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Mats Berg

Publications and source records attributed to Mats Berg.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Laser treatment of rosacea: a pathoetiological study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of laser treatment on rosacea, a common facial skin disease with symptoms of blushing, redness, telangiectasis, papules, pustules, and diffuse swelling of the skin, we focused on the stinging sensation and performed immunohistochemical evaluation of nerve density and neuropeptide expression. DESIGN: Clinical investigation as well as the lactic acid (stinger) test was performed before and 3 months after the treatment with flashlamp pulsed dye laser, when skin biopsy specimens were also taken. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-two patients with rosacea, all with positive results from the lactic acid "stinger" test, were treated by flashlamp pulsed dye laser. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The biopsy specimens were taken from the stinger-positive areas in the nasolabial folds, fixed in Lanas fixative (10% formalin and 0.4% picric acid), and analyzed for the expression of protein gene product 9.5 (general nerve marker), substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, using a biotinylated streptavidin technique. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients who were stinger positive before treatment showed decreased scores after treatment, and 1 patient had the same stinger test score before and after treatment. The number of protein gene product 9.5-positive fibers in the epidermis (P< .05) as well as the papillary dermis (P< .01) was decreased. This was also the case for substance P in the papillary dermis (P< .001), whereas no evident difference was noted for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and calcitonin gene-related peptide. No difference was found for contact between nerves and vessels (factor VIII positive). CONCLUSIONS: Laser treatment of rosacea that destroys small vessels has a good medical relevance because it reduces the unpleasant symptoms of the sensitive skin. A neurogenic etiology of stinging may be possible.

Adult↗

Flashlamp pulsed dye laser (FPDL) did not cure papulopustular rosacea.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pharmacological treatment has a fairly good effect on the papulopustular lesions in rosacea, but not as good an effect on the erythema and telangiectases. The aim was to treat rosacea patients with both erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular lesions with flashlamp pulsed dye laser (FPDL) until telangiectases/erythema disappeared, and to evaluate whether the treatment might also be effective on papulopustular lesions. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients were treated on one side of the face with FPDL. The final examination was blinded and performed on the average 10 months after the last treatment. RESULTS: Two of the patients had more lesions after treatment, three were unchanged, three had only slightly less, and two had markedly less papulopustular lesions. CONCLUSION: Our conclusion from this small sample of patients is that FPDL probably has limited value on papulopustular lesions in rosacea. This indicates that the origin of rosacea may not be only vascular.

Female↗

Atopic dermatitis, stinging, and effects of chronic stress: a pathocausal study.

BACKGROUND: Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) often have increased skin sensitivity and this symptom often worsens during stress. OBJECTIVE: We sought to find out whether patients with AD had stinging, and to identify the pathocausal neuroimmune mechanisms, including the role of stress. METHODS: In all, 25 patients with AD with histories of stress worsening were tested using a stinger test. Skin biopsy specimens were processed for immunohistochemistry. Stress inquiries and salivary cortisol tests were performed. RESULTS: In all, 16 patients were stinger-positive and 9 were negative. The stinger-positive papillary dermis had an increased number of mast cells, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-positive fibers, and a tendency to a higher number of substance P-positive nerve fibers, but a decrease of calcitonin gene-related peptide fibers. Patients who were stinger-positive had a tendency to lower salivary cortisol. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with AD experience stinging. Substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and mast cells may have a pathocausal role, as might chronic stress.

Adult↗