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R Grimalt

Publications and source records attributed to R Grimalt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis using wet-wrap dressings with diluted steroids and/or emollients. An expert panel's opinion and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The use of dampened bandages to reduce inflamed eczema (synonyme dermatitis) is an old remedy. In order to evaluate the current indications for so-called wet-wrap treatment (WWT) for atopic dermatitis (AD), and to compare the different currently recognized methods, a group of experts critically reviewed their own expertise on WWT in respect to the existing literature on the subject. RESULTS: WWT is well tolerated in eczema due to the cooling effect on the skin and the rapid improvement in skin inflammation. It has been shown to be an extremely effective treatment for acute erythrodermic dermatitis, therapy-resistant AD and intolerable pruritus. Advantages of WWT include rapid response to therapy, reduction in itch and sleep disturbance, and potential for reduction in usage of topical corticosteroids (TCS). However, disadvantages include high cost, the necessity for special training in usage, potential for increased TCS absorption, increased cutaneous infections and folliculitis, and poor tolerability. Precautions to reduce the risks of long-term treatment should include education, monitoring of weight and height and, if necessary, serum cortisol levels. In adolescents the risk of striae from TCS absorption around puberty is high, and WWT with TCS in this age group should be used as a short-term therapy only and with extreme caution. To reduce risks, dilutions of steroids may be used ranging from 5 to 10%. In the maintenance phase this treatment can be rotated with the use of emollients only. Low potency TCS should be used on the face (with a mask). CONCLUSION: WWT using diluted steroids is a relatively safe addition to the therapeutic treatment options for children and adults with severe and/or refractory AD. Explanation and education is extremely important in the treatment of AD and WWT should only be employed by practitioners trained in its use. Specialized nursing care is essential, especially when using WWT for prolonged periods.

Bandages↗
PubMed2003

Radiotherapy for in situ extramammary Paget disease of the vulva.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy as a first-choice treatment for in situ extramammary Paget disease has been successfully used. OBJECTIVES: To review the most relevant aspects of radiotherapy as first-choice treatment in selected cases of in situ extramammary Paget disease of the vulva. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two Caucasian females aged 76 and 92 years with in situ extramammary Paget disease localized in the genital region were treated by means of ortovoltage X-rays: 100 kV, 8 mA, 1.7 mm Al filter, field size of 12-cm cone, and source skin distance of 30 cm. Both patients received 40 Gy, 200 cGy per fraction, five fractions per week. RESULTS: Complete regression of in situ extramammary Paget disease was observed in both patients after radical radiation therapy and neither local recurrences nor internal malignancies were detected. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy is a curative treatment in selected cases of in situ extramammary Paget disease affecting the vulva.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Radiotherapy for genital extramammary Paget's disease in situ.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy as a first-choice treatment for extramammary Paget's (EMP) disease in situ has been seldom used. OBJECTIVE: To review the most relevant aspects of radiotherapy as first-choice treatment in selected cases of anogenital EMP disease in situ. METHODS: Two men with an age range of 71-79 years (mean age 75 +/- 5.6 years) with EMP disease in situ localized in the genital region were treated by means of X-rays of 100 kV, 440 cGy/day, 3 days a week over 3 weeks until a total dose of 3960 cGy was completed. RESULTS: Complete regression of EMP disease in situ was observed in both patients after radical radiation therapy and neither local recurrences nor internal malignancies have been documented. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy is a curative treatment in selected cases of EMP disease in situ affecting large areas of the anogenital region.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Frey's syndrome.

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Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1998

Trichodynia.

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Adult↗
PubMed1996

Acute urticaria caused by pigeon ticks (Argas reflexus).

A 28-year-old man was admitted to our institute because of acute urticaria appearing a few hours earlier. The patient stated that during sleep he had been bitten by a large number of "insects," which had dropped from wooden ceiling beams under the roof of his room. The patient was living in the center of Milan in a very old house, where numerous pigeons had built their nests under the rooftop. The patient brought along with him some examples of these "insects," which were later classified as pigeon ticks (Argas reflexus) (Figs. 1,2). Dermatologic examination revealed the presence of numerous wheals and erythemato-papular lesions on the neck and trunk. These lesions were of different shapes and sizes, bright red in color, and with a small central ulceration corresponding to the tick bite. In addition, there were numerous excoriated lesions due to scratching; the patient in fact complained of very intense pruritus. The general physical examination was within normal limits. Laboratory examinations revealed only slight leukocytosis (9300 WBC/mm3). All other laboratory tests were negative; in particular, the assay for anti-Borrelia burgdorferi IgG and IgM was within normal ranges (< 1:256 and < 1:64, respectively). These results were confirmed on subsequent blood samples. Positive radioallergosorbent tests (RAST) to a somatic extract and to the saliva of the tick were observed. A diagnosis of acute urticaria caused by A. reflexus was made. The patient was treated with betamethasone (4 mg intravenously) and chlorpheniramine (10 mg intramuscularly), with resolution of the clinical picture within 3 days.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1996

Psoriasiform and sclerodermoid dermatitis of the fingers with apparent shortening of the nail plate: a distinct entity?

A Caucasian boy, born to unrelated parents, and with no family history of psoriasis or atopy, developed chronic psoriasiform dermatitis on the palmar surface of the fingers when he was a year old. At the age of 6, the dorsal surface acquired a sclerodermoid appearance and the nail plates appeared to be shortened. The disease was unsuccessfully treated topically with emollients, keratolytic agents and corticosteroids. At the age of 9, when he was hospitalized, finger motility was limited and painful, and movements of the hands were impaired. The feet were normal. All the investigations were within normal limits. Histology of a biopsy revealed parakeratosis, acanthosis with papillomatosis, exocytosis and spongiosis. He was treated with a new oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, nimesulide (100 mg/day for 20 days, and then 50 mg/day for 20 days), and emollients. Marked improvement, and restoration of finger motility, were achieved after the first month of treatment; the nail plates reappeared because of regression of the eponychium.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗
PubMed1995

Porokeratosis and immunosuppression.

Immunosuppression may favour the development of disseminated superficial porokeratosis (DSP). We report the clinical features and the outcome of DSP in 24 patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment (group A), and compare the characteristics of the disease with those of 13 immunocompetent patients with DSP (group B). The two groups were similar with regard to age, sex, area of skin involvement and mean follow-up. There was a family history of DSP in only two patients in group A, compared with five patients in group B (P = 0.03). The skin type, based on the tanning response to sunlight, was not significantly different between the two groups. Two of the 24 patients in group A had high sun exposure, compared with five of the 13 patients in group B (P = 0.03). Moreover, 10 patients in group A and 11 in group B (P = 0.01) exhibited worsening of the disease after exposure to sunlight, usually during the summertime. These observations appear to support the hypothesis that sun exposure is not always essential for the development of porokeratosis in immunosuppressed patients. None of our patients developed skin cancer in porokeratotic lesions during the follow-up period.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Lichen striatus--a chameleon: an histopathological and immunohistological study of forty-one cases.

Lichen striatus (LS) is an uncommon dermatosis that generally affects children. The histopathology of LS often shows a polymorphic epidermal reaction process of variable lichenoid and spongiotic changes having no specific histopathological criteria or simulating other diseases. In the present study, we have evaluated the histopathological features of 41 biopsy specimens and the immunohistochemical aspects of 10 cases of LS. In 50% of the cases, we found histopathological and immunopathological features constantly present and allowing a correct diagnosis. In 9 cases, the histopathology was not specific, and in 10 cases, a clear differentiation from other diseases was not possible. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated a CD3+ T-lymphocytic infiltration in which CD8+ cells surrounded necrotic keratinocytes and intraepidermal vesicles filled with Langerhans cells. These findings seem to corroborate the hypothesis that a somatic mutation of a keratinocytic clone could induce an autoimmune response of the host.

Antigens, CD↗