Background:It is unknown how the quality of life (QOL) is affected in patients with pityriasis rosea (PR), and whether it is related to rash severity. Methods:We constructed a valid and reliable Cantonese version of t...Background:It is unknown how the quality of life (QOL) is affected in patients with pityriasis rosea (PR), and whether it is related to rash severity. Methods:We constructed a valid and reliable Cantonese version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). We recruited patients with PR, with atopic dermatitis and with acne vulgaris, and controls of the same sex and comparable age. We applied the DLQI and the Pityriasis Rosea SeverityScore(PRSS)to the patients with PR,the DLQI and the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD) to the controls with atopic dermatitis, and the DLQI and the Leeds Acne Grading System (LAGS) to the controls with acne vulgaris. Results:Total DLQI scores of the 22 patients with PR (mean:6.36, SD:5.79) were significantly lower than those of the 22 controls with atopic dermatitis (mean:12.00, SD:5.38) (P=0.021), but were insignificantly different from those of the 22 controls with acne vulgaris (mean:6.86, SD:4.53) (P=0.57). Correlation between the total DLQI and PRSS scores was weak (γs = +0.19) and insignificant (P=0.40). All six DLQI parameters were insignificantly correlated with the PRSS scores. In contrast, the total DLQI scores and most of the DLQI parameters were strongly correlated with the rash severity scores for the control subjects. Significantly more patients with PR have concerns regarding disease etiology and infectivity. Conclusions:The QOL of the patients with PR was significantly less affected than that for the patients with atopic dermatitis, but was insignificantly different from the patients with acne vulgaris. Unlike atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris, the effects on the QOL in PR are insignificantly correlated with rash severity. These results bear important implications on clinical management.展开更多
Background:Herpesvirus-like particles have been reported to be detectable by electron microscopy in lesional biopsy of patients with pityriasis rosea(PR).We report a study investigating the association of PR with huma...Background:Herpesvirus-like particles have been reported to be detectable by electron microscopy in lesional biopsy of patients with pityriasis rosea(PR).We report a study investigating the association of PR with human herpesvirus-8(HHV-8)infection.Methods:Our setting is a teaching clinic affiliated to a university.We recruited eight patients aged 28-47 years(mean:34.5 years)diagnosed with PR during a one-year period.We collected acute blood specimens at presentation and convalescent blood specimens three to four weeks later.We also collected skin scrapings from the herald patch where present and from truncal secondary lesions.Results:We detected HHV-8 DNA by a nested PCR(polymerase chain reaction)targeting,respectively,a 233-bp and a 160-bp fragment of ORF 26.PCR for HHV-8 DNA was negative in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma of acute and convalescent specimens of all patients,and negative in all skin scrapings.We detected anti-HHV-8 IgG and IgM antibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence.Four patients had IgG antibodies against HHV-8,but with no significant rise of titre.None were positive for anti-HHV-8 IgM antibody.Conclusion:We conclude that PR is not associated with HHV-8 infection.展开更多
Previous studies on the association of smoking with acne vulgaris have reported conflicting results. The objective of this study was to investigate such an association. Our setting was three primary carepractices in H...Previous studies on the association of smoking with acne vulgaris have reported conflicting results. The objective of this study was to investigate such an association. Our setting was three primary carepractices in HongKong and one primary care practice in India. Patient characteristics in all four practices are similar. All medical records in these practices incorporate a section in which the smoking habits of each patient is routinely documented. We searched our database and retrieved 632 records of patients with acne seen in the previous 5 years. We also retrieved 632 records of age-andsex-matched controls. Fifty- three out of 379 male patients with acne and 25 out of 379 male controls were smokers (P= 0.001; OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.43.8). Six out of 253 female patients with acne and three out of 253 female controls were smokers (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 0.5- 9.4). We conclude that smoking is likely to bear a positive correlation with acne for men. Our numbers are too small for a definite conclusion to be drawn for females.展开更多
文摘Background:It is unknown how the quality of life (QOL) is affected in patients with pityriasis rosea (PR), and whether it is related to rash severity. Methods:We constructed a valid and reliable Cantonese version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). We recruited patients with PR, with atopic dermatitis and with acne vulgaris, and controls of the same sex and comparable age. We applied the DLQI and the Pityriasis Rosea SeverityScore(PRSS)to the patients with PR,the DLQI and the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis Index (SCORAD) to the controls with atopic dermatitis, and the DLQI and the Leeds Acne Grading System (LAGS) to the controls with acne vulgaris. Results:Total DLQI scores of the 22 patients with PR (mean:6.36, SD:5.79) were significantly lower than those of the 22 controls with atopic dermatitis (mean:12.00, SD:5.38) (P=0.021), but were insignificantly different from those of the 22 controls with acne vulgaris (mean:6.86, SD:4.53) (P=0.57). Correlation between the total DLQI and PRSS scores was weak (γs = +0.19) and insignificant (P=0.40). All six DLQI parameters were insignificantly correlated with the PRSS scores. In contrast, the total DLQI scores and most of the DLQI parameters were strongly correlated with the rash severity scores for the control subjects. Significantly more patients with PR have concerns regarding disease etiology and infectivity. Conclusions:The QOL of the patients with PR was significantly less affected than that for the patients with atopic dermatitis, but was insignificantly different from the patients with acne vulgaris. Unlike atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris, the effects on the QOL in PR are insignificantly correlated with rash severity. These results bear important implications on clinical management.
文摘Background:Herpesvirus-like particles have been reported to be detectable by electron microscopy in lesional biopsy of patients with pityriasis rosea(PR).We report a study investigating the association of PR with human herpesvirus-8(HHV-8)infection.Methods:Our setting is a teaching clinic affiliated to a university.We recruited eight patients aged 28-47 years(mean:34.5 years)diagnosed with PR during a one-year period.We collected acute blood specimens at presentation and convalescent blood specimens three to four weeks later.We also collected skin scrapings from the herald patch where present and from truncal secondary lesions.Results:We detected HHV-8 DNA by a nested PCR(polymerase chain reaction)targeting,respectively,a 233-bp and a 160-bp fragment of ORF 26.PCR for HHV-8 DNA was negative in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma of acute and convalescent specimens of all patients,and negative in all skin scrapings.We detected anti-HHV-8 IgG and IgM antibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence.Four patients had IgG antibodies against HHV-8,but with no significant rise of titre.None were positive for anti-HHV-8 IgM antibody.Conclusion:We conclude that PR is not associated with HHV-8 infection.
文摘Previous studies on the association of smoking with acne vulgaris have reported conflicting results. The objective of this study was to investigate such an association. Our setting was three primary carepractices in HongKong and one primary care practice in India. Patient characteristics in all four practices are similar. All medical records in these practices incorporate a section in which the smoking habits of each patient is routinely documented. We searched our database and retrieved 632 records of patients with acne seen in the previous 5 years. We also retrieved 632 records of age-andsex-matched controls. Fifty- three out of 379 male patients with acne and 25 out of 379 male controls were smokers (P= 0.001; OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.43.8). Six out of 253 female patients with acne and three out of 253 female controls were smokers (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 0.5- 9.4). We conclude that smoking is likely to bear a positive correlation with acne for men. Our numbers are too small for a definite conclusion to be drawn for females.
