Subject(s)
Giant Cell Arteritis/etiology , Giant Cell Arteritis/pathology , Temporal Arteries/pathology , Animals , Aortitis/pathology , Biopsy , Dendritic Cells/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Giant Cell Arteritis/drug therapy , Giant Cell Arteritis/metabolism , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , Humans , Interleukin-12/metabolism , Oxidative Stress , Polymyalgia Rheumatica/pathologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of the treatment of vitiligo using a 308 nm excimer laser. METHOD: Thirty-six patients with 44 vitiligo patches were treated using a 308 nm excimer laser, which was performed twice a week, for a total of 30 treatments. The therapeutic efficacy and safety were then evaluated. RESULTS: After 30 treatments: (1) 27/44 patches (61.4%) achieved more than 75% repigmentation, 4/44 lesions (9.1%) showed 51-75% repigmentation, 10/44 (22.7%) showed 26-50% repigmentation and 3/44 (6.8%) showed 1-25% repigmentation. (2) Of the 44 patches of vitiligo, 20/27 (74.1%) lesions on the face/neck, 9/9 (100%) on the trunk and 2/8 (25.0%) on the extremities showed >or=50% repigmentation. The repigmentation (>or=50%) in face/neck and trunk were much higher than that in the extremities (P<0.05). (3) The repigmentation (>or=50%) in disease duration of
Subject(s)
Lasers, Excimer , Vitiligo/therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 308 nm excimer laser for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris patients. METHOD: Forty subjects with psoriasis vulgaris (26 macular type, and 14 chronic plaque type) were treated by a 308 nm excimer laser. The initial dose was based on multiples of a predetermined minimal erythema dose, while the subsequent doses were adjusted on the response to the intervention, which was twice per week for a total of 15 treatments. The therapeutic efficacy and safety were then evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 40 patients who received and completed the entire 15 times of laser radiation, (1) the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score was improved by 90.19+/-10.12% and 77.34+/-17.04% in macular type and chronic plaque type, respectively (P<0.05) and (2) the average treatment sessions were 13.7 times. The average cumulative doses for all patients were 6.86+/-2.48 J/cm(2), in which it was 5.64+/-1.86 J/cm(2) for macular type and 9.13+/-1.80 J/cm(2) for chronic plaque type, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our clinical data suggest that treatment of psoriasis vulgaris by a 308 nm excimer laser is effective and safe, and it is more efficacious in macular type than in chronic plaque type.
