ABSTRACT
A model has been developed to determine the effectiveness of topical antipruritics. It utilizes controlled, experimentally induced itch and has demonstrated the effectiveness of the direct action on cutaneous receptor sites of a topical anesthetic, benzocaine, in a topical antipruritic formulation, and has been used to differentiate between two effective topical antipruritics. Three studies are presented: The first study examined the reliability of the experimentally induced itch. Several indices of reliability were computed from the data of this first study. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92. Winer's theta also was 0.92. Simple test-retest reliability, computed at intervals of 29 min, 1 day, and 6-7 days, resulted in Pearson correlations of 0.84, 0.73, and 0.60, respectively. In the second study, the model differentiated statistically between the itch relief resulting from the topical application of a formulation with 6% benzocaine and the same formulation without benzocaine. The third study examined 2 known topical antipruritics: one containing 6% benzocaine and the other 1% hydrocortisone. Both topical antipruritics were found to relieve itch; however, the benzocaine antipruritic produced statistically significantly greater itch relief in more subjects than the hydrocortisone antipruritic at both 1 and 30 min after application. These results demonstrate that OTC antipruritics can be differentiated for effectiveness.
Subject(s)
Antipruritics/pharmacology , Administration, Topical , Adult , Anesthetics, Local/pharmacology , Benzocaine/pharmacology , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Male , Neurophysiology/methods , Pruritus/drug therapy , Reproducibility of ResultsSubject(s)
Carrier State/microbiology , Resuscitation/education , Virus Diseases/transmission , Humans , MasksABSTRACT
A method for performing capillary microscopy using an ophthalmoscope is described. Using this technic, we examined 130 patients with various connective tissue diseases. As in prior studies, four patterns could be discerned; scleroderma (SD) pattern, lupus erythematosus (LE) pattern, normal pattern, and a nonspecific pattern. Of the patients with systemic SD, 70% had SD pattern. Of LE patients, 53% had LE pattern. There was little crossover. It is hoped that the use of the ophthalmoscope will result in the widespread use of capillary microscopy.
Subject(s)
Connective Tissue Diseases/pathology , Fingers/blood supply , Microscopy/instrumentation , Nails/blood supply , Ophthalmoscopes , Capillaries/pathology , Dermatomyositis/pathology , Humans , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/pathology , Microscopy/methods , Mixed Connective Tissue Disease/pathology , Raynaud Disease/pathology , Scleroderma, Systemic/pathologyABSTRACT
The child of a woman with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) had lesions of DLE develop at the age of 2 months. The original lesions persisted and new lesions continued to develop to date; the child is now 28 months old. In a second child, now 11 months old, a probable lupus erythematosus rash developed at 1 week of age.
Subject(s)
Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid/genetics , Adult , Biopsy , Child, Preschool , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid/diagnosis , Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid/pathology , Male , Pityriasis/diagnosisABSTRACT
Three patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) had clinical features that included a high incidence of Raynaud phenomenon, arthritis, myositis, and swollen hands. The diagnostic laboratory test result was the presence of high titers of antibody to extractable nuclear antigen. These antibody titers are notably reduced or abolished in patients with MCTD when the tanned red blood cells that are used in the test are pretreated with ribonuclease. Speckled antinuclear antibodies were present in all patients. Patients with MCTD have a low incidence of renal disease, are responsive to treatment with prednisone, and have a good prognosis.
