of the 34 patients, 29% were female, and 71% were male, mean age was 66 years and average disease duration was 6 months. The most common patient's pathologic stages were reported: patch 32%, patch to plaque 24%, plaque 12%. The most prevalent location of involvement was lower extremity [88%], and upper extremity was involved in 24%. At presentation time, the mean number of lesions was 3 to 4. 15% of patients had a history of smoking and 15% had a history of immunosuppressive drugs. HIV infection did not observe in the patients. Based on the present study, Kaposi's sarcoma is a disease of elderly and is higher in older men. The most common site of Kaposi's sarcoma involvement is lower extremity, and the most common pathologic stage was the patch to plaque
ABSTRACT
Adnexal tumors [ATs] are primary skin tumors with benign or rarely, malignant behavior. They have been classified based on differentiation towards hair follicle, sebaceous, apocrine or eccrine gland. Few large-scale studies have focused on ATs. To determine the prevalence of ATs and to assess clinical and histopathological trend of ATs. A retrospective descriptive study of all ATs diagnosed in Razi hospital between 2006 and 2010 was performed. A total of 30,000 pathology records were reviewed, and 1016 ATs were included. The prevalence of ATs was 3.3%. 518 patients [51%] were female, with a mean age of 34.5 years. 953 tumors [93.8%] were benign. ATs were most commonly located in the head and neck area [822, 83.5%]. The most common histopathological origin of ATs was sebaceous gland [536, 52.7%]. Sebaceous nevus of Jadassohn was the most prevalent single tumor type [40.6% of all ATs]. In 63.6% [646] of tumors, ATs were clinically suspected by the clinician prior to biopsy. The most common malignant AT was sebaceous carcinoma [23, 36.5% of all malignant ATs]. ATs are infrequent lesions, most commonly occurring in 3rd and 4th decade of life. Diagnosis of ATs is made by histopathological studies as they often express indistinctive clinical features. Malignant ATs are rare, occur at an older age, and are often hard to recognize clinically