Neurological symptoms in psoriasis patients under treatment with infliximab

Objective: To study the neurological symptoms of psoriasis patients who used infliximab. Methods: We studied psoriasis patients who used infliximab in two referral general hospitals in Tehran from January 2013 to January 2014. We completed neurological symptoms checklists by questioning the patients. Results: Sixty patients with psoriasis were included in this study. Among them, 3 patients had sensory symptoms as side effect and one patient showed motor symptoms as side effect. There was no statistically significant difference between age, gender, and session count with the sensory and motor side effects ( P > 0.05). Conclusions: Neurological symptoms can be detected among 6% of patients under treatment with infliximab and there is no significant association between symptoms and gender, duration of drug use as well as age.

[Report of 34 cases of saprophytic fungi isolated from dystrophic nails of patients referred to Razi Hospital [2010 - 2011]]

Saprophytes are one of the agents causing nail dystrophy. Saprophytes can invade healthy nail or may invade nails previously damaged in the course of other diseases and grow with suitable conditions. The reported incidence of saprophytic nails is between 1.43-17.6%. Saprophytes preferably invade the nails on the big toes, especially in individuals above 60 years. The most etiologic agents of saprophyte nail are Aspergillus spp, Acremonium spp, Scopulariopsis spp, Penicillium spp, and fusarium. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence agents of saprophytic nails in patient that had referred to Razi hospital. This was a cross sectional study and nail samples were analyzed by direct microscopy and culture. Microscopic examination of these specimens was carried out in potassium hydroxide solution [20%]. These specimens were cultured on two media of sabourad dextrose Agar [S]. Czapek-Dox Agar [CZA] medium was used for identification of Aspergillus species. For investigation of relevance between the variables, Chi-square test and Fisher exact tests were used. In this study, 34 cases were positive by both direct microscopy and culture. Of those, 17 patients were females and 17 patients were males. The most frequently isolated saprophytes from nails was Aspergilus flavous [35.3%]. Meanwhile 58.8% of saprophytes were isolated from toe nails. In this study the distal subungual onychomycosis was the most frequent [% 64.7%]. The age group 50-59 years [29.4%] had the highest prevalence of saprophytic nail infections.In this study the prevalence of saprophytic nails infections was 17.2%. A proper diagnosis, consisting of both clinical and mycological examinations, may aid the clinician in selecting the most appropriate therapy. Knowledge of epidemiology and mycology characteristics of nail infections has been noted by many authors as being an important tool for control of these fungal infections

Comparison of effectiveness between ketoconazole 2% and selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoos in the treatment of tinea versicolor

Tinea versicolor is a common superficial mycosis, which is caused by lipophilic yeasts, Malessezia furfur. It is a chronic and recurrent skin disease. It occurs most commonly in young post pubertal people and in hot and humid climates [north and south provinces of Iran]. Comparison of effects of ketoconazole 2% shampoo [Shafa Lab] with selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoo on tinea versicolor. Two-hundred patients with tinea versicolor were divided in 2 groups, each consisted of 100 patients, one group was treated with ketoconazole 2% shampoo and the other one with selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoo. We found out that ketoconazole 2% shampoo was more effective [89% cure rate] than selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoo [35% cure rate]. It seems that ketoconazole 2% shampoo is more effective than selenium sulfide 2.5% shampoo in the treatment of tinea versicolor