Effectiveness, safety and impact of guselkumab on sexuality and perceived stigmatization in patients with psoriasis in routine clinical practice: Week 28 results from the prospective German multicentre G-EPOSS study.

BACKGROUND: G-EPOSS is a prospective, non-interventional, German multicentre study of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis receiving guselkumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-23, in a real-world setting. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of guselkumab, including its impact on skin, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), sexuality, and perceived stigmatization. METHODS: Patients (≥18 years old) received guselkumab per routine clinical practice. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving absolute Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) ≤ 3 at Week (W)28. Secondary endpoint assessments over 28 weeks included the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI), anogenital Physician's Global Assessment (aPGA), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Sexuality and perceived stigmatization were assessed by patients using the Relationship and Sexuality Scale (RSS) and Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ), respectively. RESULTS: Overall, 293 patients were included in the evaluable set population. Mean age and disease duration were 45.6 and 17.6 years, respectively. At baseline, mean PASI, aPGA and DLQI scores were 15.3, 2.7 and 11.3, respectively. In total, 25.9% of patients had received a prior biologic. Overall, 83.0% of patients achieved PASI ≤ 3, and 56.2%/35.1% achieved PASI ≤ 1/PASI = 0, respectively, at W28. Among those with NAPSI ≥ 1 and aPGA ≥ 1 at baseline, NAPSI = 0 and aPGA = 0 were achieved by 39.2% and 61.1% of patients, respectively, and 61.4% of patients achieved DLQI 0-1 at W28. Improvements were observed over 28 weeks across individual items of the DLQI, RSS and PSQ, indicating improved HRQoL and sex life, and decreased perceived stigmatization. Based on DLQI Question (Q)9, 53.6% of patients experienced sexual difficulties at baseline, which decreased to 12.1% at W28. DLQI Q9 responses were consistent with RSS item responses, highlighting DLQI Q9 as a sentinel for sexual impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Guselkumab improved overall skin symptoms and HRQoL in patients with psoriasis and decreased sexual impairment and perceived stigmatization. No new safety signals were observed. STUDY CODE: CNTO1959PSO4008.

[Necrotizing pneumonia in children: apropos of 4 cases]. / Pneumonie nécrosante de l'enfant: à propos de 4 cas.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the necrotizing pneumonia in children, a severe affection which prevalence seems to increase; to review literature. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report 4 cases of necrotizing pneumonia: symptoms, agents, diagnostic tools, treatment and long term evolution. RESULTS: In 2 cases, pneumatoceles could be seen at chest X-ray. Two patients presented a deficiency of anti-pneumococcal antibodies. Three needed insertion of a pleural chest tube of whom 1 had a resection of a small piece of necrotic lung. Duration of hospitalisation is longer than in uncomplicated pneumonias. CONCLUSION: Necrotizing pneumonia is a severe affection. Diagnosis has to be made by lung CT. Long term evolution is excellent in pediatric population with serious management at hospital.

[Diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis: prospective comparison of MR cholangiography with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography]. / Diagnostik der primär sklerosierenden Cholangitis: prospektiver Vergleich von MR-Cholangiographie mit endoskopisch retrograder Cholangiographie.

PURPOSE: To assess the accuracy of MR cholangiography (MRC) in the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in comparison to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). METHOD: 20 patients with PSC were examined by ERC and MRC (1.0 T, HASTE sequence). Visualization and pathologic changes of the extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts were evaluated with both methods. RESULTS: Mural irregularities of the common bile duct were seen with MRC in 6/7 cases, stenoses and dilatation of the common bile duct were detected correctly in all patients. Diffuse, multifocal strictures of the intrahepatic bile ducts were the most common intrahepatic findings and correctly diagnosed in almost all patients. Mural irregularities of the intrahepatic ducts in early stages may be missed by MRC because of the limited spatial resolution. MRC is superior to ERC in visualization of nonopacified intrahepatic ducts. CONCLUSIONS: MRC is a reliable, non-invasive method to detect typical diagnostic features of PSC. It should be considered as an adjunct to ERC in patients with suspected PSC for primary diagnosis and as an alternate method for follow-up studies.