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Biomedical subjects

G F Altomare

Publications and source records attributed to G F Altomare.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Severe psoriasis treated with a new macrolide: everolimus.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease with a chronic relapsing course, and the particularly severe forms that are refractory to traditional therapies are often difficult to manage. Everolimus (Certican; Novartis, Basel, Switzerland) is a new rapamycin-derived macrolide that is used in the prophylaxis of rejection in heart and kidney transplant patients. The mechanism underlying its immunosuppressant and antiproliferative activity is different from, but complementary to, that of calcineurin inhibitors such as ciclosporin. We describe a woman with severe psoriasis treated with everolimus combined with subtherapeutic doses of ciclosporin.

Cyclosporine↗
PubMed2003

Mycosis on mycosis fungoides: zoophilic dermatophytosis selectively superimposed on pre-existing cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (mycosis fungoides) plaques.

We report a case of tinea corporis caused by a cattle-derived strain of Trichophyton mentagrophytes in a 44-year-old male affected by cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL, so-called mycosis fungoides). Fungal colonization of glabrous skin was strictly confined within pre-existing lymphomatous plaques. Either oral itraconazole or griseofulvin, or topical terbinafine were ineffective until the patient, who was treated with systemic retinoids and interferon-alpha for his CTCL, was shifted from leucocyte to lymphoblastoid interferon. The hypothesis that a local immunodisturbance could be responsible for the selective superimposition of tinea on CTCL lesions ('mycosis on mycosis'), and that such an immunodisturbance could be partially corrected by the interferon switch is discussed.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1995

Sarcoidosis presenting as erythema annulare centrifugum.

Erythema annulare centrifugum (EAC), a disease belonging to the poorly characterized category of 'figurate erythemas', has been associated with a variety of conditions, such as connective tissue diseases, infections, neoplasms and drug reactions. Here we report a case of EAC associated with sarcoidosis, the first case in the literature to our knowledge. EAC was the sole sign of the granulomatous disease process, which was diagnosed by means of appropriate investigations only after the patient reported the sudden resolution of a long-standing sensitization to perfumes and parabens. Steroid treatment for sarcoidosis improved the patient's condition, and restored the allergic response to these substances.

Erythema↗
PubMed1993

Intramuscular low dose alpha-2B interferon and etretinate for treatment of mycosis fungoides.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides is a lymphoma of cutaneous origin characterized by a proliferation of cells with a T phenotype. METHODS: In this pilot study, 13 men with mycosis fungoides in various stages were treated with alpha-2b interferon and etretinate. RESULTS: In ten of them, such a therapy proved to be effective (7 complete responses, 3 partial responses), sometimes with prolonged remissions (up to 20 months, and still persistent) after suspension of the drugs. CONCLUSIONS: We chose low-dose interferon administration in order to prevent side effects, which are said to be dose-dependent. In our experience this is not true, but this drawback seems to be overcome by the very good, sometimes spectacular, response to this combination therapy, particularly in low stage forms of the disease. This fact, compared with results provided by other groups, prompts us to plan new research protocols based on associations of retinoids with different interferon types (or even associations of different interferons), because we believe they will have an important place in treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in future.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Disodium cromoglycate versus diet in the treatment and prevention of nickel-positive pompholyx.

In some cases that have been diagnosed as contact allergy to nickel, there are repeated cutaneous eruptions of pompholyx, even in areas with no direct contact with the metal. The possible alimentary origin of dyshidrotic eczema should be considered when deciding on therapy. We have collected the clinical data for 24 patients with dyshidrotic eczema caused by nickel, to evaluate the benefit of a low-nickel diet versus treatment with oral disodium cromoglycate, comparing both objective and subjective symptoms. A low-nickel diet does not improve these patients but those treated with DSCG reacted better, from both objective and subjective point of view, than either the controls or the patients treated by diet. We next did intestinal permeability tests before therapy and after 15 days of treatment. We found that nickel uptake diminishes simultaneously with the reduction of absorption through the smaller aqueous "pores". This phenomenon was greatest after DSCG. We suggest that DSCG can help selected cases of pompholyx.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa inversa: a case report.

The inverse form of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genodermatosis characterized by a smouldering course of integumental blistering with improvement of lesions in adulthood, preferential localizations of lesions in flexural areas, severe oral and esophageal mucosal involvement and nail dystrophy. We describe a 41-year-old patient showing all the typical features of this form of epidermolysis bullosa. Ultrastructural findings in specimens obtained from perilesional and healthy skin were similar to those usually observed in the Hallopeau-Siemens form of epidermolysis bullosa. The patient has been treated with phenytoin for a period of 9 months with considerable improvement of the skin manifestations.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Laser flow cytofluorimetry in the study of papilloma virus-induced lesions].

HPV insertion into the genome can cause permanent changes in cellular DNA that disturb the regulation of cell proliferation. Most HPV-induced epithelial proliferative disease are benign, but not all. We have studied both types of lesion by automated laser flow cytometry to see if there were any permanent changes in the DNA that might serve as reliable prognostic indicators. There were 101 lesions of interest to the dermatologist, stomatologist and gynecologist. Although fluctuations in yields of cells make it difficult to formulate definite conclusions, since many results are heterogeneous and hard to summarize, we found dysplastic and metaplastic lesions always to be hyper- or hypodiploid and to our surprise two cases of common wart were hyperdisploid and another hypodiploid. This present study shows that laser flow cytometry can detect changes in the genome of lesions known to become malignant when the histological degree of transformation still indicates only a preneoplastic condition. This raises the problem of how we should label lesions like common warts, since laser flow cytometry clearly shows that they have net changes, though slight, in DNA content.

Biopsy↗