ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Notalgia paresthetica is a sensory mononeuropathy that affects dorsal segments T2 to T6. It can have a significant effect on quality of life. Numerous treatments have been used with variable results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five patients diagnosed with notalgia paresthetica were treated with intradermal botulinum toxin A. None had achieved relief of the pruritus with previous treatments. RESULTS: Variable results were observed after the administration of intradermal botulinum toxin. Complete resolution of the pruritus was not achieved in any of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Botulinum toxin A appears to be a safe therapeutic option for patients with notalgia paresthetica. However, data currently available come from small patient series, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions regarding the true efficacy and long-term effects of this treatment.
Subject(s)
Botulinum Toxins, Type A/therapeutic use , Hyperpigmentation/complications , Neuralgia/drug therapy , Paresthesia/drug therapy , Pruritus/drug therapy , Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/administration & dosage , Capsaicin/therapeutic use , Carbamazepine/analogs & derivatives , Carbamazepine/therapeutic use , Combined Modality Therapy , Drug Evaluation , Female , Histamine Antagonists/therapeutic use , Humans , Injections, Intradermal , Male , Middle Aged , Neuralgia/complications , Oxcarbazepine , Paresthesia/complications , Paresthesia/therapy , Physical Therapy Modalities , Pregabalin , Pruritus/complications , Pruritus/therapy , Shoulder , Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation , Treatment Outcome , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/analogs & derivatives , gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/therapeutic useABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Notalgia paresthesica is a disorder of unknown origin characterized by pruritus localized to the patients' back. Local pain, burning or paresthesias have also been described. No definite treatments have been found for this disorder and most of those reported to date are anecdotal. Topical capsaicin is the option most widely used among dermatologists. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, gabapentin, oxcarbazepine and botulinum toxin have recently shown promising effects. UVB has been used for decades to treat different pruritic skin diseases, but its benefits in the management of NP have not been stated to date. OBJECTIVES: To test the effects of UVB in notalgia paresthesica. Methods We used a course of UVB narrow band to treat five patients with notalgia paresthesica. The treatment was administered following a phototype protocol in a UV 7002 cabinet. RESULTS: We provide the results of a course of UVB narrow-band phototherapy in five patients. Phototherapy contributed substantially to improve pruritus in all of them. CONCLUSION: Given the benefits achieved, we stress the interest of UVB narrow-band as a safe and well tolerated alternative treatment for notalgia paresthetica.
Subject(s)
Pruritus/radiotherapy , Ultraviolet Therapy/methods , Adult , Aged , Back , Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Treatment Outcome , Ultraviolet Therapy/adverse effectsSubject(s)
Osteogenesis Imperfecta/complications , Skin Diseases/complications , Adolescent , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Confluent and reticulated papillomatosis (CRP) is a rare dermatosis of unknown aetiology whose relationship to Malassezia furfur is still debated. Antifungal agents, antibiotics, retinoids, and, more recently, calcipotriol have been successfully used as treatment. The authors report on a 14-year-old female with confluent and reticulated papillomatosis in whom M. furfur was found. Anti-fungal therapy eliminated the fungus, but did not achieve the disappearance of the lesions. Further treatment with tacalcitol was successful, supporting the theory that CRP might be a disorder of keratinization. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first patient treated with tacalcitol for this entity.
Subject(s)
Dermatologic Agents/therapeutic use , Dihydroxycholecalciferols/therapeutic use , Papilloma/drug therapy , Reticulin/drug effects , Adolescent , Female , HumansABSTRACT
Five members of two generations of one family were affected with lamellar ichthyosis, suggesting autosomal dominant transmission. The clinical and histopathological characteristics of the cases described here are similar to those reported by Traupe et al. (1984) as autosomal dominant lamellar ichthyosis and thus confirm the existence of this new form of ichthyosis.
