Clinics in dermatology
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Clinics in dermatology · Nov 2005
ReviewScabies, pediculosis, bedbugs, and stinkbugs: uncommon presentations.
Parasitic agents determine some of the most common skin disorders. Although well known, they could present different manifestations or be modified by individual or external factors that make their diagnosis or treatment difficult. This review will discuss some of the most prevalent parasitic infections, scabies, and pediculosis and also mention reactions determined by contact with certain insects that, although rarely found, could induce important skin reactions.
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Clinics in dermatology · Mar 2005
Review Case ReportsLife-threatening erythroderma: diagnosing and treating the "red man".
Exfoliative erythroderma, or diffuse erythema and scaling of the skin, may be the morphologic presentation of a variety of cutaneous and systemic diseases. Establishing the diagnosis of the underlying disease is often difficult and, not uncommonly, erythroderma is classified as idiopathic. Several cases are presented to demonstrate the diversity of presentation of this disease. ⋯ Oatmeal baths and wet dressings to weeping or crusted sites should be followed by application of bland emollients and low-potency topical corticosteroids. Systemic dermatologic therapy may be required to maintain improvement achieved with local measures or to control erythroderma refractory to local measures. The prognosis of erythroderma is dependent on the underlying etiology.
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Hereditary cancer syndromes are a group of disorders characterized by a genetic susceptibility to the development of malignant tumors. Multiple cancers in the family or an abnormally early onset for the given cancer may suggest an underlying inherited predisposition. Awareness of their associated dermatologic manifestations can facilitate early detection of risk for neoplasms. This article provides an update on the clinical features, diagnostic criteria, and the use of genetic analysis in the detection of causative mutations of those hereditary cancer syndromes with cutaneous manifestations.
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Clinics in dermatology · Jul 2004
Review Comparative StudyDietary approaches to overweight and obesity.
For years dietary guidelines for the treatment of overweight and obesity have advised a low-fat, high carbohydrate diet. Recent meta-analyses have shown that weight loss achieved with ad libitum low-fat diets is typically in the range of 3-4 kg. ⋯ Both effectively reduce the glycemic load of the diet and early studies suggest they may be effective in increasing satiety, reducing ad libitum energy intake and may improve fat oxidation by reducing insulin demand. Both approaches can be used within the context of a reduced-fat diet, with evidence emerging to suggest this may improve weight and body composition outcomes.
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Over the last decade, the prevalence of obesity in Western and Westernizing countries has more than doubled. A standardized classification of overweight and obesity, based on the body mass index now allows a comparison of prevalence rates worldwide for the first time. In children, the International Obesity Taskforce age, sex, and BMI specific cut-off points are increasingly being used. ⋯ Prevalence rates for overweight and obese people are very different in each region with the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and North American having higher prevalence rates. Obesity is usually now associated with poverty even in developing countries. Relatively new data suggest that abdominal obesity in adults, with its associated enhanced morbidity, occurs particularly in those who had lower birth weights and early childhood stunting.