Quality of life in psoriatic patients: a study using the short form-36

Quality of life [QOL] is increasingly recognized as an important outcome measure in dermatology. Psoriasis has a great impact on QOL of patients, and has a strong effect on social relations, psychological status, and daily activities. This study describe and compare the impact of different grades of severity of psoriasis on QOL of patients in north of Iran. This cross-sectional study was performed on 55 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and 55 healthy controls. The patients were selected by consecutive sampling from April to December 2006. The controls were recruited by simple random sampling among patient escorts. After obtaining written informed consent, all the members were included into the study. The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] standard questionnaire was used to determine the severity of the disease. In addition, the short-form-36 questionnaire, which is validated for use in Iran, was employed. The gathered data were analyzed using the Stata [V 8.0, SE] [Copyright 1984-2003, Stata Corporation, 4905 Lakeway Drive Special Edition, College Station, Texas 77845 USA] and analyses of covariance [ANCOVA] test. Overall, The mean PASI scores was 5.4 +/- 6.7, total QOL scores had a significant difference between patients and controls [61.1 +/- 17.0 vs. 71.9 +/- 22.4]]P < 0.05], especially in three domains: Role-physical [58.5 +/- 23.3 vs. 70.8 +/- 26.2], general health [43.8 +/- 21.6 vs. 61.5 +/- 27.3], and social functioning [62.7 +/- 26.7 vs. 79.5 +/- 27.5] [P < 0.01]. Physical activities were affected in >50% of the cases. This figure significantly increased with the increasing severity of psoriasis. In addition, social relationships were disrupted in more than half of the patients, but with no significant difference between different grades of severity [P > 0.05]. There is no significant difference between adjusted score of multiple domains of QOL in psoriatic patients according to PASI levels [ANCOVA, P > 0.05]. The physicians' awareness of the importance of patients' QOL in both physical and emotional aspects could improve and enhance the psychological evaluation of the psoriatic patient, which will promote his/her positive outcome. And, PASI

Pemphigus in Guilan: Clinical and epidemiologic features of 126 hospitalized patients

Pemphigus is a serious blistering disease with considerable mortality, which heavily burdens on health care system because of the long time hospitalization. It is rare in North America but is considered as the most common immunobullous disease in eastern countries such as Malaysia and China. The purpose of this study was to define the epidemiologic features of pemphigus in north of Iran. One-hundred and twenty-six cases of pemphigus diagnosed based on clinicohistological findings that were hospitalized in Rasht, in north of Iran, between 1995-2001 were studied. Epidemiological data collected from their hospital records were entered in SPSS software and statistical analyses were performed by [t] test, chi-square and Pearson correlatrion tests. Pemphigus vulgaris was the most common type [83%], followed by foliaceous [6%] and vegetans [1%]. The mean age of patients was 45.6 years, with 47.2 in vulgaris and 37.8 in foliaceous group [P<0.05]. There was no sex difference in mean age in vulgaris group, whereas the mean age of foliaceous group was 30.2 for females and 51.8 years for males [P<0.05]. Female: male ratio was 1.5:1, with 1.44: 1 for vulgaris and 1.85:1 for foliaceous groups, respectively. The oral mucosa was the first site of involvement in 63% of vulgaris cases, and 72.4% of them had widespread mucocutaneous disease at the time of hospitalization. Frequency of illness in spring [32%] was higher than other seasons. The mean time for 80% improvement of lesions in hospital was significantly higher in cases with widespread mucocutaneous lesions than cases with only skin or mucosal illness [P<0.05]. These findings clearly demonstrate the need for continuous training of involved health workers [dermatologists, dentists, otolaryngologists, general physicians] for early diagnosis and referral of disease, which not only could decrease the morbidity and mortality, complications rates for patients but also hospitalization costs for patients and health care system

Pseudoporphyria in association with hepatitis C virus infection: a case report

Pseudoporphyria is an uncommon bullous disease with similar clinical and histopathological findings to porphyria cutanea tarda, in the absence of detectable porphyrin elevation. We present a 34-year-old man with clinical and histological findings compatible with porphyria cutanea tarda, whose urinary uroporphyrin was negative and we concluded that he was a case of pseudoporphyria. Concomitant active infection with hepatitis C virus was a unique finding in this patient

[Descriptive study of dermatophytosis in guilan]

In spite of prevention and control programs, dermatophyte infections have a high prevalence worldwide. To do a descriptive study of dermatophytosis in Guilan. 217 patients whom were visited in Razi Hospital in Rasht in 1381 were screened for dermatophytosis and if had suspicious lesions, direct smear with KOH and culture were done. 93 patients had positive smear [KOH 10%] and culture for dermatophytes. 50 patients were women and 43 patients were men. The most common patterns of dermatophytosis were tineacruris[47.2%], tineapedis[14%], tineacapitis[12.9%], onychomycosis, tineamanum, and tineafacei. Trichophytonmentagrophytes was the most common causative agent of tineacruris that occurred more significantly in hot seasons. Tineacruris was the most common type of dermatophytosis in this study. High prevalence of tineacruris specially in women in comparison to the previous studies, may be due to occupational activity [agriculture] and clothing of women in north of Iran