1.Early Intervention with High-Dose Steroid Pulse Therapy Prolongs Disease-Free Interval of Severe Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Study.
Chao Chun YANG ; Chun Te LEE ; Chao Kai HSU ; Yi Pei LEE ; Tak Wah WONG ; Sheau Chiou CHAO ; Julia Yu Yun LEE ; Hamm Ming SHEU ; Wenchieh CHEN
Annals of Dermatology 2013;25(4):471-474
BACKGROUND: Spontaneous recovery of severe alopecia areata is rare and the condition is difficult to treat. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the effects and safety of steroid pulse therapy between oral and intravenous administrations between 1999 and 2010 at the Department of Dermatology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital. METHODS: Data were retrospectively retrieved. A satisfactory response was defined as more than 75% hair regrowth in the balding area. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients with more than 50% hair loss were identified and treated, with an overall satisfactory response rate of 51.8%. The mean follow-up time was 37.6 months, with a relapse rate of 22.7%. Patients with alopecia areata (hereafter, AA) of recent onset within one year showed higher response rates (p<0.001) and lower relapse rates compared to patients with AA persisting for more than 1 year. Further, even in patients with alopecia totalis, alopecia universalis or ophiasis type, early treatment resulted in a satisfactory response rate of 47% among the treated patients. In general, oral therapy was as effective and well-tolerated as intravenous therapy. CONCLUSION: The response rate is determined by disease severity and time of intervention, not by the administration form of steroid pulse therapy. Oral steroid pulse therapy can be considered as the first-line treatment for patients with severe AA of recent onset within one year.
Administration, Intravenous
;
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
;
Alopecia Areata*
;
Alopecia*
;
Dermatology
;
Early Intervention (Education)*
;
Follow-Up Studies
;
Hair
;
Humans
;
Pulse Therapy, Drug
;
Recurrence
;
Retrospective Studies*
2.Cutaneous protothecosis: A case report
Bryan Edgar K. Guevara ; Yu-Chen Chen ; Johanna O. Flordelis ; Chao-Kai Hsu ; Julia Yu-Yun Lee
Journal of the Philippine Dermatological Society 2019;28(1):38-41
Introduction:
Cutaneous protothecosis usually presents as pyoderma-like lesions or infiltrating papules and plaques
on the extensor side of the extremities. It can be misdiagnosed as eczema, pyoderma, or a fungal infection. Although
it has been isolated from a swimming pool, sewers and rivers in the Philippines, there has been no reported case of
cutaneous protothecosis in the country.
Case summary:
A 78-year-old Taiwanese male farmer visited the dermatology clinic due to a six-month history of a
large, pruritic erythematous plaque studded with papulopustules on his left forearm. A potassium hydroxide (KOH)
examination showed negative for hyphae or spores. And a skin biopsy showed morula-like bodies, which were
highlighted by the Periodic acid-Schiff stain.
Conclusion
We report a case of cutaneous protothecosis from Taiwan so Filipino dermatologists will be aware of the
clinical and histopathologic manifestations and management of cutaneous protothecosis.
Skin Diseases, Infectious
;
Administration, Cutaneous