Reliability of solar keratosis clinical diagnosis: A prospective study.

Usually solar keratoses (SK) are diagnosed clinically. However other diseases may clinically present as erythematous macules, papules or patches on sun-exposed areas; therefore the histopathology remains the gold standard diagnostic tool. Our study, which assessed the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT), showed that one in 20 clinically diagnosed SK lesions grade I-II identified by board-certified dermatologists were rosacea and only one in 40 were malignant lesions. These findings should be considered by clinicians who treat clinically diagnosed grade I-II SK without response to treatment or diagnose the recurrence of SK after PDT.

Pain during topical photodynamic therapy of actinic keratoses with 5-aminolevulinic acid and red light source: randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pain is the major drawback of photodynamic therapy (PDT), an otherwise effective treatment for actinic keratoses (AKs). OBJECTIVE: To determine pain intensity and its dependence upon various factors during PDT with 5-aminolevulinic acid for face/scalp AKs. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, within-patient comparison study was performed. Thirty-eight patients with at least two clearly definable, mild or moderate AKs were randomized to receive either a red light dose of 70 or 100 J/cm(2) as a first or second split face/scalp treatment. They were blinded to the light dose administered. Pain during treatment was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: The mean intensity of pain during the first treatment session was 5.00 (± 1.78), while during the follow-up VAS score was 4.50 (± 1.51). Bigger AKs (> 130 mm(2) ) were more painful than the smaller ones (P = 0.003) and AKs on the face were twice more painful than the ones on the scalp (P = 0.002). Gender and patient age were poor pain predictors. Pain was independent of the patient's Fitzpatrick skin type, AK clinical grade, pretreatment fluorescence intensity, and the light dose during PDT. CONCLUSION: Pain during PDT is associated with AK location and size. Treatment of bigger lesions (> 130 mm(2) ) results in more pain than smaller ones and treatment of the face is more painful than the scalp area.

Incontinentia pigmenti (Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome) in neonates.

A female newborn presented with emerging skin lesions, systemic eosinophilia, and eosinophilic reaction in the skin, liver, lungs, spleen, lymphatic nodes, porencephalia, convulsions, and disorders of thermoregulation. In addition to that, respiratory and heart failure, as well as brain edema were progressing. The suspected diagnosis of incontinentia pigmenti (Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome) was confirmed postmortem by skin biopsy.

[Treatment of early and late obstetric brachial plexus palsy]. / Vaiku peties nervinio rezginio pazeidimo ir jo sukeltu padariniu gydymas.

The aim of this study was to review and to analyze treatment patterns of early and late obstetric brachial plexus palsy. Eighty-one children with early and late obstetric brachial plexus palsy were treated in the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics and in the Postintensive Care Unit within the period 1988-2002. Children were classified into 2 groups according to age: Ist group (67 newborns) was treated conservatively, and IInd group (14 children with late obstetric brachial plexus palsy with deformity) underwent operative treatment. Active hand movements and innervation were evaluated before and after treatment. Thirty newborns had full recovery, 32 newborns had incomplete recovery, and in 5 cases no improvement was seen. Fourteen children with late obstetric brachial plexus palsy underwent the following operations: rotation osteotomy of the humerus was performed in 10 cases, lengthening of biceps and brachialis muscle tendons--in 6 cases, transposition of triceps muscle tendon--in 1 case, transposition of pectoralis major tendon--in 3 cases and flexor carpi transposition--in 1 case. There was an improvement in active hand movements after operative treatment and rehabilitation. According to our experience, in most cases newborns recover spontaneously or after conservative treatment. Secondary reconstructive surgery of late brachial plexus palsy can improve the condition of these patients.