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Gonca Boztepe

Publications and source records attributed to Gonca Boztepe.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

In search of an optimum dose escalation for narrowband UVB phototherapy: is it time to quit 20% increments?

OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to compare 20% with 10% to 5% incremental regimens in narrowband UVB phototherapy. STUDY PATIENTS: The study included patients with psoriasis (N = 191) with Fitzpatrick skin phototypes II and III. RESULTS: Occurrence of erythema as well as maximum and cumulative doses were higher with 20% escalations, whereas response rates and time to response did not significantly differ. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by its retrospective nature. CONCLUSION: A 5% or 10% incremental regimen may have similar therapeutic efficacy.

Erythema↗
PubMed2006

The effect of maintenance narrow-band ultraviolet B therapy on the duration of remission for psoriasis: a prospective randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Narrow-band (311 nm) UVB is an effective treatment modality for moderate to severe psoriasis. The effect of maintenance narrow-band UVB on the duration of remission is unknown. AIM: To determine whether maintenance narrow-band UVB affects the duration of remission. METHODS: After clinically significant improvement [defined as 75% reduction in the initial Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) = "PASI 75"], patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups, namely maintenance and no maintenance. The first group received 2 months of maintenance therapy; the second group received no further treatment. Both groups were followed up for 1 year. RESULTS: At the end of 12 weeks, 46 of 50 patients (92%) achieved "PASI 75". Of these 46 patients, 32 had plaque-type psoriasis and 14 had guttate-type psoriasis. The numbers of patients assigned to the maintenance and no maintenance groups were 22 and 24, respectively. At the end of the study, 12 of the 22 patients (55%) in the maintenance group and, by contrast, eight of the 24 patients (33%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. When the patients in both groups were categorized according to the type of psoriasis, eight of 14 (57%) patients with plaque-type psoriasis in the maintenance group and, by contrast, three of 18 (17%) in the no maintenance group were still in remission. Although numerically significant, life-table analysis indicated no statistically significant difference for the probability of remaining in remission between maintenance and no maintenance groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide some evidence that maintenance narrow-band UVB may achieve longer remission durations for patients with plaque-type psoriasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Prurigo pigmentosa successfully treated with low-dose isotretinoin.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Prurigo pigmentosa (PP) is an uncommon inflammatory disease with pruritic reddish papules, papulovesicules or vesicules that are symmetrically localized on the trunk and nape, accompanied by reticular hyperpigmentation. Currently available therapeutic options seem somewhat unsatisfying. Herein, we report an 18-year-old female with PP successfully treated with low-dose isotretinoin. METHODS: The patient presented with a symmetrical pruritic eruption on the lateral sides of her trunk with erythematous papules on a hyperpigmented background. Based on the typical clinical and associated histological findings, the patient was diagnosed as PP and a treatment with low-dose isotretinoin 0.3 mg/kg/day (20 mg/day) was started. RESULTS: After a total of 3 months of 20 mg/day isotretinoin therapy, all erythematous macules and papules resolved and the residual pigmentation had almost disappeared. CONCLUSION: Low-dose isotretinoin is not only adequate for the improvement of erythematous lesions, it also helps resolve the reticular hyperpigmentation of PP. Further studies are needed to observe the efficacy of isotretinoin in the treatment of PP.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy to clear and maintain clearance in patients with mycosis fungoides.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy for early-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) has been found to be beneficial in some reports. Although rapid recurrences after discontinuation of therapy appear to interfere with its efficacy, optimal maintenance schedules for prolonged relapse-free intervals are not discussed in the literature. The purpose of this study was to review our experience with narrowband UVB in patients with MF. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All available data that belong to 14 patients (10 male, 4 female; age range, 28-74 years) with histologically proven MF, at disease stages IA-IB (n = 10) and IIA (n = 4) who received narrowband UVB were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS: Complete response (CR) was achieved in 11 of 14 cases (78%) after a mean of 25 treatments. Ten of 11 patients were followed up for a median of 22 months (range, 7-43 months) after CR; one patient was lost to follow-up immediately after CR. Eight patients completed the recommended maintenance narrowband UVB therapy protocol. The median duration of maintenance was 18 months (range, 12-30 months). No patient had relapse during maintenance. Mean relapse-free duration was 26.0 +/- 9.9 months. LIMITATIONS: The number of patients in the study group was relatively few. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence that narrowband UVB might be an efficient treatment option for MF patients at stages IA and IB, as well as at stage IIA. Results suggest that using maintenance phototherapy after CR is a logical approach, which may prolong the duration of remission in MF.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

No additional effect of topical calcipotriol on narrow-band UVB phototherapy in patients with generalized vitiligo.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: There is no definite cure for vitiligo; however, treatment responses with photobiological modalities are quite acceptable. Of all these, narrow-band UVB phototherapy was proposed rather recently. Calcipotriol has been shown to have stimulating activity on melanogenesis besides immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. This study was performed to determine whether adding topical calcipotriol to narrow-band UVB phototherapy enhances the efficacy of treatment. METHODS: In this prospective, single-blinded (investigator), right-left comparison clinical study, 20 patients with generalized vitiligo were enrolled. Symmetrical lesions with similar sizes, bilaterally distributed on arms, legs, hands, feet or trunk were selected as reference lesions. In addition to narrow-band UVB, totally 96 treatment sessions, received two or three times weekly, the patients were asked to apply 0.005% topical calcipotriol on the selected side of the reference lesions twice daily. Then, they were monitored at the end of every 24-session interval. RESULTS: Cosmetically acceptable repigmentation was observed in 55% (11/20) of the patients without taking calcipotriol into account. There was statistically significant better response on the side that calcipotriol was not applied at the 24th session (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was found between the calcipotriol-treated and non-treated sides at 48th, 72th, and 96th sessions (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data confirm that, narrow-band UVB phototherapy is effective by itself in vitiligo, and show that adding topical calcipotriol does not improve treatment outcome.

Administration, Cutaneous↗
PubMed2005

A case of lupus vulgaris successfully treated with antituberculous therapy despite negative PCR and culture.

A 14-year-old boy presented with a pink firm plaque with well-defined borders in the right infra-orbital skin area. On diascopy, the infiltrate exhibited a typical apple-jelly appearance. No acid-fast bacilli could be demonstrated. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay did not reveal the presence of mycobacteria in a lesional biopsy sample. Culture of biopsied tissue on Loewenstein-Jensen medium was negative. Although the tuberculosis culture and PCR did not confirm tuberculosis, a diagnosis of lupus vulgaris was made considering the clinical and histopathological findings. After a 9-month antituberculous therapy, the lesion disappeared. We believe that a diagnosis of lupus vulgaris still depends more on clinical and histopathological findings than on tuberculosis culture or PCR.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis with arthritis.

Interstitial granulomatous dermatitis with arthritis is an uncommon disorder. In its original description, the presence of linear inflammatory indurations on the lateral aspects of the trunk (the rope sign) in association with arthritis were considered the pathognomonic clinical features. Later cases presenting with plaques and papules have been reported. Herein we describe a case of interstitial granulomatous dermatitis with arthritis without the rope sign. The present case supports the idea that interstitial granulomatous dermatitis with arthritis may have variable clinical appearances.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2004

Munich method of micrographic surgery for basal cell carcinomas: 5-year recurrence rates with life-table analysis.

The aim of this study was to find the recurrence rates of basal cell carcinomas treated with micrographic surgery in the Department of Dermatology, University of Regensburg. From 1992 to 1997, 261 basal cell carcinomas (178 primary and 83 recurrent) have been treated. The mean duration of follow-up was 5 years (range 1-9). Data were analysed by life-table analysis. Eleven basal cell carcinomas (6 primary and 5 recurrent) recurred. The 5-year recurrence rates were 3.3% for primary and 7.3% for recurrent basal cell carcinomas. Our results are comparable with previously published data from Europe but seem higher than those reported in the USA. Use of different statistical methods to report the recurrence rates mainly accounts for the discrepancy among studies. For a better comparison among studies on recurrence rates, a standard statistical method should be used, and we support the idea that life-table analysis provides the best approximation of the true recurrence rates.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cutaneous silica granuloma: a lesion that might be clinically underdiagnosed.

Cutaneous silica granuloma is a poorly understood, uncommon condition. There have been relatively few reports of cutaneous silica granuloma despite the well-known ubiquitous nature of silica in the environment. The characteristic latency period between the time of silica exposure to the time of clinical onset of granuloma, lack of clear-cut histories of exposure in most cases and likelihood of spontaneous resolution, may challenge the diagnosis. Thus, cutaneous silica granuloma might be a lesion that is often underdiagnosed. Here we describe a patient with characteristic findings of cutaneous silica granuloma.

Adult↗