The British journal of dermatology
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Letter Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Utility of studying the ocular surface in patients with acne vulgaris treated with oral isotretinoin: a randomized controlled trial.
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Rituximab (MabThera, Roche) is a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen. Its efficacy and safety were first demonstrated in the treatment of systemic B-cell lymphomas. ⋯ This treatment resulted in tumour regression, even of the lesions that had not been injected. We therefore hypothesize that there is systemic diffusion of rituximab from injected sites despite the low doses injected locally, or the induction of a specific antitumour immune response acting systemically.
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Blood flow in psoriatic plaques before and after selective treatment of the superficial capillaries.
Blood flow is substantially raised in psoriatic plaques. In addition, mechanisms of vasoconstriction and vasodilatation (locally and neurally mediated), although intact, are altered in magnitude. The elevated blood flow is considered to be a result of abnormalities (increase in vessel number, width and length) in the superficial capillary loops rather than changes in the deeper feeding vessels (arterioles). ⋯ The results indicate that it is unlikely that the reduced resistance of the expanded superficial capillary bed is solely responsible for the massively elevated blood flow in plaque skin. It is more likely that the vascular abnormalities in psoriasis also extend to involve the deeper, larger resistance vessels (arterioles).
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Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is widely used for fluid management in broad populations of patients, particularly in the surgery and intensive care settings. Pruritus, often manifested as pruritic crises, is increasingly being recognized as a common major adverse effect of HES administration. This iatrogenic form of pruritus is frequently severe and protracted with a serious negative impact on patient quality of life, including sleep disturbance, disruption of daily routine and mental distress. ⋯ Consequently, it is important to inquire about prior HES exposure in the diagnostic evaluation of pruritus sine materia. Awareness about the scope of the pruritus problem needs to increase among physicians administering HES. Well-designed clinical outcome studies are needed to assess more fully the incidence, dose dependency and mechanisms of pruritus with particular HES solutions.