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Biomedical subjects

P D Maurice

Publications and source records attributed to P D Maurice.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Acquired perforating dermatosis and diabetic nephropathy--a case report and review of the literature.

A case of acquired perforating dermatosis associated with diabetic nephropathy is described. The case is unusual in that the dermatosis first developed approximately 1 year after renal transplantation rather than at a time when renal function was more severely impaired or during haemodialysis. There was a partial response to treatment with isotretinoin but the use of this drug was limited by the development of hyperlipidaemia. The relevant literature is reviewed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Ovarian carcinoma and digital ischaemia.

A case of ovarian carcinoma presenting as digital ischaemia, with progression to gangrene, is described. The case serves as a reminder of an important association, and the potential mechanisms are reviewed.

Carcinoma, Endometrioid↗
PubMed1991

Isotretinoin and lung function in systemic sclerosis.

During an open prospective study of the synthetic retinoid isotretinoin in ten patients with systemic sclerosis, one patient developed an eosinophilic pleural effusion and two patients were noticed to have asymptomatic deterioration in pulmonary function tests. The pulmonary function of all treated patients was then compared retrospectively with a similar control group of patients not treated with isotretinoin. There was a significantly greater decrease in the 1-s forced expiratory volume and transfer coefficient in the patients with systemic sclerosis being treated with isotretinoin in comparison to the untreated control patients. Studies of lung function in patients treated with isotretinoin for other indications are required.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Minor skin surgery. Are prophylactic antibiotics ever needed for curettage?

Curettage of skin lesions was not followed by bacteraemia in 22 patients. The risk of bacterial endocarditis after curettage and other minor skin surgery is small but should not be overlooked in those with a prosthetic heart valve, a history of other cardiac surgery, a previous episode of infective endocarditis, drug addiction, diabetes, alcoholism, immunosuppression, or renal failure--especially where the skin lesion might be infected.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1990

Isotretinoin and curly hair.

A 46-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis was treated with isotretinoin for 1 year. She obtained considerable benefit and experienced only minor side-effects from the drug, comparable to those familiar to dermatologists in the treatment of acne. However, she noticed that her hair became pronouncedly more curly during treatment.

Female↗
PubMed1989

Isotretinoin in the treatment of systemic sclerosis.

Thirteen patients with systemic sclerosis were treated with isotretinoin. Nine patients completed between 6 and 14 months of treatment and all showed an improvement in the cutaneous manifestations of their disease. The drug did not appear to benefit internal organs affected by the disease. Most patients experienced the well-recognized side-effects of retinoids, which in three cases necessitated withdrawal from the study within 3 months. Serum levels of type III procollagen aminopropeptide did not show a consistent decline during treatment, despite a clinical improvement. The mode of action of the reported therapeutic effect of isotretinoin in systemic sclerosis is unclear. There may be a preferential suppression of the synthesis of type I collagen, or the drug may be acting by an unrelated mechanism.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Azathioprine treatment in chronic actinic dermatitis: a double-blind controlled trial with monitoring of exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Oral azathioprine was compared with placebo in a double-blind controlled trial of therapy in chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD), a rare eczematous photodermatosis. Eighteen severely affected patients were randomly allocated to azathioprine 50 mg t.d.s. or placebo over a 2-year period. Severity of itch and rash were assessed weekly by each patient on a visual analogue scale and overall clinical status monthly by a medical observer. Monitoring of patient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure was undertaken throughout treatment by polysulphone film lapel-badge dosimetry. Five of 8 patients treated with azathioprine but none of 10 placebo patients achieved remission within 6 months. One patient could not tolerate treatment because of gastrointestinal effects. No haematological or hepatic abnormality was noted. The marked improvement in clinical status of actively treated patients (P less than 0.02, Fisher's exact test), led to early termination of the trial. Oral azathioprine therapy is an effective and usually well tolerated treatment in chronic actinic dermatitis.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare infection associated with hairy-cell leukemia.

A 66-year-old man with hairy-cell leukemia was treated successfully with interferon alfa, with normalization of his hematologic parameters. After 2.5 months he became ill again and, following extensive investigation, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare grew from a bone marrow specimen. Although initiation of quadruple antituberculous chemotherapy resulted in an improvement of his general condition, after two months he started to develop widespread cutaneous and subcutaneous nodules, biopsy of which showed appearances compatible with mycobacterial infection. Over the next two months the skin lesions progressed slowly so erythromycin, to which in vitro testing showed the organism to be sensitive, was added to his therapy. This resulted in a marked improvement of all skin lesions. This case is the first to be reported of disseminated atypical mycobacterial infection in a patient receiving interferon treatment for hairy-cell leukemia.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

The metabolism of leukotriene B4 by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes in psoriasis.

The formation of leukotriene B4 and its omega-oxidised metabolites has been compared in calcium ionophore-stimulated polymorphonuclear leukocytes, in the absence of exogenous substrate, from fourteen psoriatic subjects and thirteen healthy controls. Although there was no significant difference in the levels of leukotriene B4, the psoriatic cells synthesised significantly greater amounts of omega-oxidation products than control cells. This difference was confirmed in an experiment comparing the time course of formation of the omega-oxidation products of leukotriene B4, under similar conditions, in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from four psoriatic subjects and three healthy controls. The kinetic constants for the metabolism of exogenous leukotriene B4 by 20-hydroxylase were determined by a radiochromatographic enzyme assay in polymorphonuclear leukocytes from three patients with psoriasis and three healthy controls. No significant differences were found in the apparent Km and Vmax values. It is concluded that the increased formation of omega-oxidation products in psoriatic cells may be secondary to increased synthesis of leukotriene B4 by these cells, with consequent increased metabolism, rather than to an inherent abnormality of the 20-hydroxylase system. Further work is needed to determine the kinetics of the enzymes involved in leukotriene B4 synthesis in the psoriatic polymorphonuclear leukocyte, and also to assess the contribution of the leukotriene B4 and omega-oxidation products from polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltrating the skin to the pathogenesis of the psoriatic lesion.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The effect of prostaglandin D2 on the response of human skin to histamine.

The interaction of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and histamine in human skin was studied by intradermal injection of the compounds alone or in combination in healthy volunteers. Responses were recorded by measurement of areas of wheal and erythema, and changes in cutaneous blood flow quantified using a laser Doppler flow meter. The effect of a near-threshold dose of PGD2 on histamine dose-response relationships and on the response to a single low dose of histamine were examined. Histamine caused dose-related increases in blood flow and in areas of wheal and erythema in human skin. Prostaglandin D2 caused dose-related increases in blood flow and erythema area, but not wheal area, in the dose range used. When the compounds were injected together, PGD2 did not potentiate the increase in blood flow and areas of wheal and erythema due to histamine. The modest augmentation of histamine response in the presence of PGD2 could be attributed to summation alone. The role of PGD2 in cutaneous disorders such as the physical urticarias, in which its release has been demonstrated, is therefore uncertain. In the amounts measured in the urticarias, it is unlikely alone to cause a significant cutaneous response; nor does it appear to act by potentiation of the response to histamine.

Adult↗