Pain, Anxiety, Depression, and Quality of Life in Patients with Vulvodynia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The term vulvodynia refers to vulvar pain of unknown origin lasting at least 3 months. Psychiatric comorbidities are a common feature and, along with pain, may severely affect patients' wellbeing. We aimed to determine the characteristics of pain in vulvodynia, to correlate characteristics with symptoms of anxiety and depression, and to analyse the impact of these factors on patients' quality of life. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study analysed pain, anxiety, and depression and the effects of these factors on quality of life. Pain, anxiety, and depression were assessed using validated tools in 110 women. RESULTS: Statistical analyses found correlations between pain and anxiety and between anxiety and worsened quality of life. Patients often reported stinging, burning, pain, itching, and dyspareunia, pointing to the importance of temporal, localisation, punctate pressure, thermal, tactile sensitivity, and emotional tension characteristics. Most patients had severe pain related to psychiatric comorbidities and decreased quality of life. CONCLUSION: Using descriptors of pain quality and assessing anxiety and depression might help to define subgroups of patients that may benefit from different therapeutic approaches and thus enable treatments to be tailored to individual patients.

A novel Nitrizinc Complex® solution for topical treatment of seborrhoeic keratosis: an interventional clinical study.

Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is a benign, common disease affecting mostly the middle aged and elderly population. SK lesions are characterized by pigmented skin growth, a warty surface, and sharp margins. Current therapies (curettage or cryotherapy) are invasive and painful. A non-invasive treatment is evaluated in this clinical study. Objectives: To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Nitrizinc Complex® topical solution (NZCS) for treatment of SK, after one to two topical applications. Thirty-two SK patients with a total of 59 lesions were treated with NZCS. Outcomes were determined by the dermatologist at clinical visits at one, three, six, and 12 months post-procedure and by subjective evaluation of patients through questionnaires. Six months after treatment, complete elimination was observed in 80% of the lesions (72% of the patients), while 93.3% of the lesions showed at least 50% reduction. Treatment ended with 100% cosmetic benefit as no scars or dyschromia were observed in the treated areas. Subjective treatment and cosmetic satisfaction were evaluated and corresponded to 8.66/10 and 8.07/10, respectively. The product was preferred over all other options previously used by all patients. Treatment was highly tolerable as discomfort, such as pain and itching/burning sensations, was minimal. No relapse cases have been observed at 12 months after treatment. This study demonstrates that NZCS is an efficient, easy-to-apply, safe and well tolerated treatment for SK lesions, and may therefore be considered as a potential topical non-invasive alternative for SK treatment.

Patients with Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Associate with Higher Risk of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: Results of a Multivariate Study of 300 Spanish Individuals with Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease associated with considerable physical and psychological comorbidities. Stress and emotional disturbances have been implicated in both triggering the onset and exacerbation of psoriasis. In order to determine the level of perceived stress and mood alterations in patients with psoriasis and their association with disease severity, 300 individuals completed diverse validated questionnaires assessing stress and psychological mood. Evaluation of perception of disease was also measured. A significant association between psoriasis severity and mood, emotional disturbances and an impact on assessments of the quality of life were observed. Particularly, Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for Depression detected a significant risk for depression in relation to the disease severity. The association between depression features, anxiety and perceived stress with psoriasis severity is important and can influence the appropriate management of psoriasis.