RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the quality of life of patients who are allergic to insect venom. This fact is due to the lack of specific instruments assessing the interaction of type 1 allergy and its psychological burden. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The only established questionnaire on health-related quality-of-life in patients with wasp venom allergies is the "Vespid Allergy Quality of Life Questionnaire" (VQLQ). This questionnaire was translated from Dutch into German and validated with 79 patients with wasp venom allergy, including the use of the well-established general quality-of-life questionnaire WHOQOL-BREF. RESULTS: In the German version VQLQ-d we could reproduce the validity and reliability of the original Dutch version. Cronbach's alpha of the VQLQ-d was α= 0.95. The results of the VQLQ-d corresponded to the total score of the WHOQOL-BREF. CONCLUSION: The VQLQ-d enables measurement of quality-of-life in patients with wasp venom allergy in the German-speaking population. This economic tool makes it possible to better describe and treat affected patients. Furthermore, it can be used to advance research in this field.
Assuntos
Hipersensibilidade/epidemiologia , Hipersensibilidade/psicologia , Mordeduras e Picadas de Insetos/epidemiologia , Mordeduras e Picadas de Insetos/psicologia , Qualidade de Vida , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto , Animais , Feminino , Alemanha/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Prevalência , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Venenos de Vespas , VespasAssuntos
Hipersensibilidade/terapia , Imunoterapia/métodos , Mordeduras e Picadas de Insetos/imunologia , Qualidade de Vida , Venenos de Vespas/imunologia , Vespas/imunologia , Adulto , Idoso , Animais , Feminino , Humanos , Hipersensibilidade/diagnóstico , Hipersensibilidade/imunologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inquéritos e Questionários , Resultado do Tratamento , Venenos de Vespas/efeitos adversos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
PURPOSE: To analyze the efficacy of tocilizumab in uveitic macular edema (ME) resistant to various immunomodulatory drugs. METHODS: Patients received tocilizumab every 4 weeks intravenously. Central foveal thickness (CFT) was assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS: Five patients (8 eyes) who were ineffectively pretreated with systemic prednisolone, at least one immunosuppressive drug, and at least one biologic drug for uveitic macular edema were included in the study. At 3 months, a response of ME (≥25% reduction in CFT) was observed in 6 eyes (75.0%) of 5 patients. During follow-up, complete resolution of ME was achieved in 5 eyes (62.5%) of 4 patients. Improvement of BCVA was observed in 3 eyes of 3 patients, and stabilization in 3 eyes of 3 patients. Tocilizumab was well tolerated, and no severe side effects occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with tocilizumab can be considered in chronic uveitic macular edema even if previous immunomodulatory therapy has failed.