Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Christina Stefanaki

Publications and source records attributed to Christina Stefanaki.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Efficacy, predictors of response, and long-term follow-up in patients with vitiligo treated with narrowband UVB phototherapy.

BACKGROUND: Narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) phototherapy is considered an accepted therapy for vitiligo. OBJECTIVE: We sought to estimate the effectiveness of NB-UVB in patients with vitiligo, identify predictive factors of response, and assess the stability of NB-UVB-induced repigmentation. METHODS: In all, 70 patients with vitiligo were treated twice weekly with NB-UVB. RESULTS: Cosmetically acceptable (>75%) repigmentation was achieved in 34.4% of patients with lesions on the face and in 7.4% of patients with lesions on the body. Patients with phototypes III to V had a greater chance to achieve greater than 75% repigmentation on the face. Patients who responded in the first month of treatment were more likely to achieve better repigmentation rates. Repigmentation was stable in 14.3% of patients 4 years after cessation of treatment. LIMITATIONS: The study was uncontrolled. Treatment frequency was twice weekly. These results may not be representative of different treatment regimens. CONCLUSION: Patients with vitiligo who have lesions on the face, darker phototypes, and early response to treatment have a greater chance to achieve satisfactory repigmentation after NB-UVB phototherapy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Intralesional 5-fluorouracil in the treatment of keloids: an open clinical and histopathologic study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of keloids remains unsatisfactory. Intralesional 5-fluorouracil (FU) has not been much investigated as a monotherapy in the treatment of keloids. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the use of intralesional injections of 5-FU in the treatment of keloids. METHODS: A total of 20 patients (11 male and 9 female) were treated once weekly with intralesional injections of 5-FU (50 mg/mL). Patients received an average of 7 treatments. Average injection volumes were 0.2 to 0.4 mL/cm2. All patients had full blood cell count, liver function tests, and renal function tests before and after treatment was commenced. A total of 10 patients had biopsy specimens taken before starting treatment as a baseline and after 6 sessions. Routine hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical analysis detecting Ki-67 and transforming growth factor-beta were performed on paraffin sections. All patients were followed up for 12 months, or until recurrence was noted. RESULTS: Of 20 patients, 17 (85%) showed more than 50% improvement. Only one did not respond favorably. Small and previously untreated lesions improved the most. Pain (20 of 20), hyperpigmentation (20 of 20), and tissue sloughing (6 of 20) were the main adverse effects. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluation were consistent with the clinical observations. Ki-67 proliferative index was significantly reduced (P = .0001) after treatment. Transforming growth factor-beta was reduced less significantly. Recurrence was noted in 47% (9 of 19) of patients who responded to treatment within 1 year. A correlation was found ( P = .028) between the duration of the lesions and recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that intralesional 5-FU may be effective in the treatment of keloids, but recurrence is common and further investigation is required.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Topical retinoids in the treatment of photoaging.

A large number of different substances comprise the family of retinoids, which are traditionally described as vitamin A derivatives. By exerting their action through nuclear and cytoplasmic receptors they may improve photoaging. Tretinoin is the best studied retinoid in the treatment of photoaging. Others such as isotretinoin, retinaldehyde, and tazarotene, although less well studied, have given promising results.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Guidelines for treating acne.

Acne, a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous units of the face, neck, chest, and back, is the most common skin disorder occurring universally, with an estimated prevalence of 70-87%.(1) It is a pleomorphic disorder characterized by both inflammatory (papules, pustules, nodules) and noninflammatory (comedones, open and closed) lesions. Grading of acne is mandatory to determine the appropriate therapeutic strategy. Mild acne can be purely comedonal or mild papulopustular, with a few papulopustules present as well.(2) Moderate acne is characterized by numerous comedones, few to many pustules, and few small nodules, with no residual scarring.(2) In severe acne papulopustules are numerous, many nodules can be detected, inflammation is marked, and scarring is present.(2) Very severe acne can be recognized by sinus tracts, grouped comedones, many deeply located nodules, and severe inflammation and scarring.(2) Although acne does not affect health overall, its impact on emotional well-being and function can be critical and is often associated with depression, anxiety, and higher-than-average unemployment rates.(3) Effective treatment can dramatically improve a person's quality of life.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Life-threatening purpura and vasculitis.

Palpable purpura, the inflammation of blood vessels is the hallmark of vasculitis. It can be observed in a variety of settings, where vessels can be affected primarily or as a secondary event. Every patient with vasculitis should be considered to have a systemic disease unless proven otherwise. One or more systemic symptoms occur in at least 50% of patients and there is no way to predict systemic involvement. Patients may demonstrate mild systemic involvement like arthralgia and arthritis, fever and malaise or more severe symptoms such as massive proteinuria and raised creatinine leading to chronic renal failure, severe intestinal bleeding or perforation with a fatal outcome. In this article we will review the life-threatening aspects of purpura and vasculitis.

Critical Illness↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Life-threatening dermatoses due to connective tissue disorders.

Connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma, dermatomyositis and lupus erythematosus are autoimmune, multi-system disorders whose clinical manifestations can be restricted to the skin or may involve many organs. The degree and rate of organ system involvement defer, as does the prognosis and rapidity of disease progression. In this article, scleroderma, dermatomyositis and lupus erythematosus will be reviewed in respect to their life-threatening potential.

Autoimmune Diseases↗