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ABSTRACT: Approximately 1% of the general population have venous or arterial lower limb ulcers. These lesions can be treated with biological skin substitutes such as cadaver skin or tissue-engineered skin equivalents, but treatment fails in 25% of cases, resulting in pain and loss of patient autonomy, as well as increased morbidity and health care costs. In the treatment of corneal ulcers, amniotic membrane has been shown to have antimicrobial and bacteriostatic properties, and to protect the wound without eliciting an immune response. The same properties have been reported in the treatment of burns and postthrombotic ulcers.
To assess the effectiveness of amniotic membrane transplantation in the treatment of refractory chronic leg ulcers.
Amniotic membrane was grafted onto 4 refractory ulcers in 3 patients. The mean time required for partial and complete re-epithelialization was calculated by measuring the wound area at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16. Pain intensity was assessed at the same intervals using a visual analog scale.
Complete wound re-epithelialization was achieved for 1 ulcer by week 8; in the other 3 cases, there was a 50% reduction in size compared to baseline. At week 16, the mean reduction in wound size for the 4 ulcers was 81.93%. The corresponding reduction in pain intensity was 86.6%. No adverse effects were observed.
Amniotic membrane transplantation might be an effective alternative for the treatment of refractory chronic vascular ulcers on the lower limbs.
Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas 05/2012; 103(7):608-13.
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ABSTRACT: Standard compression therapy for venous ulcers of the legs does not promote healing. Although autografting accelerates tissue repair, it is difficult to use in patients with concomitant diseases or when multiple grafts are required. The amniotic membrane has been used as a covering material and promotes epithelialization, making it a good potential treatment option when autografts are not indicated.
To analyze the literature on the safety and efficacy of amniotic membrane grafting and compare the cost of currently available grafts (autografts, amniotic membrane grafts, and biocompatible skin substitutes) to promote tissue repair in venous ulcers.
A systematic review of the literature on the use of amniotic membrane grafts for the treatment of venous ulcers was performed up to 2010. A cost-minimization analysis of direct healthcare costs was then performed (at 3 and 6 months). A sensitivity analysis was performed to confirm the stability of the results.
Only 1 study addressing safety and efficacy was identified. The cost-minimization analysis showed that autografts are always the least-expensive option (€ 1053 compared with € 1825 for amniotic membrane grafts and € 5767 for biocompatible skin grafts). At 6 months, however, amniotic membrane grafts would have cost € 6765 less than the use of biocompatible skin substitutes.
Despite having excellent therapeutic potential for the re-epithelialization of venous ulcers that do not respond to conventional treatment, amniotic membrane transplant remains an experimental therapy. Autograft is the most efficient treatment but amniotic membrane graft is less expensive than the use of biocompatible skin substitutes.
Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas 03/2011; 102(4):284-8.
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ABSTRACT: Nail psoriasis represents a challenge for specialists. There is no comparative study of systemic treatment's effectiveness at this site.
Evaluate the response of nail psoriasis to classical and biological therapy and to compare the effectiveness and safety of the different treatments.
We performed a retrospective study of 84 patients with moderate-severe psoriasis seen at our Department between January 2006 and January 2009.
Psoriasis was severe in 53.4%. In 75% of cases, the fingernails were affected, and the mixed form was the most frequently subtype. The mean baseline scores on the PASI and the NAPSI were 23.12 and 14.7 respectively; the correlation between the two scores fell at weeks 12 and 24 but had risen again at week 48. The baseline NAPSI score tended to be lower in women and significantly higher in patients over 65 years of age, family history of psoriasis, severe psoriasis and nail matrix involvement. In our series, 58.3% received classical treatment (acitretin, methotrexate, cyclosporin, PUVA, NUVB, REPUVA, RENUVB) and 41.7% received biological treatment (infliximab, efalizumab, etanercept, adalimumab).Significant reductions were found (P < 0.05) in the mean NAPSI scores at 12, 24 and 48 weeks with all the antipsoriatic agents except NUVB; significantly greater with cyclosporine (P < 0.01) and biological as infliximab and adalimumab at 12 and 24 weeks (differences between treatments disappeared at 48 weeks).
The response to treatment is slower in the nail lesions than in the skin lesions. The improvement of nail psoriasis is significant both with the classical treatments significantly higher in cyclosporin; and biological treatment (infliximab and adalimumab at 12 and 24 weeks).
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 12/2010; 25(5):579-86. · 2.98 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In the last years, there has been a great increase of bacterial resistance to the most frequently used antibiotics. Several factors should be considered when deciding to treat a cutaneous infection with a systemic treatment: characteristics of the patient, infection severity, prevalence and local resistance patterns of pathogens, and properties of available drugs.
Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas 09/2007; 98 Suppl 1:40-4.
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ABSTRACT: The slipping rib syndrome can be produced by a direct or indirect traumatism over the sternal tip of the costal cartilages 8, 9 and 10. The main complains are abdominal pain in the right or left upper abdominal, quadrants, and sometimes a sensation of rubbing or slipping of the ribs. The hoocking maneuver is useful in the diagnosis of this syndrome. Three clinical cases of the slipping rib syndrome are reported. This syndrome must be taken into account is the differential diagnosis of the abdominal pain in pediatric patients.
Anales espanoles de pediatria 05/1990; 32(4):349-51.
