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L Naldi

Publications and source records attributed to L Naldi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Feasibility of a registry of pemphigus in Italy: two years experience. Gruppo Italiano Studi Epidemiologici in Dermatologia (GISED)

BACKGROUND: There are still unanswered questions about optimal treatment strategies and long-term prognosis of pemphigus. The Italian Group for Epidemiologic Research in Dermatology (GISED) started to register pemphigus in March 1990. METHODS: The registry is hospital-based, covering newly diagnosed cases referred to 33 dermatologic centers in the north and the middle-south of Italy. Serum samples were collected at the time of diagnosis, for centralized storage. RESULTS: In the period between March 1990 and December 1991, 110 cases were collected, with 105 retained. Median age at diagnosis was 54, and the man to woman ratio was 0.7. The median lag of diagnosis was 4 months. Seventy-four of 79 patients with pemphigus vulgaris/vegetans and 24 of the 26 with pemphigus erythematosus/foliaceus were given corticosteroid treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A hospital-based registry is feasible and provides useful information about both clinical aspects and management of pemphigus, serving as a basis for developing ad hoc research programs (e.g., formal epidemiologic studies and clinical research).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Cutaneous manifestations associated with antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with suspected primary antiphospholipid syndrome: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of a variety of dermatological manifestations related to vascular abnormalities with antiphospholipid antibodies in patients with suspected primary antiphospholipid syndrome. METHOD: Case-control study. Consecutive patients referred to the coagulation and haemostasis service of a general hospital for the first determination of antiphospholipid antibodies (lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies) and newly diagnosed disorders (for example, thrombocytopenia, thrombotic disorders, and unexplained repeated abortions) were selected. Patients were examined by two dermatologists according to predefined criteria, and information about general characteristics and relevant dermatological and medical histories were collected using an ad hoc questionnaire. The study was limited to patients without evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus. A total of 35 patients was examined; 13 subjects were positive for lupus anticoagulant or anticardiolipin antibodies, or both (cases), and 22 were negative (controls). RESULTS: Moderate to severe livedo reticularis and acrocyanosis were significantly associated with antiphospholipid antibodies, with relative risks of 13.1 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 149.0) and 8.6 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 65.1). Capillaritis was also associated with the antibodies. Histories of Raynaud's phenomenon and superficial thrombophlebitis were more common in cases than controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides quantitative evidence of the association of antiphospholipid antibodies with several cutaneous diseases in which vascular abnormalities seem to play a major part. The study suggests that these manifestations might appear early in the development of the antiphospholipid syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Clinical classification of cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and erythema multiforme.

BACKGROUND AND DESIGN: To conduct a prospective case-control study about causative factors of severe bullous erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis, we needed to define criteria for classifying the cases and standardize the collection of data so that cases could be reliably diagnosed according to this classification. Based on review of case histories and photographs of patients, a group of experts proposed a classification based on the pattern of erythema multiforme-like lesions (categorized as typical targets, raised or flat atypical targets, and purpuric macules) and on the extent of epidermal detachment. An atlas illustrating this classification that included photographs and schematic drawings was developed. We compared the evaluations of 28 cases by four nonphysicians relying on the atlas with the evaluations of the same cases by five experts not using the atlas to determine the usefulness of this atlas for classifying cases according to our nosologic schema. RESULTS: The following consensus classification in five categories was proposed: bullous erythema multiforme, detachment below 10% of the body surface area plus localized "typical targets" or "raised atypical targets"; Stevens-Johnson syndrome, detachment below 10% of the body surface area plus widespread erythematous or purpuric macules or flat atypical targets; overlap Stevens-Johnson syndrome-toxic epidermal necrolysis, detachment between 10% and 30% of the body surface area plus widespread purpuric macules or flat atypical targets; toxic epidermal necrolysis with spots, detachment above 30% of the body surface area plus widespread purpuric macules or flat atypical targets; and toxic epidermal necrolysis without spots, detachment above 10% of the body surface area with large epidermal sheets and without any purpuric macule or target. Using the atlas, the nonexperts showed excellent agreement with the experts. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that an illustrated atlas is a useful tool for standardizing the diagnosis of acute severe bullous disorders that are attributed to drugs or infectious agents. Whether the five categories proposed represent distinct etiopathologic entities will require further epidemiologic and laboratory investigations.

Erythema Multiforme↗
PubMed1992

Family history, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and risk of psoriasis.

We have conducted a multicentre case-control study to assess the epidemiological importance of previously suggested risk factors for psoriasis, including family history of the disease, smoking and alcohol consumption. Newly diagnosed psoriatics, with a history of skin manifestations no longer than 2 years were eligible as cases; as controls we selected subjects with newly diagnosed dermatological conditions other than psoriasis. Interviews were performed by trained medical investigators using a structured questionnaire. Two-hundred and fifteen cases, aged 16-65 years (median age 38), and 267 controls, aged 15-65 years (median age 36), were interviewed and included in the analysis. Family history was a risk factor for psoriasis; the multiple logistic regression (MLR) adjusted-odds ratio was 18.8 (95% confidence interval 6.4-54.8) for a history in parents, and 3.2 (95% confidence interval 1.5-6.6) for a history in siblings. The risk of psoriasis was higher for current smokers than for those who had never smoked. The MLR adjusted odds ratio was 2.1 (95% confidence interval 1.1-4.0) for people smoking 15 cigarettes or more per day. The risk of psoriasis was higher for alcohol drinkers: compared with teetotallers the MLR adjusted-odds ratios were 1.3 (95% confidence interval 0.8-2.3) for subjects drinking one or two drinks/day and 1.6 (95% confidence interval 0.9 to 3.0) for those drinking three or more. However, the trend in risk was not statistically significant. Our study confirms the role of family history in psoriasis and provides some evidence of a dose-response relationship for an association between smoking habits and psoriasis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Unusual manifestations of primary cutaneous amyloidosis in association with Raynaud's phenomenon and livedo reticularis.

A patient with unusual manifestations of primary cutaneous amyloidosis, including macules, papules, oedematous plaques and urticarial lesions is described. Raynaud's phenomenon and livedo reticularis were an associated finding. During the acute phase, single doses of systemic corticosteroids resulted in an impressive, long-lasting improvement in cutaneous manifestations.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Development of anthralin short-contact therapy in psoriasis: survey of published clinical trials.

In a survey of clinical trials concerning the efficacy of short-contact therapy with anthralin in psoriasis vulgaris, focusing principally on methodologic issues, twenty-four papers published between January 1982 and December 1989, in English, French, and Italian, were selected. Nine of 24 papers reported on more than one trial, giving a total of 37 clinical trials to be evaluated. A great heterogeneity was evident in many aspects of the design and conduct of these trials, making pooling of results impossible. Most trials suffered from flaws in general methodologic aspects such as randomization and blinding. Limitations in general applicability of results were discussed with reference to the popular use of self-control design and selection of composite indexes (e.g., PASI) as an outcome variable. Published trials are not a reliable guide to clinical decisions concerning short-contact therapy, and some methodologic observations we made could be of general interest in designing clinical trials of psoriasis.

Anthralin↗
PubMed1992

Segmental lentiginosis with "jentigo" histologic pattern.

We report a case of segmental lentiginosis (unilateral lentiginosis), that is, asymmetric distribution of lentigines on one side of the body, in a 23-year-old woman. Lesions involved the right side of the face and the cervical region, mostly within the area of division of the trigeminal nerve. Histologic examination disclosed a lentiginous pattern as well as some nests of melanocytes at the dermal-epidermal junction (so-called jentigo pattern). Similar cases have been described in the literature under the term "zosteriform lentiginous nevus," which in our opinion makes for confusion since the same term has also been used to describe cases that fit the diagnostic criteria for speckled lentiginous nevus (nevus spilus).

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Risk factors for HIV infection in adults attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in Italy.

We assessed prevalence and risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in 637 patients (506 men, 131 women; median age 30 years, range 17-64) attending between September 1988 and July 1989 for the first time two sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Northern Italy, for suspected or STD treatment. A total of 44 subjects (6.9%, 95% confidence interval, (Cl): 4.9-8.9) were seropositive for HIV antibodies. The prevalence of HIV infection decreased with age, from 9% in patients aged 24 years or less to 3% in those aged 45 years or more (chi 21 trend 4.97, p less than 0.05). Women tended to have a lower prevalence of infection than men (5.3% versus 7.3%) but this was not statistically significant. Compared with men reporting no homosexual intercourse, HIV infection risk was about 50% higher in those reporting bisexual intercourse (age- and sex-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.5,95% Cl: 0.6-3.6) and about fourfold in those reporting only homosexual intercourse (OR 3.8, 95% Cl: 1.7-8.5). No clear trend in risk was observed with number of sexual partners both in men and in women. Intravenous drug users had an increased risk of HIV infection; compared with non-users, the OR was 5.6 (95% Cl: 3.0-10.5) in users, and the point estimates increased with frequency of use, from 3.3 (95% Cl: 0.8-11.5) in occasional users to 6.4 (95% Cl: 3.2-12.8) in regular users. The risk of HIV infection was 2.2 (95% Cl: 1.1-4.3) in patients reporting a history of STD, and 1.6 (95% Cl: 0.8-3.3) in those reporting syphilis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗