Laurent Misery

The burden of common skin diseases assessed with the EQ5D: a European multicentre study in 13 countries

Generic instruments measuring health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), like EQ5D™, enable comparison of skin diseases with healthy populations and nondermatological medical conditions, as well as calculation of utility data.

Definition of Sensitive Skin: an Expert Position Paper from the Special Interest Group on Sensitive Skin of the International Forum for the Study of Itch.

Sensitive skin is a frequent complaint in the general population, in patients, and among subjects suffering from itch. The International Forum for the Study of Itch (IFSI) decided to initiate a special interest group (SIG) on sensitive skin. Using the Delphi method, sensitive skin was defined as A syndrome defined by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and tingling sensations) in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. These unpleasant sensations cannot be explained by lesions attributable to any skin disease. The skin can appear normal or be accompanied by erythema. Sensitive skin can affect all body locations, especially the face. This paper summarizes the background, unresolved aspects of sensitive skin and the process of developing this definition.

Neuropsychiatric factors in sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is a syndrome defined by the occurrence of unpleasant sensations (stinging, burning, pain, pruritus, and tingling sensations) in response to stimuli that normally should not provoke such sensations. The worldwide prevalence of sensitive skin is approximately 40%. Clinical, histologic, biochemical, and therapeutic data show that this condition is related to changes in epidermal nerve endings with subsequent hyperreactivity and neurogenic inflammation; hence, sensitive skin is not a psychosomatic disorder, although psychologic consequences are possible.

Impairment of sexual life in 3,485 dermatological outpatients from a multicentre study in 13 european countries

Skin conditions may have a strong impact on patients sexual life, and thus influence personal relationships. Sexual issues are difficult to discuss directly in clinical practice, and a mediated instrument may be useful to capture such information. In this study item 9 of the Dermatology Life Quality Index was used to collect information on sexual impact of several skin conditions in 13 European countries. Among 3,485 patients, 23.1% reported sexual problems. The impairment was particularly high in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, prurigo, blistering disorders, psoriasis, urticaria, eczema, infections of the skin, or pruritus. Sexual impact was strongly associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. It was generally more frequent in younger patients and was positively correlated with clinical severity and itch. It is important to address the issue of sexual well-being in the evaluation of patients with skin conditions, since it is often linked to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation.

Biotechnological management of skin burn injuries: challenges and perspectives in wound healing and sensory recovery.

Many wound management protocols have been developed to improve wound healing after burn with the primordial aim to restore the barrier function of the skin and also provide a better esthetic outcome. Autologous skin grafts remain the gold standard in the treatment of skin burn, but this treatment has its limitation especially for patients presenting limited donor sites due to extensive burn areas. Deep burn injuries also alter the integrity of skin-sensitive innervation and have an impact on patients quality of life by compromising perceptions of touch, temperature, and pain. Thus, patients can suffer from long-term disabilities ranging from cutaneous sensibility loss to chronic pain. The cellular mechanisms involved in skin reinnervation following injury are not elucidated yet. Depending on the depth of the burn, nerve sprouting can occur from the wound bed or the surrounding healthy tissue, but somehow this process fails to provide correct reinnervation of the wound during scarring. In addition, several clinical observations indicate that damage to the peripheral nervous system influences wound healing, resulting in delayed wound healing or chronic wounds, underlining the role of innervation and neuromediators for normal cutaneous tissue repair development. Promising tissue engineering strategies, including the use of biomaterials, skin substitutes, and stem cells, could provide novel alternative treatments in wound healing and help in improving patients sensory recovery.

Factors associated with the choice of the first biologic in psoriasis: real‐life analysis from the Psobioteq cohort

Decision‐making is a complex process. The aim of our study was to assess factors associated with the choice of the first biological treatment in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis.

Itch and systemic sclerosis: frequency, clinical characteristics and consequences

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the excessive production of collagen (1). Itch is not usually considered to be a symptom of SSc. However, in a recent study, itch was a common symptom of SSc (42.6% of patients) (2). No study has yet examined the clinical features of itch in SSc. n nThis article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Sensitive Skin in the United States: Survey of Regional Differences

Background: Sensitive skin, a phenomenon claimed by the majority of female consumers across the industrialized world, is not well understood. Multiple studies investigating the biology of reported discomfort have been unable to establish reliable diagnostic criteria. The influence of geographical and cultural influences, including health and beauty product advertising, on perceptions of sensitive skin are increasingly being recognized. n nObjective: To evaluate southern American women for the perception of sensitive skin and compare to results of previous surveys in other regions of the US. n nPatients/Materials/Methods: A written questionnaire for self-reported perception of facial, genital, and body skin sensitivity was administered to 86 females in Mississippi (MS). Statistical analysis was performed on the data and compared with previous results. n nResults: Women in Mississippi reported any skin sensitivity at significantly higher rater than those in Ohio although they reported very or moderately sensitive skin at rates lower than other regions of the US. n nConclusions: This study confirms previous studies that have shown that women across the industrialized world report some degree of skin sensitivity at fairly high levels and that environmental factors such as weather can contribute to the perception of sensitive skin. It is increasingly recognized that psychosocial influences as well as biological factors can contribute to skin sensitivity. Cultural contributions to the perception of skin sensitivity, particularly in women, are often ignored but should be considered as a likely component of sensitive skin perceptions.

Occupational contact dermatitis from protein in sea products: who is the most affected, the fisherman or the chef?

BackgroundProtein contact dermatitis has frequently been reported in case studies (usually in cases involving contact with seafood products), but there are very few descriptive series.The objectives of this present study were firstly to determine the incidence of protein contact dermatitis among fishermen in France and compare it with data from onshore work involving seafood exposure. Second, to discover what factors could explain any differences.In order to answer these questions we analysed data from the French national occupational disease surveillance and prevention network (RNV3P) and occupational diseases declared to the French National Network for Monitoring and Prevention of Occupational Disease. This retrospective study was done for a 13xa0year period.Case presentationBetween 2000 and 2012, we only found eight cases of protein contact dermatitis in the French network. There were no cases of protein contact dermatitis in the seafaring population. The eight cases from the French network are essentially allergies to different fish and chefs are the professionals most affected. Atopy is present in half of these cases.In the seafaring population we found several cases of allergic delayed-time contact dermatitis due to bryozoans and to gloves but no protein contact dermatitis.ConclusionsChefs who have to cook seafood are more at risk of occupational protein contact dermatitis than fishermen. We think that skin protection (that is to say glove wearing) is better implemented in the fishing sector than in the catering profession on shore in France.

Perception of odors and tastes in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review of assessments

Olfaction and gustation are major sensory functions implied in processing environmental stimuli. Some evidences suggest that loss of olfactory function is an early biomarker for neurodegenerative disorders and atypical processing of odor and taste stimuli is present in several neurodevelopmental disorders, notably in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).