Successful treatment of recalcitrant candidal intertrigo with Dr Michaels® (Fungatinex®) product family.

Candidal intertrigo is an infection of the skin caused by Candida albicans that typically occurs in opposing cutaneous or muco-cutaneous surfaces. Because Candidiasis requires a damaged and moist environment for infection, it typically occurs in areas of friction such as the skin folds of the body. Candidal intertrigo is often difficult to treat and results are often unsatisfactory. In addition, there is a lack of evidence-based literature supporting prevention and treatments for candidal intertrigo. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of Dr Michaels® (also branded as Fungatinex®) products in the treatment of fungal intertrigo, in 20 women and 2 men with a mean age of 72. Five patients (3 female and 2 male) had type 2 diabetes and 16 (14 female and 2 male) were obese. The patients were treated with Dr Michaels® (Fungatinex®) moisturising bar, topical ointment (twice daily application) and oral herbal formulation, PSC 200 two tablets twice daily with food. After 2 weeks of treatment, the lesions had mostly resolved in all patients with only slight erythema evident. After six weeks of treatment using the moisturising bar, topical ointment and oral herbal formulations from the Dr Michaels® (Fungatinex®) product family, the lesions had totally resolved in 18 patients, while 4 patients had to continue the therapeutic protocol for another 2 weeks. Our results demonstrate that the Dr Michaels® (Fungatinex®) complementary product family is efficacious in the treatment of recalcitrant candidal intertrigo. Furthermore, this study highlights that the Dr Michaels® (Fungatinex®) product family is fast-acting and well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported. These data have important implications for resistant cases of candidal intertrigo where traditional therapies have failed.

Successful treatment of mild to moderate acne vulgaris with Dr Michaels® (also branded as Zitinex®) topical products family: a clinical trial.

Acne vulgaris is an epidemic inflammatory skin disease of multi-factorial origin, frequently seen in adolescents and often persisting or occurring through to adulthood. Acne vulgaris is a nearly universal skin disease afflicting 79-95% of the adolescent population in westernized societies and is a significant cause of psychological morbidity in affected patients. Despite the various treatment options available for acne, there is still a need for a safe and effective option. The aim of the study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of Dr Michaels® (Zitinex®) product family in the treatment of papulo-pustular acne. 25 patients (17 female/8 male), aged 15-22, with a mild to moderate papulo-pustular acne, localized on the face and on the trunk, were included in this study. None of the patients had used any other kind of treatment in the 3 months prior to commencing this study. All of the patients were treated with Dr Michaels® (Zitinex®) facial exfoliating cleanser, activator formula, a cream, PSC 200 and PSC 900 oral supplements. Application time of Dr Michaels® (Zitinex®) products was 12 weeks. The treatment was been evaluated clinically at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks. All of the patients showed an improvement in all parameters of their acne (comedones, papules, pustules, hyperpigmentation and scars). The acne lesions and erythema had mostly resolved. The hyperpigmentation and pitted scarring had significantly reduced also, with the skin appearing smoother. The treatment was well tolerated and no side effects have been described. Our study demonstrates that the Dr Michaels® (Zitinex®) facial exfoliating cleanser, activator formula, cream and oral supplements PSC 200 and PSC 900 are an effective therapeutic option for the treatment of moderately severe acne vulgaris. Moreover, it highlights the safety profile of the Dr Michaels® (Zitinex®) product family in a case of acne compared to traditional first-line treatments.

Investigation of the efficacy and tolerability of Dr Michaels® (also branded as Eczitinex® and Itchinex Eczitinex®) topical products in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children.

Atopic eczema is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder, characterized clinically by intensely pruritic eczematous skin lesions and a defective epidermal barrier. It affects more than 15% of children and up to 10%of adults, which makes the disease a social health problem still without a challenging treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Dr Michaels® (Eczitinex®) topical product family in the treatment of atopic dermatitis in children. We studied a group of 30 patients (17 female, 13 male), aged 5 to 13 (mean age: 9), affected by atopic dermatitis since they were newborn. All patients had been unsuccessfully treated with conventional anti-inflammatory therapies and ceased treatment 2 weeks before commencing research. The patients were treated with Dr Michaels® (Eczitinex® and Itchinex®) product family including a moisturising bar, topical ointment and PSC 900 oral herbal formulation. The treatment was evaluated clinically and photographically at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 weeks. Twenty-eight patients showed a significant improvement of cutaneous rashes and pruritus on the first week of treatment, with a complete remission at 10-12 weeks. Only two patients, brother and sister respectively, showed a slow response to treatment and reported an increasing itching. Following 14 weeks of treatment with the Dr Michaels® (Eczitinex® and Itchinex®) product family, patients demonstrated complete resolution of their AD. All patients showed a marked improvement in their condition within 3 days of treatment with most of the lesions and symptoms totally resolved within 10 to 12 weeks of treatment with Dr Michaels® (Eczitinex® and Itchinex®) family of products. This clinical report highlights that the Dr Michaels® (Eczitinex® and Itchinex®) product family is a safe and effective treatment option for AD.

Long-term two-dimensional pixel stability of EPIDs used for regular linear accelerator quality assurance.

The long-term stability of three clinical electronic portal imaging devices (EPIDs) was studied to determine if longer times between calibrations can be justified. This would make alternatives to flood-field calibration of EPIDs clinically feasible, allowing for more effective use of EPIDs for dosimetry. Images were acquired monthly for each EPID as part of regular clinical quality assurance over a time period of approximately 3 years. The images were analysed to determine (1) the long-term stability of the EPID positioning system, (2) the dose response of the central pixels and (3) the long term stability of each pixel in the imager. The position of the EPID was found to be very repeatable with variations less than 0.3 pixels (0.27 mm) for all imagers (1 standard deviation). The central axis dose response was found to reliably track ion chamber measurements to better than 0.5%. The mean variation in pixel response (1 standard deviation), averaged over all pixels in the EPID, was found to be at most 0.6% for the three EPIDs studied over the entire period. More than 99% of pixels in each EPID showed less than 1% variation. Since the EPID response was found to be very stable over long periods of time, an annual calibration should be sufficient in most cases. More complex dosimetric calibrations should be clinically feasible.

The clinical application of PET/CT: a contemporary review.

The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners and x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanners into a single PET/CT scanner has resulted in significant improvements in the diagnosis and staging of disease, particularly in the field of oncology. A decade on from the publication of the details of the first PET/CT scanner, we review the technology and applications of the modality. We examine the design aspects of combining two different imaging types into a single scanner, and the artefacts produced such as attenuation correction, motion and CT truncation artefacts. The article also provides a discussion and literature review of the applications of PET/CT to date, covering detection of tumours, radiotherapy treatment planning, patient management, and applications external to the field of oncology.