Elisabeth A. Holm

Life quality assessment among patients with atopic eczema

Background  Quantification of quality of life (QoL) related to disease severity is important in patients with atopic eczema (AE), because the assessment provides additional information to the traditional objective clinical scoring systems.

Real‐time spatial compound ultrasound imaging of skin

Purpose:  The aim of our study was to evaluate the potential of real‐time spatial compound imaging (RTSCI) in dermatology.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer in organ transplant patients.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is more frequent in immunocompromised patients, for example, patients with organ transplants. A number of studies have been published from different countries that present a similar picture of tumors in transplant patients. In addition, the behavior of these tumors is often more aggressive in this group of high-risk patients. The multitude of NMSC and precancerous lesions presents a clinical diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the managing dermatologists. Technology is being developed to cope with the clinical diagnosis and medical adjunct treatment to broaden the therapeutic options. It is suggested that the optimal use of these new developments occurs if patients are seen in specialized clinics aimed at providing preventive measures, diagnosis, and treatment.

The handicap caused by atopic dermatitis – sick leave and job avoidance

Background  The handicap caused by skin diseases is insufficiently described in comparison to other types of diseases (e.g. rheumatological diseases). Estimates of disease handicap provide important data for overall disease assessment, resource planning and background data for planning possible preventive intervention studies.

Vasculitis Occurring during Leflunomide Therapy

Leflunomide has recently been introduced for systemic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It has both immunosuppressive effects and anti-inflammatory properties. We report a patient treated with leflunomide who developed vasculitis as an adverse side effect. As far as we are aware, this is the first published report of vasculitis associated with leflunomide therapy.

Assessment of atopic eczema: clinical scoring and noninvasive measurements.

Background  Clinical scoring systems are widely used in clinical trials of atopic eczema (AE), while noninvasive methods are more often used for research purposes. Positive correlations between the two types of methods may be used in support of the validity of both in a clinical context. Few studies are available of the association between clinical scores and instrumental assessment of disease severity obtained with noninvasive instruments.

Parent gender and assessment of infant life quality.

Objectives  The primary objective was to examine the influence of parents’ gender on the assessment of quality of life among infants with atopic dermatitis. The secondary objective was to examine the psychological factors affecting the assessment.

Time Spent on Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis: A New Method of Measuring Pediatric Morbidity?

Abstract:  Our purpose was to examine if the time spent on treatment (TSOT) is a relevant surrogate measure of pediatric disease severity. The TSOT (min/day) was studied in a group of 42 children with atopic dermatitis (AD) (16 girls and 26 boys; mean age 7.07 years). The TSOT included time spent on all types of topical treatment, on extra cleaning, and on visits to doctors. Objective Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) assessment was performed at each visit. A significant correlation was found between TSOT and SCORAD scores for all visits (p < 0.0001). There was no correlation between TSOT and age or sex or between TSOT/SCORAD and age (p < 0.08). For the 65 visits (by 42 children), TSOT/SCORAD ranged from 0.08 min/point to 28.67 min/point. Older children (10–15 years of age) had a lower TSOT/SCORAD ratio compared to younger children (1–5 years of age). Our data suggest that TSOT in itself may be a useful measure of morbidity among pediatric AD patients. It is speculated that patients with a very high TSOT/SCORAD rate or a very low rate have coping problems and would therefore be suitable candidates for intensified efforts in programs such as “eczema schools.”

The therapeutic potential of calcipotriol in diseases other than psoriasis

Background Calcipotriol is a vitamin D analog, which has antiproliferative and anti‐ inflammatory effects, and stimulates terminal differentiation. It has been an established treatment for psoriasis since 1991 in Europe and 1994 in the USA.