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Biomedical subjects

T C Ling

Publications and source records attributed to T C Ling.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

A questionnaire survey of attitudes to and usage of sunscreens in northwest England.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Sunscreens are employed with the aim of reducing the deleterious effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), but little is known about their use in the UK. METHODS: This questionnaire survey assessed attitudes to and usage of sunscreens in northwest England in 2000. Subjects (186 females and 102 males) were recruited from the waiting rooms of four general practices, with a high response rate of 97%. RESULTS: Females were more frequent users of sunscreens than males, but only 35% females and 8% males reported their regular use. Twenty-two per cent of the study population did not use sunscreens at all, whereas 66% of subjects bought a sunscreen product once a year or less. Thirty-four per cent subjects reported experiencing sunburn in the last 2 years. Interestingly, more (60%) sunburns were found to occur at home in the UK than on holidays abroad, and these frequently occurred during outdoor activities other than deliberate sunbathing. CONCLUSION: There remains much scope for sunscreen education in the British public.

Adolescent↗

Keloidal scleroderma.

A 53-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis developed numerous cutaneous nodules, resembling keloids, on her anterior chest wall. The nodules failed to respond to therapy with topical steroid, calcipotriol, or extended photochemotherapy. This is a rare, disfiguring variant of scleroderma, unresponsive to treatment, and poorly understood.

Administration, Topical↗

What do trainee hairdressers know about hand dermatitis?

Hand dermatitis is an important cause of morbidity in hairdressers. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 121 trainee hairdressers from 2 hairdressing colleges in Burnley (UK). The questionnaire concerned the number and types of hairdressing procedures performed, previous and current medical history, awareness of risks to the skin from hairdressing, and knowledge of hand dermatitis prevention. 17% of the trainees suffered currently from hand dermatitis. This is likely to be due to the large amount of wet work done by apprentice hairdressers, particularly those who worked in salons. 2/3 of trainees were not aware that atopic eczema predisposed to hand dermatitis. Formal pre-school and pre-employment counselling was limited. Knowledge on hand care among trainees was not often translated into practice, with gloves being worn by only 9% when shampooing and 58% when perming. Prevention of hand dermatitis by education and pre-employment counselling is of fundamental importance.

Adolescent↗

Epstein-Barr virus-positive blastoid nasal T/natural killer-cell lymphoma in a caucasian.

T/natural killer (NK)-cell lymphoma is a subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with frequent cutaneous involvement; it follows an aggressive course. Most cases are reported in Asia, and typically present with nasopharyngeal involvement. There is a distinct variant known as blastoid T/NK-cell lymphoma, which affects elderly, non-Asian patients, with absence of nasal involvement. We report a middle-aged caucasian man who had blastoid T/NK-cell lymphoma with nasal involvement.

Epstein-Barr Virus Infections↗

PUVA therapy in lichen aureus.

Lichen aureus is one of the subtypes of a rare group of diseases, pigmented purpuric dermatoses. The natural course of the disease is slow evolution and slow resolution. Treatment is generally limited. We report a case of lichen aureus that responded dramatically to photochemotherapy (PUVA).

Female↗

Esophageal investigations in connective tissue disease: which tests are most appropriate?

Our aim was to review the use of esophageal investigations in patients with suspected connective tissue disease (CTD). Forty-seven patients (39 women and 8 men) with suspected CTD were referred for esophageal manometry at the gastrointestinal physiology unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, U.K., over a 10-year period (1987-1997). The mean age was 51.7 years (range = 21-79 years). Chart review was conducted 1 to 10 years after manometry to confirm the final diagnoses: scleroderma was found in 11; CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasia), 8; mixed connective tissue disease, 14; Raynaud's alone, 5; and other CTDs, 9. All 47 successfully underwent esophageal manometry. In addition to manometry, 24 underwent gastroscopy; 27, barium meal; and 3, esophageal pH studies. Clinically significant esophageal abnormalities were noted in 8 (33%) on gastroscopy, in 15 (56%) on barium meal, and in 31 (66%) on manometry. Gastroscopy had a significantly lower positivity rate than the others (p < 0.05). Only three patients had pH testing, yet all three pH tests were abnormal. During manometry, abnormal findings were significantly more common in scleroderma-CREST when compared with other diagnoses (89% vs. 50%; p < 0.02). Thirty-three patients reported dysphagia. Abnormal manometry was more likely in these cases (82% vs. 33%; p < 0.02). A high percentage of patients with CTD have significant esophageal motility disorders. Investigations were more likely to be positive with scleroderma-CREST than other CTDs, even if dysphagia was present. Barium meal and manometry are more useful than OGD. pH studies were under-used. There is need for a standardized approach to esophageal investigations in patients with CTDs.

Adult↗