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Biomedical subjects

C Varotti

Publications and source records attributed to C Varotti.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Intermittent cyclosporin A treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. Long-term follow-up of 26 patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of intermittent Cyclosporin A treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. For this purpose we considered the clinical records of 26 patients who had been intermittently treated with Cyclosporin A for 2 to 4 years. All 26 patients had severe plaque-type psoriasis (PASI score > 18) that was unresponsive to conventional treatment. The initial Cyclosporin A dosage was 5 mg/kg/day in 8 cases and 3 mg/kg/day in 18 cases. In all patients, Cyclosporin A treatment was prolonged until complete or nearly complete remission of psoriasis (mean 2 months; range 1-4 months). All patients subsequently underwent a 2-4 months maintenance treatment with Cyclosporin A dosages that were gradually reduced until tapering off. In order to maintain clinical improvement after Cyclosporin A withdrawal, patients were treated with topical steroids, topical tar, emollients and UVA exposure and/or eliotherapy. Cyclosporin A treatment (2.5-3 mg/kg/day) was reintroduced only when clinical relapses reached a PASI score of 12 or more. Duration and dosages of Cyclosporin A cycles were always adapted for the purpose of obtaining an improvement acceptable to the patient (PASI < 8) rather than total clearance of psoriasis. So far, the 26 patients have undergone 3-5 cycles of therapy with low doses of Cyclosporin A. None of these 26 patients interrupted Cyclosporin A treatment because of side effects. In conclusion, in our experience cyclic CyA treatment is effective for the long-term treatment of psoriatic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Recurrent basal cell carcinoma of the back infiltrating the spine. Recurrent basal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) recurrence appears to be related to tumor location, tumor size, treatment modality, radicalness of excision, and histologic type. Recurrences of BCC on the trunk and extremities are rare, with 97% of all recurrent lesions being located in the head and neck region. OBJECTIVE: This report concerns a man who had a BCC of the back removed with electrodesiccation and curettage in 1980 at the age of 36. In the following 10 years the patient experienced five recurrences and finally developed infiltration of the thoracic spine that precluded further attempts at radical excision of the neoplasm. METHODS AND RESULTS: The pathology of the BCC in our patient revealed a number of histologic features that have been associated with aggressive behaviour. These include an infiltrative growth pattern characterized by an irregular and acute tapered profile of the tumor cell groups and fibroblast-rich stroma, infiltrating invading tumour edges, poorly peripheral palisading, nuclear pleomorphism, and perineural invasion. CONCLUSION: Basal cell carcinomas that occur in sunlight-protected areas of the trunk of middle-aged individuals can occasionally exhibit aggressive and highly invasive features as well as a marked tendency for local uncontrollable recurrences. The prognosis for patients with this variety of BCC is poor, especially when progressive infiltration of deep tissues does not permit, as in our case, any possible further radical surgical procedure.

Back↗
PubMed1993

Symmetrical interdigital hyperkeratosis of the hands: a new case.

Congenital symmetrical interdigital hyperkeratosis is a rare disorder described by Frei in 1923, characterized by localized hyperkeratosis of the interdigital spaces of the hands and feet. The authors report the case of a 7-year-old girl affected by this condition. The skin hyperkeratotic lesions appeared localized exclusively to the interdigital spaces of the hands. Histologic examination showed orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis, hypergranulosis and acanthosis. Keratolytics failed to improve the clinical picture.

Child↗
PubMed1992

Telogen effluvium due to recombinant interferon alpha-2b.

Five of 10 patients receiving long-term recombinant interferon alpha-2b therapy complained of considerable hair loss. The pull test and the trichogram showed a telogen count consistent with a telogen effluvium. In 2 patients the telogen count progressively improved despite continuing the treatment, whereas in 3 patients the trichogram continued to show an increased telogen count until interferon therapy was discontinued. Pohl-Pinkus hair constrictions were also present in 2 patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Linear alopecia mucinosa along Blaschko lines.

We present a case of linear reversible non-inflammatory alopecia mucinosa in a 25-year-old Nigerian patient. The patient exhibited an arciform bald patch on the scalp and follicular mucinosis in both lesions. The possible relationships between the unusual linear arrangement of alopecia mucinosa along Blaschko's lines and lichen striatus are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Xanthoma disseminatum: a case with extensive mucous membrane involvement.

A 37-year-old man had red or brownish papules on his face, chest, and groin, where they coalesced into plaques. Endoscopic examination revealed the presence of small xanthomatous papules on the mucous membrane of the stomach. A biopsy specimen revealed a dense infiltrate of histiocytes, foam cells, Touton giant cells, and inflammatory cells. The diagnosis of non-X histiocytosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical studies of the infiltrate.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Hypertrophic lichen planus occurring after surgical procedures.

Two patients showed hypertrophic lichen planus at the sites of previous surgical procedures in their lower extremities after granulomatous reactions. Knots of implanted sutures too close to the epidermis may have caused the inflammatory reaction. Although granulomatous reactions occurring after surgical procedures are fairly common, no cases of lichenoid lesions have been reported previously.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Melanocytes in clear cell acanthoma.

The presence of melanocytes in 11 clear cell acanthoma cases was investigated by silver impregnation. Melanocytes were always present, their density showing great variability from case to case and within each individual neoplasm. The possible existence of a pigmented counterpart to clear cell acanthoma is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Papular and papulovesicular acrolocated eruptions and viral infections.

Twenty-six children with a symmetric papular or papulovesicular acrolocated eruption were studied to evaluate a possible link with viral infection. A history of a recent immunization was present in four patients, two of whom had a polio vaccine virus isolated from their stool samples. There was serologic evidence of a recent Epstein-Barr virus infection in one patient, adenovirus infection in another, a concurrent Epstein-Barr virus and adenovirus infection in a third, and cytomegalovirus infection in a fourth. Viral cultures were positive in two patients for adenovirus and in two others for rotavirus. Although some of the virologic findings could have been coincidental, this study confirms that multiple viral infections can be related to most papular and papulovesicular acrolocated eruptions of childhood. Virologic investigations in the earlier phases of the eruption are recommended to identify the etiologic factors of these lesions.

Adenoviridae Infections↗
PubMed1990

Massive lymphomatous nail involvement in Sézary syndrome.

The case of a 65-year-old man affected by chronic erythroderma due to Sézary syndrome and massive lymphomatous infiltration of the nails is reported. The clinical features of the nail lesions, consisting in thickening and discoloration of the nail plates, were not diagnostic. The nail biopsy showed a typical epidermotropic T cell lymphomatous involvement of all the nail constituents. Immunohistochemical characterization of the nails and skin lymphomatous infiltration showed identical results, confirming the neoplastic etiology of both the chronic erythroderma and the nail dystrophy.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[The Lupus Band Test and serology of lupus erythematosus. Our experience].

The Authors studied, from 1986 to 1988, 84 patients (24 men and 60 women, in an age group that went from 13 to 75 years, with an average of 42 years) in whom DLE was diagnosed. In these patients, a direct immunofluorescent assay was carried out on the affected skin, on the non-affected photoexposed skin, and on the non-affected non-photoexposed skin: furthermore, the serum of these patients was tested for the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies to extractable nuclear antigens (anti-ENA), and antibodies to double-stranded DNA (anti-DNA). In the study, a significant correlation between the presence of ANA and entity of cutaneous involvement at the Lupus Band Test was found. Furthermore, it was noticed that anti-ENA and/or anti-nDNA tend to be present in association to a positive Lupus Band Test in all 3 biopsied tissues.

Adolescent↗