Biomedical subjects

Mirjana Poljacki

Publications and source records attributed to Mirjana Poljacki.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

[Kyrle's disease].

INTRODUCTION: Hyperkeratosis follicularis et parafollicularis in cuten penetrans known as Kyrle's disease is a recessive hereditary genodermatosis. Generally, Kyrle's disease appears between 30 to 50 years of age and women are affected more than men. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 40-year-old man, a worker in a cement factory, who noticed the first skin lesions six years ago. Those were follicular papules on the left leg. He had been in good health beforehand, although an alcoholic for many years. Based on laboratory and other findings, chronic hepatitis was diagnosed. Histopathological analysis of skin lesions showed presence of hyperkeratosis and partial parakeratosis with acanthosis of the epidermis. DISCUSSION: Kyrle's disease is classified among the perforating dermatoses with perforating folliculitis, perforating serpiginous elastosis and perforating reactive collagenosis. Kyrle's disease is often associated with hepatic, renal or diabetic disorders, and may be a paraneoplastic disease. CONCLUSION: The course of this disease is chronic. If the associated diseases are treated, patients may have a better prognosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Psoriasis and autoimmune skin disorders].

INTRODUCTION: Presuming that psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease, the aim of this study was to establish its association with other autoimmune skin diseases. The material was obtained at the Dermatovenereological Clinic--Clinical Center Novi Sad. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This 10-year retrospective study (1990-1999) included 1743 psoriasis patients. The control group consisted of 7492 nonpsoriatic dermatological patients. RESULTS: Association of psoriasis with other dermatological diseases of autoimmune nature has been established in 13 (0.74%) patients. The most frequent association was with lichen ruber planus in five patients, with alopecia areata and vitiligo in three patients, and in one with bullous pemphigoid and herpetiform dermatitis. Using Fisher's test no significant association was established. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: According to literature data association of psoriasis with other autoimmune diseases is well known, but rare, which is in accordance with our results. The question arises whether this association is the matter of poor coexistence or the matter of genetic mutations. However, once established, these associations can further highlight the autoimmune nature of psoriasis. The research of autoimmunity would lead us to epithelial cells in thymus, and their badly learnt cognitive function about what is own, and what is not.

Autoimmune Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnostic importance of ultrasound in dermatology].

INTRODUCTION: Utilization of 20 MHz ultrasound probes provided application of ultrasound in dermatology-dermatosonography. As a diagnostic tool, ultrasound was first registered in the early fifties of the past century. Great progress of dermatosonography occurred in the mid-nineties with introduction of the first 20 MHz scanner. METHODS OF ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN DERMATOLOGY: Several methods of ultrasonography have been developed: method A, method B, scannibg C method and Doppler ultrasound. They were based on different acoustic features of various tissues. ULTRASOUND IN DIAGNOSTICS: Today, dermatosonography is used in diagnosing: cutaneous neoplasms, inflammatory skin diseases and skin diseases of unknown etiology. Apart from that, it is used in differentiating benign and malignant tumors and may be helpful in monitoring morphea, dermatomyositis, cutaneous sarcoidosis, erythema nodosum, allergic diseases, postthrombotic syndrome, physiologic aging and aging due to sun exposure. It can be used in noninvasive monitoring of local treatment, therapeutic responses and adverse effects. CONCLUSION: Dermatosonography offers valuable possibilities in assessing skin morphology at an intermediate level: between clinical assessment and microscopy.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Vitiligo in childhood].

INTRODUCTION: Vitiligo is an acquired, sometimes familial skin depigmentation disorder due to selective destruction of melanocytes. Vitiligo is primarily a disease of the young; in about half of patients it occurs before the age of twenty. The aim of this study was to investigate some epidemiological and clinical characteristics of vitiligo in children, in relation to adults with vitiligo and children without vitiligo. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was conducted in fifty children with clinically diagnosed vitiligo (2 to 16 years of age). Children were compared with control groups of children with other skin diseases (age 2 to 16) and with adults with vitiligo. Each group comprised 30 patients. A detailed history was obtained and physical examination performed in each patient to determine the age of onset, clinical type (segmental or generalized), family history of vitiligo and other autoimmune and/or endocrine diseases, association with halo nevi, poliosis and Koebner phenomenon. RESULTS: Of the 50 children with vitiligo, 29 (58%) were girls and 21 (42%) boys. The mean age at first visit was 9 years and the mean age of onset was 7 years. Children with vitiligo had positive family history of vitiligo and autoimmune and endocrine diseases more often compared to children without vitiligo (p < 0.05). Children with vitiligo had poliosis, especially in cases of segmental vitiligo, more often compared to their age group (p < 0.001). Children had an increased incidence of segmental vitiligo compared to adults (p < 0.05). Halo nevi were more common in children with generalized vitiligo, in comparison with children without vitiligo (p < 0.01) and adults with vitiligo (p < 0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results show that segmental vitiligo and halo nevi occurred significantly more often in children than adults with vitiligo.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Compositae dermatitis].

INTRODUCTION: Compositae dermatitis is an allergic contact dermatitis caused by plant species of the Compositae family. The first report of a cutaneous reaction to the Chrysanthemum genus was made by Howe JS in 1887. In 1895 Maiden JH reported about skin lesions among men working with Tagetes minuta. Case reports of contact allergic-ragweed dermatitis appeared in the American literature as early as 1919. The North American feverfew--Parthenium Hysterophorus was brought to India from America in 1956 and it caused thousands of cases of so-called parthenium dermatitis. Ragweed and parthenium dermatitis became prototypes for the classic, so-called "airborne" Compositae dermatitis, that affects primarily exposed skin surfaces, and produces a universal erythroderma. EPIDEMIOLOGY: The frequency of contact allergy to Compositae in Europe is higher than previously believed. It occurs most frequently in middle-aged and elderly persons, but also in all age groups. During the two past decades a more equal sex ratio has been established. The prevalence varies from 0.7-1.4% in the general population, up to 4.5% among occupationally exposed persons. Compositae allergy is among the top ten contact sensitivities in Europe. In North Europe plants were the cause of 4.4% cases of occupational allergic contact dermatitis. ETIOLOGY AND PATHOGENESIS: Among cultivated Compositae plants, Chrysanthemum is considered to be a major sensitizer in Europe (60%). Among the edible types, it is lettuce--Lactuca sativa and endive Cichorium endivia (20-30%), and wild-growing feverfew--Tanace--tum parthenium (70-90%), tansy--Tanacetum vulgare (54%), and dandelion--Taraxacum officinale (65%). Sesquiterpene lactones are the main sensitizers of the Compositae family. Other components, thiophenes and acetylenes are said to elicit only phytophotodermatitis, but recent studies have demonstrated that some thiophenes and benzofuran derivates possess not only phototoxic activity, but also sensitizing properties. Photosensitivity is present in 22-75% Compositae sensitive individuals. Extracts from Compositae are known to be phototoxic in vitro. Photoreactivity of alpha-methylene-gamma-la-ctone group of sesquiterpene-lactone directed towards the DNA base thymine, thus producing intermolecular 2 + 2 photoadducts (antigen within the cell), was also thought to be related to photosensitivity. Clinical manifestations vary from generalized eczema (20-30%), eczema of hands and face (24%), hand (36-44%), or facial eczema (11-28%). 65% of patients have vesicular hand eczema. DIAGNOSIS: Routine patch testing with sesquiterpene lactone mix, aimed testing with Compositae extracts screening mix, Compositae plants, and with their extracts, whereas the treatment of choice is a specific allergen-immunotherapy.

Allergens↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Low level laser irradiation and its effect on repair processes in the skin].

INTRODUCTION: Application of laser beams for therapeutic purposes is of relatively recent date, but today there is no field of medicine where lasers cannot be used. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LASER RADIATION: Laser radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation with some specific characteristics such as coherence, monochromaticity and parallelity. TYPES OF LASER DEVICES: Nowadays, there are many laser devices on the market used in medicine and dentistry. According to the type of their active medium, lasers can be classified as solid, gas, semiconductor and liquid. EFFECTS OF LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY ON BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: The exact mechanism of action of low level laser therapy is still not completely understood. Its basic feature is to modulate cell behaviour, without causing significant temperature increase. During irradiation of a tissue with a laser beam, an interaction between cells and photons takes place--photochemical reaction. After a cell absorbs the photon, the photon stops existing, and its energy is incorporated into the molecule which has absorbed it. Once this energy is transferred to different biomolecules, it can be transferred to other molecules as well. The energy transferred to the molecule can increase its kinetic energy, and activate or deactivate enzymes or alter physical or chemical properties of main macromolecules. EFFECTS OF LOW LEVEL LASER THERAPY ON WOUND HEALING: Effects of low level laser therapy on wound healing process is one of the most fully studied aspects of this type of therapy. It affects all phases of this very complex process. This paper offers a more detailed analysis of these aspects.

Humans↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Use of a computer program (POSSUM) in examination of residents in a home for developmentally handicapped children and adults in Veternik-Novi Sad for occurrence and diagnostic significance of dysmorphologic signs on the skin].

The authors have examined frequency of dysmorphological signs by POSSUM at the Home for developmentally handicapped children and adults in Vetemik--Novi Sad. The aim was to establish possible different hereditary and congenital skin diseases and genetic syndromes in this population. The study was based on the following methods: method of family history including genealogy; dermatoglyphic methods; screening tests methodology in medical genetics; method of cytogenetic analysis; histo-pathological analysis; method of dermatovenerologic, genetic and dysmorphologic examinations of skin diseases by analysis of dysmorphological signs on the skin using a special computer programme. The study included 504 wards with 269 males and 235 females, and sex ratio of 1:1.14 in favour to males. Non-parametric statistics and Log-linear analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between the incidence of dysmorphological signs in the studied group and the Vojvodina population. The obtained incidence of dysmorphological signs in the examined group is presented in tables. Our results regarding the incidence of dysmorphological signs in the examined group showed significantly increased values in comparison to the population of Vojvodina.

Adolescent↗