Specialized Subjects in Dermatology
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Dengue Fever and the skin (For professionals)
Thursday, August 12th, 2010Up to 100 million individuals may be infected by the dengue virus each year. The virus is transmitted through arthropod bites (usually mosquitos). Population increase makes control of mosquito population difficult as breeding sites (stagnant waters) are more numerous and less detectable (roofs…). Infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to dengue fever with/without hemorrhagic fever and […]
HIV infection/AIDS and the Skin (For professionals)
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland HIV is a global pandemic caused by infection by the HIV virus. It affects more than 30 million individuals world wide. Around 70% of individuals affected live in Sub-Saharan Africa, around 20% of individuals live in South and South-East Asia. Untreated the median survival ranges from 9-11 years […]
Carrion’s Disease and the Skin (For professionals)
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010Synonyms: Verruga peruana, Peruvian warts, Oroya fever, Carrion’s disease Spanish (Español): enfermedad de Carrión, fiebre de la Oroya, verruga peruana Limited to Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, the disease is caused by a facultative intracellular bacterium called Bartonella Bacilliformis. It is transmitted through a sandfly bite. Treatment consists of antibiotics. It is characterized by an acute […]
Tuberculosis and the Skin (For professionals)
Monday, August 9th, 2010Tuberculosis is an infection caused by a Mycobacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It is a condition favoured by high population density, promiscuity (poverty, intravenous drug abusers, HIV) and the use of immunosuppressants (biologics, ciclosporine…). It is frequent in Sub-Saharan Africa, but new cases are a cause of concern, notably in China, Russia, South-East Asia and some […]
Malaria and the skin (For professionals)
Sunday, August 8th, 2010Malaria is a common infection caused by a unicellular organism called a Protist. It is transmitted by a mosquito called Anopheles. After a period of between two weeks and several months (occasionally years) spent in the liver, the malaria parasites multiply within red blood cells, causing symptoms that appear cyclically. Symptoms include fever, and headache. […]
Influenza (flu) and the skin (For professionals)
Saturday, August 7th, 2010Influenza (flu) is an ubiquitous infection caused by a RNA virus. Symptoms of the disease include sore throat, fever, cough, chills, myalgia, headache, asthenia (fatigue), general discomfort. Influenza can evolve into pneumonia, which can cause death. There is a infinite variety of different genotypes. Two proteins on the viral surface called Haemagglutinin (H) and Neuraminidase […]
Alcohol (OH) and the Skin – Introduction (For professionals)
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010Alcohol consumption is a difficult to control epidemic. In some countries alcohol consumption is part of the culture and its consumption starts young and continues until death. In countries such as Russia (Russian Federation), alcohol consumption levels have reached such alarming levels that it is responsible for a reduction of life expectancy to 60 years […]
Alcohol (OH) and the Skin – Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (For professionals)
Monday, July 26th, 2010Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT) All porphrias are hereditary except PCT type I PCT type I also as symptomatic protoporphria Epidemiology: affects males from 40 onwards, often with a history of alcohol abuse Three categories PCT I: symptomatic protoporphyria, non hereditary, 80% of PCTs, deficit in uroporphrinogen decarboxylase (only in hepatocytes) PCT II: : autosomal dominant, […]
Alcohol (OH) and the Skin – Cirrhosis (For professionals)
Sunday, July 25th, 2010Dr Christophe Hsu – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland Cirrhosis Spider naevi: present in 75% of the time on the face and trunk rarely unilateral of the nevoid type, which abundance would correlate with the existence of oesophageal varicosities (Foutch et al). Nails total apparent leuconychia (Terry’s nails): 80% of patients with cirrhosis. Proximal 2/3 white, presumed […]
Alcohol (OH) and the Skin – Pruritus (Itch) (For professionals)
Saturday, July 24th, 2010Dr Christophe HSU – dermatologist. Geneva, Switzerland Pruritus It may appear up to 2 years before the onset of cirrhosis 40% of alcohol abusers with liver disease are estimated to have severe pruritus generalized but with predilection to extensor extremities, upper trunk, palms and soles chemical mediators (Bile acids) are thought to directly depolarize nerve […]