Impaired Pulmonary Function in Patients with Psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There is no study on the spirometric pulmonary function testing in patients with psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the spirometric parameters in patients with psoriasis and controls. METHODS: Ninety-six patients with psoriasis and 60 sex- and age-matched control subjects were included in this study. Spirometric pulmonary function testing, including percent forced vital capacity (FVC%), percent forced expiratory volume in the 1st second (FEV1%), forced expiratory flow at 25-75% of FVC (FEF25-75%), and FEV1/FVC ratio, was performed in all study subjects. RESULTS: The mean FEV1/FVC ratio and FEF25-75% were significantly lower in the psoriasis patients than in the controls (82.4 ± 6.3 vs. 90.7 ± 10.7, p < 0.001, and 86.7 ± 24.2 vs. 94.8 ± 23.0, p = 0.04, respectively). Both FEV1/FVC ratio and FEF25-75% were significantly associated with the presence of psoriasis (p < 0.001 and p = 0.029, respectively). CONCLUSION: Psoriasis patients had lower mean FEV1/FVC ratios and FEF25-75%, compared with the control subjects. FEV1/FVC and FEF25-75% are independently associated with the presence of psoriasis.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as a measure of systemic inflammation in psoriasis.

OBJECTIVE: Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (N/L ratio) has been used as a marker for systemic inflammatory status. In our study, we aimed to evaluate N/L ratio in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study population consisted of 138 patients with psoriasis and 120 age- and sex-matched control subjects. RESULTS: The patients had significantly higher neutrophil counts and lower lymphocyte counts than the controls. The N/L ratios and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were also significantly higher in patients. The N/L ratios and hs-CRP levels were increasing with increasing in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score. Furthermore, the N/L ratios and hs-CRP levels of patients were found to be positively correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the N/L ratio to be a simple, inexpensive and easily assessable marker of systemic inflammation in patients with psoriasis.

[Head and neck space infection presenting with Herpes Simplex virus]. / Bas boyun alan enfeksiyonu ile Herpes Simpleks virüs birlikteligi.

A six-year-old girl was admitted to our clinic with the complaints of swelling, trismus, pain in the submandibular, submental and masticator area and vesicular lesions on the mandibular branch of trigeminal nerve (C5, V3). We present this case of head and neck space infection presenting with Herpes Simplex virus, as it is rarely seen.

Necrotizing fasciitis in a patient with bullous pemphigoid treating with systemic steroid.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rarely seen, life-threatening soft tissue infection characterized by progressive necrosis of skin, subcutaneous tissues and fasciae. Herein, we present a case of NF in a patient with bullous pemphigoid. A 78-year-old female patient was admitted with the left leg pain, swelling, redness and blistering. Streptococcus pyogenes was isolated from the wound culture. In the skin biopsy and the left leg magnetic resonance imaging, signs of NF were observed. The diagnosis of NF was considered. Then, urgent surgical debridement was performed by the department of plastic surgery. While under treatment with intravenous antibiotics therapy, unfortunately the patient died of acute renal insufficiency.

Scleredema diabeticorum partially treated with low-dose methotrexate: a report of five cases.

Scleredema is a rare connective tissue disorder that belongs to a group of scleroderma-like disorders. Although no known curative therapy exists, various specific treatments have been proposed in the literature. In this report, we describe five cases of scleredema partially treated with low-dose methotrexate therapy. All patients have diabetes mellitus type II. All patients were started on methotrexate 15 mg subcutaneously once weekly for 3 months. Biopsy specimens were taken from all patients and were examinated histologically before the treatment and after 3 months of treatment. All cases partially responded to low-dose methotrexate therapy. We believe that methotrexate therapy may be an alternative therapeutic options in scleredema in view of its efficacy.