A M Gargoom | PubMed Health

PubMed2004

Calcipotriol in the treatment of childhood vitiligo.

Eighteen patients with a clinical diagnosis of vitiligo, aged between three and 12 years (mean 8.9 years), were enrolled in this study in order to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of topical calcipotriol in the treatment of childhood vitiligo. Six patients (33.3%) were males and 12 were females (66.7%). Fourteen patients (77.8%) had focal vitiligo, two (11.1%) had mucosal vitiligo and two (11.1%) had segmental vitiligo. The face was involved in 11 patients (61.1%). The treatment was applied twice daily as 50 microg/gm cream in nine patients and as ointment in the remaining patients. Treatment assessment was carried out clinically at 2 weeks, and then monthly for 4-6 months. Four patients (28.6%) were excluded from the study (one due to irritation and three due to lost contact in follow-up). Fourteen patients (71.4%) completed the treatment course (> 3 months). Of the treated patients, ten (77.8%) showed improvement and four patients (22.2%) had no response. Among responders, three patients (21.4%) showed complete resolution, four (28.6%) showed 50%-80% improvement and three patients (21.4%) showed 30% to < 50% improvement. Only one patient (5.5%) developed irritation. In conclusion, calcipotriol is an effective treatment in vitiligo. Better results are obtained with ointment than with cream. Calcipotriol can be helpful in children in whom potent steroids and PUVA are not advisable.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2000

Tinea capitis in Benghazi, Libya.

BACKGROUND: Tinea capitis is a worldwide problem. It affects mainly school age children. Late detection and improper treatment of the inflammatory type of this disease may result in disfigurement and permanent alopecia. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, clinical types, and causative species of tinea capitis in Benghazi, Libya. METHODS: One hundred and ninety six patients with tinea capitis were enrolled in this study. Hair stumps and scales were collected from every case and exposed to direct microscopic examination using 10% potassium hydroxide solution, and cultivation on modified Sabouraud's dextrose agar with cyclohexamide and chloramphenicol. RESULTS: Tinea capitis accounts for 45% of all superficial fungal infection and 92% occurred in children below the age of 10 years. The gray patch type was the most common clinical variety (53.6%), followed by black dots, seborrhoid type, and kerion (25.5%, 10.2%, and 8.2%), respectively. Four patients with a clinical picture of alopecia areata-like lesion and one patient with a favus-type lesion were seen. Species identification revealed that Trichophyton violaceum was the most common causative agent, responsible for 49.4% of infection, followed by Microsporum canis (38.6%) and T. verrucosum (7.8%). From seven patients the isolate was a mixture of both T. violaceum and M. canis. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a dramatic decrease in the incidence of favus with complete disappearance of T. schoenleinii. T. verrucosum as a causative agent of tinea capitis in this area has been reported for the first time in this study.

Adolescent↗