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Biomedical subjects

L De Raeve

Publications and source records attributed to L De Raeve.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

The prevalence of positive reactions in the atopy patch test with aeroallergens and food allergens in subjects with atopic eczema: a European multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: The atopy patch test (APT) was proposed to evaluate IgE-mediated sensitizations in patients with atopic eczema (AE). OBJECTIVE: The prevalence and agreement with clinical history and specific IgE (sIgE) of positive APT reactions was investigated in six European countries using a standardized method. METHODS: A total of 314 patients with AE in remission were tested in 12 study centers on clinically uninvolved, non-abraded back skin with 200 index of reactivity (IR)/g of house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, cat dander, grass, and birch pollen allergen extracts with defined major allergen contents in petrolatum. Extracts of egg white, celery and wheat flour with defined protein content were also patch tested. APT values were evaluated at 24, 48, and 72 h according to the European Task Force on Atopic Dermatitis (ETFAD) guidelines. In addition, skin-prick test (SPT) and sIgE and a detailed history on allergen-induced eczema flares were obtained. RESULTS: Previous eczema flares, after contact with specific allergens, were reported in 1% (celery) to 34% (D. pteronyssinus) of patients. The frequency of clear-cut positive APT reactions ranged from 39% with D. pteronyssinus to 9% with celery. All ETFAD intensities occured after 48 and 72 h. Positive SPT (16-57%) and elevated sIgE (19-59%) results were more frequent. Clear-cut positive APT with all SPT and sIgE testing negative was seen in 7% of the patients, whereas a positive APT without SPT or sIgE for the respective allergen was seen in 17% of the patients. APT, SPT and sIgE results showed significant agreement with history for grass pollen and egg white (two-sided Pr > /Z/ < or = 0.01). In addition, SPT and sIgE showed significant agreement with history for the other aeroallergens. With regard to clinical history, the APT had a higher specificity (64-91% depending on the allergen) than SPT (50-85%) or sIgE (52-85%). Positive APT were associated with longer duration of eczema flares and showed regional differences. In 10 non-atopic controls, no positive APT reaction was seen. CONCLUSION: Aeroallergens and food allergens are able to elicit eczematous skin reactions after epicutaneous application. As no gold standard for aeroallergen provocation in AE exists, the relevance of aeroallergens for AE flares may be evaluated by APT in addition to SPT and sIgE. The data may contribute to the international standardization of the APT.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Positive thinking and moral oppression in cancer care.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that many cancer patients experience moral and psychological pressure to 'think positively' about their disease in order to 'fight' cancer. Such pressure seems to be both internally and externally generated. This paper examines some of the psychological literature which supports the connection between positive thinking and recovery but it also looks at the moral implications of these kinds of ideas, particularly when patients have to face deterioration in their health and the prospect of death. In emphasizing the positive, there may be two important consequences. Firstly, negative feelings may be marginalized or simply denied, a phenomenon which carries its own psychological implications and secondly, when faced with a failure to recover, people may interpret this as a moral failure i.e. they did not try hard enough. It is the writer's contention that such ideas can result in a sense of guilt and blame which could be diminished if not eradicated, if health care professionals were more careful to understand what is at stake when inculcating or endorsing an attitude of 'positive thinking'.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1997

Capillary-venous malformation in the labia majora in a 12-year-old girl.

The case of a capillary-venous malformation in the labia majora of a 12-year-old girl is reported. The tumour increased in volume with puberty. The authors present a differential diagnosis between immature haemangioma and vascular malformation. The diagnosis is based on clinical examination, ultrasound, nuclear magnetic resonance, arteriography and gynaecological exploration. This malformation can be excised locally.

Angiography↗
PubMed1995

Prepubertal acne: a cutaneous marker of androgen excess?

BACKGROUND: Early-onset acne before obvious signs of puberty is an uncommon phenomenon. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if prepubertal acne is associated with an excess of androgens. METHODS: Basal and adrenocorticotrophic hormone-stimulated plasma androgen levels were measured and bone age was determined in 15 children with early-onset acne. RESULTS: A late-onset adrenogenital syndrome caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency was diagnosed in two children. These children had early pubic hair development and advanced bone maturation. Heterozygosity for 21-hydroxylase deficiency was found in three other children. CONCLUSION: We recommend hormonal evaluation in children with prepubertal acne, especially those with associated advanced bone maturation and early pubarche.

17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone↗
PubMed1994

Acrodermatitis enteropathica-like cutaneous lesions in organic aciduria.

Cutaneous lesions resembling acrodermatitis enteropathica were present in two infants with methylmalonic acidemia and in one infant with propionic acidemia. All three infants were being fed a low-protein diet limited in branched-chain amino acids when the skin lesions developed. A deficiency in plasma levels of essential amino acids, particularly isoleucine, was confirmed. Supplementation of the diet with isoleucine in one of the patients led to a prompt improvement of the skin lesions. We conclude that dietary deficiencies associated with the treatment of organic aciduria should be added to the causes of acrodermatitis enteropathica-like cutaneous lesions.

Acrodermatitis↗
PubMed1994

Treatment of epidermolysis bullosa with human cultured epidermal allografts.

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa letalis type Herlitz Pearson is a genetically determined, life-threatening disease. Effective therapy has been lacking to date. Therefore any therapy that improves wound healing would be beneficial for these patients. Cultured epidermal grafts are known to enhance wound epithelialization and have been used with success in some epidermolysis bullosa disorders. Encouraged by these reports, we grafted cultured allogeneic keratinocytes to an infant with a junctional epidermolysis bullosa letalis type.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1993

Prepubertal melanoma in a medium-sized congenital naevus.

A case of malignant melanoma in a medium-sized congenital naevus in a prepubertal girl is presented. Risk factors for developing melanoma during childhood include giant congenital naevi, dysplastic naevus syndrome and xeroderma pigmentosum. The lifetime risk of melanoma associated with giant congenital naevi has been estimated to be 4%-20%; the risk associated with small and medium-sized congenital naevi however remains controversial. In the latter lesions, malignant transformation is considered an almost exclusively postpubertal phenomenon, in contrast to giant congenital naevi where it often occurs prior to puberty. In our patient, malignant transformation in a medium-sized congenital naevus occurred before puberty. We suggest that the true incidence of malignant transformation within these lesions and the time at which it occurs, should be documented by prospective studies and that not only the giant congenital naevi but also the smaller congenital naevi should be considered for prophylactic excision in early childhood.

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
PubMed1993

Informed consent and living wills.

The text of this paper was originally presented to the RCN Cancer Nursing Society Conference which was held in June 1993. It was written in response to a request to cover the topics of informed consent, ethics and the multidisciplinary team and living wills. Clearly, this is an extremely broad range of topics so, in order to introduce some coherence into the paper, the 'Tuma' case is used to connect the themes of cancer nursing, informed consent and working in a multidisciplinary team. The topic of living wills and its parent concept, that of advance directives, constitute a particular aspect of informed consent. These ideas are introduced via two recent legal judgements concerning 'T' and Tony Bland. The focus then moves from legal to moral concerns, ending with a brief critique of the whole idea of living wills.

Advance Directives↗
PubMed1992

Cutaneous lesions as a clue to severe combined immunodeficiency.

A 2-month-old boy experienced cutaneous lesions that revealed an underlying severe, combined immunodeficiency (SCID). It is important to recognize cutaneous manifestations of primary immunodeficiency disorders, as they may provide the earliest clue to a defect in immune function.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Hair casts.

Hair casts are small cylindrical structures, encircling individual scalp hairs but easily movable along the involved hair shafts. This hair disorder of unknown pathogenesis is only rarely mentioned in the dermatologic literature. We report the case of a 5-year-old girl, who has been treated during 2 years for pediculosis capitis. The literature about hair casts is reviewed.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1989

Lethal course of X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata in a male newborn.

We report a newborn with some manifestations of chondrodysplasia punctata. Additional abnormalities were hydrocephalus, bilateral syndactyly of the fourth and fifth fingers and toes, absence of the middle phalanx of all toes, hypoplasia of the second and third phalanges of all fingers and cryptorchidism. This observation suggests that we are possibly dealing with a rare male case of X-linked dominant chondrodysplasia punctata.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1988

Adverse cutaneous drug reactions in AIDS.

A maculopapular rash is reported in a girl with AIDS and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia treated with co-trimoxazole. AIDS patients seem to be at increased risk of adverse drug reactions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa of Cockayne-Touraine in father and son: clinical and ultrastructural similarities.

Dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa of Cockayne-Touraine occurred in a father and his son. Clinically, the child presented evident blistering, while the father, despite of his work, where minimal skin traumata frequently occur, was rarely affected. Absent or rudimentary anchoring fibrils were seen in the normal-appearing skin of the father; this suggests that other factors may play a role in the dermolytic separation.

Actin Cytoskeleton↗