1,721,224 research outputs found

    Biotin: overview of the treatment of diseases of cutaneous appendages and of hyperseborrhea.

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    One of the most common micronutrient deficiencies with cutaneous findings is the vitamin B, also known as biotin, deficiency. Biotin deficiency may be due to congenital lack of biotinidase, or acquired following some conditions that interfere with its absorption, such as inflammatory bowel disorders, a diet too rich in avidin, magnesium deficiency, smoking habit and treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, anticonvulsants and sulfonamides. This review highlights the role of biotin in the most common skin disorders such associated with biotin deficiency and an approach to their treatment. Biotin administration may improve the treatment of hair loss when deficiency is detected on the basis of a careful patient history, clinical examination and the determination of serum biotin levels. The use of biotin is rationale in seborrheic dermatitis as the vitamin intercepts the main metabolic pathways underlying the pathogenesis of the disease. Treatment with biotin could also be useful in comedonal acne characterized by a high rate of seborrhea, and may be helpful for acne treated with topical retinoids, contributing to the control of flaking and irritation. The tolerability of biotin is excellent and there is no risk of hypervitaminosis even in the case of high doses. It is important that administration is controlled by physicians and follows a medical diagnosis and prescription. Correct doses used in dermatological conditions are safe and are not at risk of interference with laboratory tests

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Differentiation of pityriasis lichenoides chronica from guttate psoriasis by dermoscopy

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    Summary Clinical differentiation between pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC) and guttate psoriasis (GP) may sometimes be a difficult task, which often requires histological analysis to reach a definitive diagnosis. In this study, PLC and GP lesions were examined using dermoscopy, and the significance of specific dermoscopic findings was investigated in order to facilitate their differentiation and decrease the number of cases requiring biopsy. We found that the incidence of orange-yellowish structureless areas, focal dotted vessels and nondotted vessels was statistically significant in PLC, while the incidence of diffuse dotted vessels was statistically significant in GP

    Management of mycoses in daily practice.

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    The guideline recommendations, albeit founded on thorough reviews of clinically relevant literature data, are often not immediately adaptable to everyday life. Considering the marked heterogeneity of superficial mycoses, each of them requires specific management in a real life context; in all cases diagnostic confirmation is required with microscopic and culture examination. In tinea capitis oral therapy is necessary (minimum six weeks) and should be continued until clinical and, above all, mycological healing. In cases of tinea corporis, cruris or pedis, it may be necessary to associate oral therapy to topical treatment. The main oral antifungals are fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine. Fluconazole has favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics, and is effective in most superficial mycoses, for example in cases of diffuse or recurrent pityriasis versicolor in which oral therapy with an azole derivative is useful. Topical treatment, lasting 6-12 months, is indicated in onychomycosis that is confined to one nail. In frequent cases of onychomycosis involving multiple nails or recurrence, oral therapy is necessary. Pharmacological history is important, given the possible interactions of some systemic drugs. In chronic or recurrent relapsing vulvovaginitis, first-choice therapy is oral fluconazole with a therapeutic regimen that respects the mycotic biorhythm (200 mg on days 1, 4, 11, 26, and subsequently 200 mg/week for 3 months)
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