Dan Ben Amitai

Telangiectasis in CREST syndrome and systemic sclerosis: correlation of clinical and pathological features with response to pulsed dye laser treatment

Telangiectasia are cardinal features of systemic sclerosis (SS) and calcinosis, Raynaud’s syndrome, esophageal motility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasias (CREST) syndrome. The etiology of telangiectasia in these syndromes is unknown, but vascular dysfunction has been proposed. However, the telangiectasia of CREST have anecdotally been considered relatively resistant to pulse dye laser (PDL), the treatment of choice for classic telangiectasia. The study was designed to test whether SS/CREST telangiectasia require more treatments than sporadic telangiectasia and to identify clinical and histological features that could explain such an effect. Nineteen skin biopsies from patients with SS or CREST and 10 control biopsies were examined and compared for features that may predict a differential response to PDL. Sixteen cases of SS or CREST treated with PDL between 1997 and 2007 were evaluated and response to treatment was compared with 20 patients with sporadic telangiectasis. Relative to normal skin, CREST/scleroderma telangiectasia exhibited thickened vessels in 17 out of 19 sections and thickened collagen fibers in the reticular or deep dermis in all sections. The number of treatments required to clear SS/CREST telangiectasia was approximately twofold higher. SS/CREST telangiectasia are more resistant to PDL but can be effectively cleared with more treatments.

Macrolactam immunomodulators (tacrolimus and pimecrolimus): new horizons in the topical treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

Tacrolimus and pimecrolimus are new macrolactam immunomodulators which were developed for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases, mainly atopic dermatitis. In this article, we review the pharmacologic properties of the drugs, their side effects, and their clinical uses.

Patch testing in Israeli children with suspected allergic contact dermatitis: A retrospective study and literature review

Childhood allergic contact dermatitis is recognized as a significant clinical problem. The objective was to evaluate the rate of positive patch tests in Israeli children with clinically suspected allergic contact dermatitis, identify possible sex and age differences, compare results with those in Israeli adults, and review pediatric studies in the literature.

Propranolol treatment for infantile hemangioma does not increase risk of childhood wheezing

Propranolol is the treatment of choice for infantile hemangiomas requiring medical intervention. Although contraindicated in asthma, its bronchoconstrictive effect in infants and children has not been extensively studied. We aimed to assess the incidence of wheezing episodes in infants and children treated with propranolol for infantile hemangiomas.

Capillary malformation associated with angiolipoma: analysis of 127 consecutive clinic patients.

AbstractBackground: Capillary malformations (also known as port-wine stains) are low-flow vascular malformations of the skin that occur in 0.3% of neonates. Angiolipomas are subcutaneous, benign, usually multiple, lesions, composed of adipose tissue and blood vessels, which occur in young adults. Objective: The aims of this study were to determine whether there is an association between capillary malformations and angiolipoma, and to describe the characteristics of patients with this association. Methods: Prompted by our finding of an accompanying subcutaneous mass in a patient with capillary malformation, we reviewed the entire pool of 127 patients (71 women, 56 men; average age 22.2 years) attending the Rabin Medical Center (Petach Tikva, Israel) for treatment of nonfacial capillary malformations. All patients underwent a detailed history and comprehensive physical examination. Biopsy samples were taken from suspect lesions. Results: In addition to the index patient, four patients were found to have a subcutaneous mass beneath the capillary formation. Imaging and histologic studies identified the mass as an angiolipoma. All of the lesions were relatively refractory to pulsed dye laser or intense pulsed light treatment. Conclusion: This unique report of an association between capillary malformation and angiolipoma is intended to raise the index of suspicion for underlying angiolipoma in clinicians treating patients with refractory nonfacial capillary malformations.

The use of methotrexate for treating childhood atopic dermatitis: a multicenter retrospective study

Abstract Background: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. Methotrexate is an off-label systemic agent for treating uncontrolled atopic dermatitis. Objective: This study assessed the safety and efficacy of methotrexate in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study assessed pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis who were treated with methotrexate. Results: Medical records of 26 pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis were reviewed. All the patients had Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) scores of 3–4 and had received systemic therapy before receiving methotrexate. In all, 53.85% patients showed clinical improvement at 3 and 6 months after methotrexate initiation. The IGA scores of the patients decreased significantly at 3 months after methotrexate initiation compared with those at baseline; moreover, the IGA scores of the patients at 6 months after methotrexate initiation were lower than those at 3 months after methotrexate initiation. In all, 54% study patients are still undergoing methotrexate treatment. Median satisfaction rate with methotrexate was 7.5/10. However, 10.35% patients developed adverse events, of which only one patient discontinued the treatment. Conclusions: Our results indicate that methotrexate is a tolerable and effective agent for treating refractory childhood atopic dermatitis.

A novel transcutaneous, non‐focused ultrasound energy delivering device is able to induce subcutaneous adipose tissue destruction in an animal model

The understanding that adipocytes are greatly influenced by thermal changes combined with the advancement of non‐invasive ultrasound technologies have led to the application of ultrasound as an energy source to induce thermal fat destruction. While application of high intensity focused, ultrasound energy have been widely explored, there is far less information regarding the effects of non‐focused ultrasound on adipose tissue.