Blog Archive

Αλέξανδρος Γ. Σφακιανάκης

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

“Slime” dermatitis, a fad‐associated chronic hand dermatitis - Kondratuk - - Pediatric Dermatology - Wiley Online Library

"Slime" is the colloquial name for a non‐Newtonian viscoelastic putty‐like substance that is currently a popular plaything among pre‐teens and adolescents. Several ingredients in homemade slime recipes may cause irritant or allergic contact dermatitis. We report two children who developed slime‐associated chronic hand dermatitis, more prominently on their dominant hand. We review the potential for irritant and allergic contact dermatoses as the causes of dermatitis associated with homemade slime.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13729

The impact of pediatric atopic dermatitis on families: A review - Yang - - Pediatric Dermatology - Wiley Online Library

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an extremely common childhood disease, with considerable impact on the quality of life of affected children and their families. While pruritus is the hallmark symptom of this disease, AD has been well‐documented to impact patients beyond physical symptoms, resulting in behavior problems, mood disorders, and sleep disturbance.

Objective
This literature review outlines how atopic dermatitis impacts the quality of life of families of children affected by AD.

Methods
A total of 3436 articles were identified via an online search of the MEDLINE health literature database and were screened for relevance to quality of life impacts on families with children affected by AD.

Results
Caring for children affected by AD can be an extremely time‐consuming task that can impair personal relationships, decrease psychosocial functioning, and cause sleep loss among family members of affected patients. Additionally, AD may result in work absence or decreased work productivity for caregivers. Special diets, irritant and allergen avoidance strategies, and alternative therapies are commonly used by patients to manage their disease and require large amounts of family involvement.

Conclusions
Atopic dermatitis can greatly decrease quality of life of families of affected children in various domains, including sleep, finances, and relationships. Early intervention and psychotherapy may be needed in some patients to address these quality of life impairments.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13727

Successful treatment of hemorrhagic bullous Henoch‐Schonlein purpura with intravenous immunoglobulins - Mauro - - Pediatric Dermatology - Wiley Online Library

Henoch‐Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common systemic vasculitis in childhood. There is no consensus about the management for isolated cutaneous manifestations in HSP. We describe a case of HSP presenting with severe skin lesions that did not respond to standard therapy with corticosteroids. The 11‐year‐old child was treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, which induced rapid and persistent resolution of symptomatology.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13715

Biology of human melanocyte development, Piebaldism, and Waardenburg syndrome - Saleem - - Pediatric Dermatology - Wiley Online Library

Melanocyte development is orchestrated by a complex interconnecting regulatory network of genes and synergistic interactions. Piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome are neurocristopathies that arise from mutations in genes involved in this complex network. Our understanding of melanocyte development, Piebaldism, and Waardenburg syndrome has improved dramatically over the past decade. The diagnosis and classification of Waardenburg syndrome, first proposed in 1992 and based on phenotype, have expanded over the past three decades to include genotype. This review focuses on the current understanding of human melanocyte development and the evaluation and management of Piebaldism and Waardenburg syndrome. Management is often challenging and requires a multidisciplinary approach.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13713

Focal facial dermal dysplasia type 4.Bilateral preauricular scarlike defects surrounded by a hair collar, resembling membranous aplasia cutis congenita.

We present a rare case of focal facial dermal dysplasia type 4 (FFDD4) in an otherwise healthy boy infant, presenting as bilateral preauricular scarlike defects surrounded by a hair collar, resembling membranous aplasia cutis congenita. The presence of a hair collar supports the hypothesis that FFDD is caused by abnormal closure at facial embryonic fusion lines, but unlike midline scalp defects is not associated with neurological compromise. Other types of FFDD occur at different sites and can be associated with cranial dysgraphism. Awareness of this rare condition by dermatologists is imperative to enable prompt recognition and minimize diagnostic delay.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13730

Bullous pemphigoid in adolescence - Patsatsi - - Pediatric Dermatology - Wiley Online Library

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease affecting the elderly but is quite rare in childhood. The majority of pediatric cases have been reported during early childhood. Adolescence is divided into three phases: early (10‐13 years), middle (14‐17), and late (18‐21). This review aimed to identify BP cases in adolescence and demonstrate their clinical features and course. Our literature search was performed in Medline with the terms "bullous pemphigoid in childhood and adolescence," "childhood bullous pemphigoid," "juvenile bullous pemphigoid," and "autoimmune blistering and autoimmune bullous diseases in childhood." The data extraction for late adolescence was limited by the fact that this age group is included in adult BP registries. We identified nine cases in early adolescence. Mucosa were affected in 5 of 9 cases. Treatment consisted of systemic prednisone (8/9), in combination with dapsone (2/9), azathioprine (2/9), or erythromycin/nicotinamide (1/9). Relapses were reported in 3 of 9 cases. We identified five cases occuring in middle adolescence. Mucosa were not affected. Treatment consisted of systemic prednisone (5/5), in combination with dapsone (3/5), azathioprine (2/5), doxycycline/nicotinamide (1/5), or mycophenolate mofetil (1/5). Relapses were reported in two of five cases. No case of BP in the late adolescence was included in the results, as only one case met the search criteria, and overlapped with pemphigus vulgaris. With only 14 cases found in our review, BP in adolescence appears even rarer than in earlier childhood. Despite its low prevalence, BP should be included in the differential diagnosis of autoimmune blistering diseases in adolescents.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pde.13717

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Herbal Medicine in the Management of Tinnitus

AbstractTinnitus, which is commonly defined as "ringing in the ears" by the patients, is a perception of an auditory sensation without any accompanying external stimulation. It accounts for a notable part of visits in otolaryngology clinics and has been estimated to involve about 5–15% of adult population making serious problems in 3–5% of patients. Tinnitus causes a lot of problems for patients, their family, and guardians and significantly decreases quality of life of patients. Many treatment methods have been proposed and presented for Tinnitus since the first year of diagnosis. These methods range from conservative management and chemical medications to surgical methods. As the other diseases and conditions, herbal medicine has been trying to treat Tinnitus and a variety of medications have been proposed. In this chapter, we aimed to have a comprehensive review on the current herbal medications of Tinnitus from all over the world.
Keywordstinnitus herbal medicine treatment epidemiology Ginkgo bilobaChapter and author infoShow +1. Tinnitus: definition, etiology, and epidemiologyTinnitus, which is commonly defined as "ringing in the ears" by the patients, is a perception of an auditory sensation without any accompanying external stimulation [1, 2]. It accounts for a notable part of visit in otolaryngology clinics and has been estimated to involve about 5–15% of adult population making serious problems in 3–5% of patients [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Tinnitus causes a lot of problems for patients, their family, and guardians and significantly decreases quality of life of patients. Most of the patients have complaints with sleep disorders, depression, decreased self-confidence, and altered social communications as well as difficulties in quotidian activities [2].
Tinnitus is generally categorized into two types: subjective and objective. A majority of patients suffer from a subjective tinnitus, which means perception of an auditory sensation without any evident stimulus. In some patients, a kind of organic measurable stimulus such as glomus tumor, by making turbulence of blood flow, is the cause for tinnitus, which is called objective tinnitus [1, 2]. This type of tinnitus can be found by examiner using an ear-canal microphone or stethoscope [6].
A variety of risk factors have been reported for subjective tinnitus so far; hearing loss, depression, head trauma, and medication-related ototoxicity [7, 8, 9]. Some other conditions may have a role in predisposing patients to tinnitus such as acoustic trauma and presbycusis, and it may be associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or cervical spine dysfunctions (somatic tinnitus) as well as depression and anxiety [10, 11, 12, 13, 14].
2. Current treatmentsCurrently, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicine Agency has not approved any drug for the treatment of tinnitus [15]. The complex mechanism and innate diversity in etiology of tinnitus have made its treatment a dilemma for physicians and specially otolaryngologists. Despite considerable number of researches, none of the so far presented medications and treatments has resulted in a sustained reduction in perception of tinnitus [16]. No appropriately controlled clinical trials have been successful to prove efficacy of a single drug. Thus, pharmacological treatment of tinnitus seems to be ineffective [17, 18]. Antidepressants are more frequently prescribed for tinnitus and seem to be effective but with a notable number of side effects. Anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, lidocaine, and antispasmodics are also among commonly prescribed medications [19]. Voice therapy, using hearing aids, adjuvant therapies as well as environmental sound enrichment are the most common nonmedical approaches to Tinnitus [20].
Regarding the abovementioned issues, there are varieties of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments, which have been experimented in clinical stage for tinnitus. Herbal medicine or acupuncture, as the most popular types of CAMs therapy among people, have been shown to be effective in management of tinnitus when prescribed solely or in combination [21, 22]. Most of the CAM studies have a small sample size and few methodological pitfalls make it difficult to decide firmly about these treatments.
Some of medicinal herbs and their derivates have been evaluated in various phases of studies: in vitro, in vivo, and even in small to large scale clinical trials [23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30]. In fact, people in different regions of the world have different approaches to medicinal plants and use a variety of herbal medications for treating different diseases and conditions, which have not yet been scientifically assessed [31, 32]. In this chapter, we will discuss and review current traditional and herbal medicine treatments with approved or possible effects on management of Tinnitus.
3. Ginkgo biloba (Jinko)Ginkgo biloba from the Ginkgoaceae family is a Chinese traditional medicine herb, which is being used for the treatment of asthma and bronchitis for a long time [22, 33]. It has gotten popular also in western countries as well as in Asian ones [34]. Ginkgo biloba is widely available as easily accessible, inexpensive, and relatively safe leaf extracts with various reported therapeutic benefits such as improved cognition and memory as well as sexual function [35, 36]. These improvements beside other biological effects of Jinko extracts such as improvement of microcirculation and neuroprotection are attributable to flavonoid glycosides and terpene lactones, active pharmacologic gradients of Ginkgo biloba. It should be pointed that seeds play a remarkable role in Chinese traditional medicine and they are the most commonly used parts of plants for herbal medications, while Ginkgo biloba is processed from the plants' leaves.
Jinko has been proposed for management of various central nervous system pathologies including tinnitus; however, some previous researches have reported no beneficial effects for Ginkgo biloba in treatment of tinnitus [36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41]. Nevertheless, no certain decide can be made regarding effects of Ginkgo biloba on management of tinnitus according to its complex pharmacological profile, which shows need for further accurate researches [42].
4. Bojungikgitang and banhabaekchulchonmatang (traditional Korean medicine)Bojungikgitang and banhabaekchulchonmatang have been approved by Korea Food and Drug Administration and are being widely used in Korea for treatment of Tinnitus because of their very low rate of adverse effects [16]. These two herbal medications have found their places among Korean people and physicians. Traditional Korean medicine (TKM) believes that Tinnitus is mainly caused from irregularities in bowel and visceral (zang-fu) functioning [16]. According to TKM, gallbladder deficiency associated with tinnitus is managed by banhabaekchulchonmatang, and bojungikgitang is used to manage the pattern of qi-deficiency [21]. Both of these drugs are now fully covered by Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI).
5. Gushen PianasGushen Pianas is a novel Chinese medicinal herb, which is being used in the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss and Tinnitus. Phlegm-accumulation stasis and splenonephric hypofunction are the two main proposed mechanisms of action for Gushen Pianas in treatment of Tinnitus [43]. This medication has been developed by Institute of Otorhinolaryngology of Chinese PLA General Hospital and Wuhan Kexing Biomedical Development Co.
Effectiveness of the drug was evaluated in a phase 2 double-blind randomized clinical trial on 120 patients with sensorineural deafness associated with tinnitus. Patients received five tablets of Gushen Pianas every 8 hours and the effect was assessed after 4 weeks. The findings suggested Gushen Pianas as a suitable treatment for hearing loss with no evident adverse effects [43].
6. Panax ginseng (Jinseng)Root of the Panax ginseng, with local name of Jinseng, a Chinese medicinal plant from the Araliaceae family has been being used for treatment of Tinnitus since dawn of traditional medicine [44]. Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a traditional Korean herbal medication, which has been used for more than 2000 years, believed to have several benefits for human body [45]. It is considered that oxidative stress is the cause for idiopathic tinnitus and patients may take benefits from oral antioxidant therapy [46, 47]. So, KRG has been proposed for treatment of tinnitus as it inhibits production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also attenuates hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in human neuroblastoma cells [48, 49]. The effect of KRG (3000 mg/day) was evaluated in a randomized clinical trial in which the patients showed a significant reduction in tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score and increased quality of life. Also some adverse effects have been reported for Jinseng and specially KRG in literature. Deficiency of vital energy (DE), known as qi-deficiency, is a traditional Chinese medicine syndrome, which indicates the disease emerging identity. Some studies believe that Ginseng, especially Korean Red Ginseng, might cause some adverse effects if the patient's body constitution does not match the qi-deficiency. However, others have reported the Ginseng as the treatment of qi-deficiency caused by any reasons [50].
Further researches are needed to assess beneficial and adverse effects of KRG more accurately.
7. GarlicPrevious conducted researches have reported a lipid-lowering effect for garlic and some others have counted fibrinolytic activity and lowering blood pressure as therapeutic roles of garlic. Few studies have also reported garlic to be beneficial for treatment of tinnitus [6]. Garlic's effect on tinnitus is attributable to improve blood flow of cochlea as a result of its antiplaque formation ability, stabilizing blood pressure, and augmentation in antioxidant capability of the blood. No scientific studies have been conducted for approving these effects and all of them are theoretical [51].
8. Yoku-kan-sanThere are more than 120 plants approved by Japanese ministry of health, labor, and welfare, which are now being used in practice as traditional medications [52]. Yoku-kan-san, a traditional Japanese herbal medication, is one of these approved herbal medications composed from seven plants (Angelicae Radix, Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma, Bupleuri Radix, Poria, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Cnidii Rhizoma, and Uncariae Uncis Cum Ramlus). This combination is more frequently used as treatment of psychological conditions such as irritability, insomnia, night terrors, and hypnic myoclonia, especially in infant patients [53]. Although, there are not enough clinical investigation and convincing data for beneficial effect of Yoku-kan-san on tinnitus, but it has been shown to be effective for tinnitus resulted from undifferentiated somatoform disorder in a 44-year-old woman [54]. There is an obvious need for more clinical researches to support such kind of case reports.
Today's world is going toward the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines, which are now finding their place among people. Conditions with no precise pharmacologic treatment, such as tinnitus, are more probable to be resolved by herbal medications. In this chapter, we tried to review current medicinal plants for treatment of tinnitus; however, currently, there is a lack of clinical research in this issue. The effect of herbal medications on tinnitus should be investigated in more future clinical researches.
https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/herbal-medicine-in-the-management-of-tinnitus/