Foreign aid and tuberculosis control policy in the Federated States of Micronesia.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.↗
Biomedical subjects
P Ruze
Publications and source records attributed to P Ruze.
Kava dermopathy.
Kava is a psychoactive beverage used ceremonially for thousands of years by Pacific Islanders. Kava is made from the root of the pepper plant, Piper methysticum, found in Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. The beverage is a nonfermented depressant with complex neuropharmacologic properties that causes a tranquil state of intoxication. Kava also affects the skin, causing a peculiar scaly eruption. The cutaneous effects were first reported by members of Captain James Cook's Pacific expeditions, but they have never been described in dermatologic literature. Heavy kava drinkers acquire a reversible ichthyosiform eruption, kava dermopathy. The cause is unknown but may relate to interference with cholesterol metabolism. Today kava is used across the Pacific in both traditional ceremonies and informal social events. In Western nations, kava is sold as a relaxant by health food stores. This article explores the history of kava dermopathy from Cook's early reports to its presence today.
Beverages↗
Kava-induced dermopathy: a niacin deficiency?
Heavy chronic consumption of kava (Piper methysticum) is associated with a pellagroid dermopathy that has been attributed to niacin deficiency. Over 200 male kava drinkers in the Tonga Islands were interviewed and examined regarding the characteristic skin changes. A scaly rash suggestive of ichthyosis and eye irritation were present in some heavy kava drinkers. 29 kava drinkers with prominent skin changes were randomised to receive either 100 mg oral nicotinamide or placebo daily for three weeks. Skin examinations and photographs showed clinical improvement in 5/15 of the nicotinamide group and 5/14 of the placebo group. These data, along with history and physical examination findings, suggest that niacin deficiency is not responsible for the rash, which is more characteristic of an acquired ichthyosis.
Administration, Oral↗