Biomedical subjects
Marcy S Alvarez
Publications and source records attributed to Marcy S Alvarez.
Tinea capitis.
Tinea capitis (TC) is a common fungal infection of the scalp, hair follicles, and hair shafts that can affect any age group but is particularly common in schoolchildren. The prevalence of TC has risen in the past 2 decades. Griseofulvin, the gold standard of therapy, does not cure about 20% of patients with TC, which has led to recent clinical trials on alternative agents for TC. This article reviews the pertinent new advances in the understanding of the disease and its therapy.
Contact allergy to food.
Contact allergies to foods, spices, and food additives can occur to individuals in the workplace or at home. Seven different reaction types have been described. These include irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, contact urticaria, protein contact dermatitis, phototoxic contact dermatitis, photo-allergic contact dermatitis, and systemic contact dermatitis. The causes of each of these are reviewed and an approach to the diagnosis and management of contact allergy to foods, spices, and food additives is formulated.
Multiple contact allergens in a violinist.
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Photocontact allergy to diallyl disulfide.
Although phototoxic reactions to plants are common, photoallergic contact dermatitis to plants and plant products rarely occurs. Our objective was to review the importance of including diallyl disulfide in the evaluation of patients with suspected photosensitivity. Phototests for ultraviolet B, ultraviolet A, and visible light as well as patch tests and photopatch tests for 49 allergens from the New York University Skin and Cancer Unit Photopatch Test Series were performed. Three patients had positive photopatch-test results to diallyl disulfide, which is the allergen in garlic. The authors conclude that although photocontact allergy to diallyl disulfide is rare, this allergen should be included in photopatch-test series.