RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Various systemic agents have been assessed for the treatment of alopecia areata (AA); however, there is a paucity of comparative studies. OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare cyclosporine and betamethasone minipulse therapy as treatments for AA with regard to effectiveness and safety. METHODS: Data were collected from 88 patients who received at least 3 months of oral cyclosporine (n=51) or betamethasone minipulse therapy (n=37) for AA. Patients with ≥50% of terminal hair regrowth in the alopecic area were considered responders. RESULTS: The responder of the cyclosporine group was 54.9% and that of the betamethasone minipulse group was 37.8%. In the cyclosporine group, patients with mild AA were found to respond better to the treatment. Based on the patient self-assessments, 70.6% of patients in the cyclosporine group and 43.2% of patients in the betamethasone minipulse group rated their hair regrowth as excellent or good. Side effects were less frequent in the cyclosporine group. CONCLUSION: Oral cyclosporine appeared to be superior to betamethasone minipulse therapy in terms of treatment effectiveness and safety.
Assuntos
Humanos , Alopecia em Áreas , Alopecia , Betametasona , Ciclosporina , Cabelo , Pulsoterapia , Autoavaliação (Psicologia) , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease that typically occurs in young adults. AA in the elderly is relatively rare, thus little data have been reported. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand the clinical characteristics of AA in the elderly. METHODS: We performed a 10-year retrospective study of AA in the elderly who visited our dermatologic clinic from January 2002 to December 2011. A clinical review of medical records and telephone interviews were performed by two dermatologists. RESULTS: Among 1,761 patients with newly diagnosed AA, 61 (3.5%) were older than 60 years at the first visit. Among those who completed a telephone interview, 74.3% (26/35) had less than 50% of scalp-localized hair loss. There was no association between the extent of AA and hair graying (p=0.679). Favorable therapeutic response was observed in 62.9% (22/35) of cases. CONCLUSION: AA in the elderly shows mild disease severity and favorable treatment response. There is no association between graying and the extent of AA. However, the influence of aging on the pathogenesis of AA in the elderly deserves further investigation.
Assuntos
Idoso , Humanos , Adulto Jovem , Envelhecimento , Alopecia em Áreas , Alopecia , Doenças Autoimunes , Cabelo , Entrevistas como Assunto , Prontuários Médicos , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Trichophyton rubrum is a common cause of superficial dermatophytosis in humans, such as tinea pedis, tinea unguium, tinea corporis and tinea cruris. T. rubrum usually attaches to keratin of the epidermis and uses it as a source of nutrients. Therefore, isolation of T. rubrum from non-keratinous skin, such as ulcer, is very rare. We describe 4 patients with T. rubrum-infected diabetic foot ulcer.
Assuntos
Humanos , Pé Diabético , Epiderme , Onicomicose , Pele , Tinha , Tinha dos Pés , Trichophyton , ÚlceraRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Various methods have been employed for treatment of onychomycosis. These methods can be categorized as topical, oral, or device-related. Among them, oral therapies have been regarded as the gold standard for treatment. However, the efficacy of oral therapies on onychomycosis remains limited and safety may be an issue, leaving many patients in need of alternative treatments. As an alternative treatment for onychomycosis, topical therapies are under investigation with great interest. OBJECTIVE: We conducted an investigation on the efficacy of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) as a new therapeutic option in treatment of onychomycosis. METHODS: Fourteen patients with onychomycosis in both great toenails, which was confirmed by fungal examination, were enrolled. About 0.1 ml of 100% TCA solution was applied on one great toenail of the patients eight times at an interval of one week. The other great toenail of the patients was treated with vehicle. RESULTS: At the end of the treatment period, clinical improvement of TCA-treated great toenails with onychomycosis was observed in eleven out of 14 patients. By contrast, no clinical improvement was observed in vehicle-treated great toenails with onychomycosis. Irritant contact dermatitis of the periungual nail folds occurred in 29% as an adverse effect. CONCLUSIONS: Topical solution of TCA may become a new therapeutic option for treatment of patients with onychomycosis who desire alternatives to oral antifungal agents.
Assuntos
Humanos , Antifúngicos , Dermatite de Contato , Unhas , Onicomicose , Projetos Piloto , Ácido TricloroacéticoRESUMO
Trichophyton mentagrophytes is the second common dermatophyte in Korea. However, few reports have been issued on the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of T. mentagrophytes in Korea based on long-term, large-scale study. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiological and mycological characteristics of T. mentagrophytes in Korea. During the 21-yr-period from 1992 to 2012, 6,250 patients with T. mentagrophytes were surveyed to determine annual incidence and the distribution of subjects by age, sex, season, involved sites, and place of residence. T. mentagrophytes infections were confirmed by fungal culture. In addition, the colony appearance of T. mentagrophytes was classified as granular, persicolor, powdery, or downy. Epidemiological analysis showed that annual incidence reached a peak in 2005, and then gradually decreased. T. mentagrophytes infection was most common in July, and was found predominantly in middle-aged adults, especially in those in their forties. Mycological analysis showed a powdery colony appearance was the most common, followed by persicolor and granular colonies. Toewebs were most frequently involved. This investigation on T. mentagrophytes provides insights into its incidence and characteristics.
Assuntos
Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores Etários , Demografia , Incidência , República da Coreia/epidemiologia , Estações do Ano , Fatores Sexuais , Tinha/epidemiologia , Trichophyton/isolamento & purificaçãoRESUMO
No abstract available.