If your ears are burning we must be talking about red ear syndrome: A brief report.

Red Ear Syndrome is an uncommon disorder that can affect all age groups. It is frequently referred to Dermatology as it can present similarly to erythromelalgia. Although the exact pathophysiology is unknown, a common hypothesis suggests a shared pathophysiological background with migraine due to their well-known association. Currently, there are no established treatment guidelines. Delays in accurate diagnosis and commencing optimal treatment can significantly negatively impact on a patients quality of life. We discuss the clinical presentation and response to treatment of a case of Red Ear Syndrome in an 8-year-old boy.

Atopic dermatitis in children.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis is a frequent reason for presentation to general practice. A large number of children are affected by this condition and its treatment can cause significant anxiety for parents. The role of the general practitioner (GP) is to provide advice and allay concerns regarding conventional and alternative treatments. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to provide an overview of atopic dermatitis management in children in the general practice setting. This article also reviews when it is necessary to refer to specialists, the evidence for management and the link to allergies. DISCUSSION: Prescribing topical steroids to young children with atopic dermatitis involves a thorough understanding of this condition. Achieving treatment compliance partly involves providing adequate explanation to parents in order to reduce their concerns regarding the long-term side effects of topical corticosteroids. Making GPs confident and knowledgeable about atopic dermatitis will make the interaction between the practitioner, families and children more rewarding.

Are all ostracism experiences equal? A comparison of the autobiographical recall, Cyberball, and O-Cam paradigms.

In the present study, we aimed to compare the primary-need depletion elicited by three common ostracism paradigms: autobiographical recall (e.g., Zhong & Leonardelli in Psychological Science 19:838-842, 2008), Cyberball (Williams, Cheung, & Choi in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 79:748-762, 2000), and O-Cam (Goodacre & Zadro in Behavior Research Methods 42:768-774, 2010). A total of 152 participants (52 males) were randomly allocated to one of the three paradigms, and their subsequent primary needs were measured (belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence). O-Cam was found to induce greater total primary-need depletion than did Cyberball and recall, which did not differ significantly from each other. Moreover, when examining the pattern of individual need depletion elicited by each paradigm, O-Cam was found to induce significantly greater depletion of belonging, control, and meaningful existence than did the recall paradigm, and significantly greater depletion of control and self-esteem than did Cyberball. No other comparisons were found to be significant, including the comparisons between the recall and Cyberball paradigms for each individual primary need. Collectively, the findings will assist ostracism researchers in making informed choices regarding (a) which paradigm is appropriate to implement with respect to their research aims, and (b) whether the interchangeable use of paradigms within a program of research is appropriate practice.

Thymic volume, T-cell populations, and parameters of thymopoiesis in adolescent and adult survivors of HIV infection acquired in infancy.

OBJECTIVES: Antiretroviral therapy has significantly prolonged the lifespan of children who acquire HIV infection in infancy, but the impact of HIV on thymus-mediated maintenance of T lymphocytes has not been studied. To examine the long-term effects of HIV infection in childhood on thymopoiesis, thymic volume and parameters of thymic function from clinically stable adolescents and young adults with HIV infection acquired in infancy were compared with those from uninfected controls. METHODS: Thymic volume was determined using three-dimensional reconstruction and volumetric analysis of non-contrast enhanced computed tomography images of the upper chest. The degree of fat involution was assessed using a semiquantitive scoring system. CD4 and CD8 T cell populations and T cell receptor recombination excision circles (TREC) concentrations in peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured in all subjects. RESULTS: Twenty youths (aged 17.6 +/- 2.5 years) with HIV infection acquired perinatally (n = 18) or by neonatal transfusion (n = 2) were enrolled whose HIV plasma viral load had been undetectable for a median of 3.1 years, along with 18 seronegative healthy young adults (aged 20.6 +/- 1.3 years). HIV infected subjects and controls had indistinguishable CD4 T cell counts, thymus volumes (20.5 versus 15.8 cm), thymic index scores, and TREC values. Thymic volume correlated with the number and percentage of CD4 T lymphocytes in the control group and with the number of TREC in CD4 lymphocytes in the HIV infected group. CONCLUSIONS: Long term survivors of pediatric HIV infection appear to have retained or recovered thymic volume and thymic activity approximating uninfected youths.

Unusual case of lymphoedema in a morbidly obese patient.

A morbidly obese 57-year-old woman presented with dermatological complications of obesity including cellulitis and severe localized lymphoedema of the right leg. There were two large pedunculated masses on the right lateral thigh with early involvement of the left and overlying skin changes of chronic lymphoedema. Our patient's condition is clinically consistent with a new entity recently described in the surgical pathology literature as massive localized lymphoedema.