To study therapeutic effect and benefit on quality of life in scabies patients

To determine the quality of life by using 5% permethrin cream in scabies patients. Scabies is a contagious, itchy ectoparasitic infection caused by sarcoptes scabiei mite. It is a common public health problem with an estimated global prevalence of 300 to 400 million cases. They increases day by day due to resistance/ recurrence and largely effect the quality of life. 5% permethrin is one of the effective treatment of scabies it is highly effective, well tolerated, poorly absorbed and rapidly metabolized by skin. Open Label Clinical Trail study approved by ethics committee of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi. This study was conducted in Basic Medical Sciences Institute with Collaboration of Dermatology Department of JPMC, Karachi from 1st Dec 2010 to 30th Jan. 2011. This study sample involved 65 clinically diagnosed scabies patients who were treated with 5% permethrin cream. Clinical data was collected by using questionnaire. Patients were divided into three age groups and given two applications of permethrin cream on first and 15 day. Follow ups was done on Day 3, Day 15 and Day 30 and there quality of life assessed using dermatological life quality index on day 0 and 30. It was found that quality of life in scabies patients was low and treatment with permethrin cream clinically improved the symptoms of patients and their quality of life significantly. Scabies has a social stigma and the quality of life of patient get effected because of night itching and lack of sleep which improves significantly following proper local therapy

Comparison of effectiveness of topical tacrolimus and betamethasone with soft paraffin in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata

To compare the effectiveness of Topical Tacrolimus and Betamethasone with soft paraffin in the treatment of patchy alopecia areata. Sixty patients with mild to moderate patchy alopecia areata were evaluated in a non-randomized, open label, intention to treat clinical trial. Patients were assigned to Tacrolimus [n=20] or to Betamethasone [n=20] or to soft paraffin [n=20]. All the three groups were advised to apply the treatment on the affected areas twice a day for 12 consecutive weeks. The primary study outcome was to compare the hair regrowth rate. Efficacy was evaluated at weeks 4, 8 and 12, using hair regrowth score [RGS] with a scale ranging from 0 [regrowth<10%] to 4 [regrowth>75%]. Fifty six subjects [93%] completed the study. At week 12, the RGS was 3.5 +/- 0.11in Betamethasone group [p<0.001], 2.2 +/- 0.15 in Tacrolimus group [p<0.005] and 0.85 +/- 0.08 [ns] in control group respectively. RGS>3 was observed in 70% of patients in Betamethasone group as compared to 45% in Tacrolimus group and none of the patients in control group. Betamethasone is more effective than Tacrolimus in promoting hair regrowth as compared with soft paraffin in patients with mild to moderate patchy alopecia areata

Calcinosis cutis: a rare complication of chronic myeloid Leukemia

Calcinosis cutis is a term for a group of disorders in which calcium deposits are formed in the skin. It is classified into 4 major types: dystrophic, metastatic, iatrogenic and idiopathic. In all cases insoluble compounds of calcium and/or phosphate are deposited within the skin due to local/systemic factors

effect of proteinases [Keratinases] in the pathogenesis of dermatophyte infection using scanning electron microscope

To study the inter-relationship between the stratum corneum of host and the fungal micro- organisms using scanning electron microscopy for a complete understanding of the host parasite relationship. Setting: The patients attended the outpatients of Department of Dermatology, King Abdul Aziz Hospital Makkah. The isolation and identification was carried out at the Department of Mycology University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, U.K. Material and Skin surface biopsies were obtained from two patients suffering from tinea cruris infection. One patient was infected with Trichophyton rubrum and the other with Epidermophyton floccosum strains. The scanning electron microphotographs obtained from two patients showed a large number of villi in the infected area. The fungal hyphae were seen to be placed intercellularly as well seem to be transversing through the corneocytes in many places. From the results observed in this study it could be suggested that the secretion of proteinases from the fungal hyphae together with the mechanical force of the invading organisms in vivo might be playing part in the invasion of the organisms