The British journal of dermatology
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Itching (pruritus) following burns is a well-known clinical problem. However, there are no long-term prospective studies that document the course and the extent of the problem. Studies on risk factors are anecdotal. ⋯ Itching remains a significant problem over a 2-year period. Individuals having undergone surgical procedures and experiencing early post-traumatic distress are more likely to suffer from long-term and persistent itching. Implications regarding practice and research are discussed.
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Repetitive scratching is the most common behavioural response to itch in atopic dermatitis (AD). Patients with chronic itch often report that very hot showers inhibit itch. We recently reported that scratching and noxious heat stimuli inhibit histamine-induced itch in healthy subjects. However, no psychophysical studies have been performed in AD to assess the effects of repetitive heat pain stimuli and scratching on histamine-induced itch. ⋯ Our results strongly suggest that scratching and noxious thermal stimuli have a different effect upon histamine-induced itch perception in patients with AD when compared with healthy controls. This difference may be associated with both peripheral and central sensitization of nerve fibres in AD.
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In dermatological research and clinical practice, there is a need for comprehensive self-report instruments that assess a broad spectrum of health implications of chronic skin diseases, including generic and skin-specific aspects of disease-related quality of life. The advantages of dermatology-specific, multidimensional instruments over generic instruments or single-dimensional quality-of-life measures are in the detailed and specific information they provide about health areas that are affected by the skin condition and that may change through therapeutic intervention. ⋯ With its convincing results for reliability and validity the present evaluation supports the usefulness and applicability of the instrument for different chronic skin diseases.
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Letter Case Reports
Dilated pupils caused by topical glycopyrrolate for hyperhidrosis.