What's new in the management of psoriasis?

Psoriasis treatment is evolving through better understanding of patients with psoriasis and the pathogenesis of the disease itself. Current treatment plans for psoriasis consist of topical medications for mild-moderate or localized psoriasis and more systemic agents for more generalized and moderate-severe psoriasis. New methods of treatment involve not only prescriptions, but patient education and support through organizations such as the National Psoriasis Foundation. The effectiveness of topical treatments have been improved by a better understanding of increasing patients' adherence to medications and new treatments--new vehicles and combination treatments--that enhance patients' adherence behaviors. Phototherapy, with or without an oral retinoid, remains a key component of psoriasis treatment. More convenient and specific monitoring of methotrexate and biologic medications provide these standards of care in psoriasis better and safer patient outcomes. New anti-IL-12/23 therapies offer another more specific option in the management of chronic plaque psoriasis. Dermatologists should recognize and educate patients about the recently recognized association between psoriasis and vascular disease. Psoriasis management can include counseling patients to obtain appropriate screening for cardiovascular risk.

Perianaesthetic risks and outcomes of abdominal surgery for metastatic carcinoid tumours.

Patients with metastatic carcinoid tumours often undergo surgical procedures to reduce the tumour burden and associated debilitating symptoms. These procedures and anaesthesia can precipitate a life-threatening carcinoid crisis. To assess perioperative outcomes, we studied retrospectively the medical records of adult patients from 1983 to 1996 who underwent abdominal surgery for metastatic carcinoid tumours. Preoperative risk factors, intraoperative complications and complications occurring in the 30 days after surgery were recorded. Perioperative complications or death occurred in 15 of 119 patients (12.6%, exact confidence interval 7.2-19.9). None of the 45 patients who received octreotide intraoperatively experienced intraoperative complications compared with eight of the 73 patients (11.0%) who did not receive octreotide (P=0.023). The presence of carcinoid heart disease and high urinary output of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid preoperatively were statistically significant risk factors for perioperative complications.

Perianesthetic risks and outcomes of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma resection.

UNLABELLED: Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are often surgically curable. However, resection of these tumors can be life threatening. We undertook this study to determine the frequency of, and risk factors for, perioperative complications in patients undergoing resection of pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients during 1983-1996 who underwent surgical resection of catecholamine-secreting pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma. Preoperative risk factors, adverse intraoperative events, and complications occurring in the 30 days after operation were recorded. Blood pressures were collected from manual records. The ranked sum test and Fisher's exact test were used for analyses. Adverse perioperative events or complications occurred in 45 of 143 patients (31.5%; exact 95% confidence interval, 24.0% to 39.8%). Of these 45 patients, 41 experienced one or more adverse intraoperative events. The most common adverse event was sustained hypertension (36 patients). There were no perioperative deaths, myocardial infarctions, or cerebrovascular events. Preoperative factors univariately associated with adverse perioperative events included larger tumor size (P: = 0.007), prolonged duration of anesthesia (P: = 0.015), and increased levels of preoperative urinary catecholamines and catecholamine metabolites: vanillylmandelic acid (P: = 0.019), metanephrines (P: = 0.004), norepinephrine (P: = 0. 014), and epinephrine (P: = 0.004). Despite premedication of most patients with phenoxybenzamine and a beta-adrenergic blocker, varying degrees of intraoperative hemodynamic lability occurred. IMPLICATIONS: Few patients who had pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma resection experienced significant perioperative morbidity and none died in the largest retrospective study on this topic to date. This study confirms the very good perioperative outcomes demonstrated in smaller studies on this high-risk population, and identifies several risk factors for adverse outcomes.