scholarly journals Management of keloid scars: noninvasive and invasive treatments

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-157
Author(s):  
Sang Wha Kim
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Compression Therapy ◽  
Therapeutic Options ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Intralesional Corticosteroid ◽  
Keloid Scars ◽  
Suitable Treatment ◽  
Disease Entities

Scars vary from mature linear scars to abnormal excessive scars such as hypertrophic scars and keloid scars. Keloid scars are fibro-proliferative disease entities that reflect an abnormal process of wound healing. They can cause pain, itching, stiffness, and psychological distress, all of which can affect quality of life. Various treatment options have been advocated as ways to prevent and treat keloid scars. These include noninvasive treatments such as use of silicone gel sheeting and compression therapy, and invasive treatments such as intralesional corticosteroid injections, surgery, and radiotherapy. Novel treatments include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and anti-inflammatory therapies. Unfortunately, keloids continue to pose a significant challenge due to the lack of efficacious treatments. Therefore, clinicians should be familiar with various therapeutic options and apply the most suitable treatment plan for patients. In this review, we introduce the current therapeutic options for the management of keloid scars.

scholarly journals How the Future of Sonography May Change the Outlook for Patients With Osteosarcoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 368-373
Author(s):  
Stacey Hoya ◽  
Linda Wogeman ◽  
Sara Allstadt ◽  
Glen King
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Focused Ultrasound ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Therapeutic Ultrasound ◽  
Bone Lesions ◽  
Pulsed Ultrasound ◽  
Low Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound ◽  
Ultrasound Applications

Sonography currently provides a variety of tools to support the diagnosis and treatment of osteosarcoma and, with the development of therapeutic ultrasound practices, could play an increasingly important role in the treatment of future patients with osteosarcoma. Currently, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radiography are the preferred imaging modalities for bone lesions; treatment options for osteosarcoma primarily include highly toxic chemotherapies and surgeries that often result in limb loss. Unfortunately, osteosarcoma is rarely eliminated, and despite this, patients lose their lives after having a significant reduction in quality of life. Evolving therapies such as high-frequency focused ultrasound, ultrasound-enhanced delivery of photodynamic therapy, and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound may offer these patients an improved quality of life while also increasing efficacy of treatment. This canine case study illustrates the various ways in which sonography might contribute to the treatment plan for patients with osteosarcoma. It may provide a comparable model for the reimagining of treatment for future patients with osteosarcoma using a suite of therapeutic ultrasound applications.

Communicating Oncologic Prognosis with Empathy (COPE).

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (34_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38-38
Author(s):  
Farya Phillips ◽  
Boone W Goodgame ◽  
Barbara L Jones
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Healthcare Team ◽  
Medical Team ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Incurable Cancer ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Post Test

38 Background: Clear communication between patients and providers is imperative to maximize patient outcomes, particularly for patients with incurable cancer who require prompt engagement in decision-making. In response to the need to engage in quality patient-centered communication, an interprofessional team, representing medicine, nursing, social work, and spiritual care developed a simple, single-page tool that summarizes the prognosis and treatment plan for patients with incurable cancers. This pilot study evaluates the communication guide, Communicating Oncologic Prognosis with Empathy (COPE), for discussing prognosis and treatment options for cancer patients. Methods: A pilot test of 30 participants with incurable cancer was completed at an oncology clinic. The communication guide was evaluated using a pre- and post-test design, participants completed a prognosis and treatment perception survey (PTPQ) prior to their first oncology appointment. Patients then met with their oncologist and the COPE guide was used to guide the discussion and patients received a copy of the COPE guide. The COPE guide was placed in the patient chart and other members of the healthcare team were able to use the tool to provide the patient with support and explore the patient’s response to information received. Patients completed the post-test PTPQ at 4 week follow up and completed exit interviews to assess patient reported impact on communication with medical team, caregivers, and quality of life. Results: Key findings revealed participants prefer receiving detailed information about prognosis and have differing perceptions about goals of treatment compared to the oncology team. The tool seemed to facilitate mostly accurate information recall regarding prognosis and treatment options. Conclusions: Despite the high value patients placed on knowing about prognosis and quality of communication with their medical team, the majority reported incongruent goals of treatment and likelihood of cure compared with their oncologist, highlighting major gaps in patients’ understanding of their prognosis. The COPE guide serves as a promising mechanism to enhance patient-centered communication about prognosis and treatment for patients with incurable cancer.

scholarly journals Intralesional cryotherapy with triamcinolone and onabotulinumtoxinA injections for umbilical keloid: A case report

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 205951312110490
Author(s):  
Jennifer VH Tran ◽  
Shantel DJ Lultschik ◽  
Sheetal Sapra ◽  
Kevin Dong ◽  
Klaudija Gusic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Triamcinolone Acetonide ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
High Patient Satisfaction ◽  
High Satisfaction ◽  
Keloid Scars ◽  
History Of ◽  
Low Rate

Introduction Keloid scars are therapeutically challenging and although many treatment options exist, there are no specific guidelines, and few reports have discussed keloids in the umbilical region. Methods Here, we present a successful treatment of a 31-year-old female with a history of a recurrent keloid in the umbilical region. The keloid was treated using intralesional cryotherapy followed by intralesional onabotulinumtoxinA and triamcinolone acetonide injections. Discussion The patient expressed high satisfaction, minimal side effects, and no recurrence. Conclusion Overall, due to the low rate of side effects, high patient satisfaction, and absence of recurrence, this treatment modality should be considered as an option for umbilical keloids. Lay Summary Background to subject: Keloids are a type of scar that are difficult to treat. There are many treatment options available, but there is no single best treatment for keloids that form around the belly button region. Question being asked: Is intralesional cryotherapy with intralesional onabotulinumtoxinA and triamcinolone acetonide injections effective at treating keloids in the belly button region? How the work was conducted: We treated a 31-year-old female with a keloid around the belly button region that returned after prior treatment. The keloid was treated using combination therapy of freezing the keloid from the inside out, which is called intralesional cryotherapy. This was followed by two types of injections, called onabotulinumtoxinA and triamcinolone acetonide, directly into the keloid. What we learned: Overall, due to the low rate of side effects, high patient satisfaction and the keloid not returning, this treatment plan should be considered as an option for keloids in the belly button region. What we did not learn: This treatment may or may not be effective and safe for all patients of all skin types and demographics as this treatment was performed for only one patient.

Shared Decision Making or Physician Advocate for a Particular Treatment Option: A Spectrum of Approaches to Decision Making about Disease Modifying Therapies in Sickle Cell Disease

Blood ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 128 (22) ◽  
pp. 4757-4757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nitya Bakshi ◽  
Cynthia Sinha ◽  
Diana Ross ◽  
Kirshma Khemani ◽  
George Loewenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Therapeutic Options ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Cell Disease ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapy ◽  
Disease Modifying Therapies ◽  
Disease Modifying

Abstract Background The decision-making process regarding therapeutic options in Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) can be complex. Disease modifying therapies such as hydroxyurea (HU), bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or chronic blood transfusion (CBT) are heterogeneous in their therapeutic intent, efficacy in preventing progression of disease, costs, acute complications, patient burden and long-term side effects. Both healthcare provider and patient-related factors may influence decision-making regarding these treatment options. That a majority of patients with SCD belong to minority underserved populations adds to the complexity of the decision-making in this group of patients. Shared decision making (SDM), a collaborative process that allows patients and their providers to make health care decisions together is preferred since it takes into account the best clinical evidence available, as well as the patient's values and preferences. There is a paucity of data on how physicians approach their conversations with patients regarding therapeutic options. The objective of this study was to determine the perspective of physicians with expertise in SCD and BMT regarding decision making about disease modifying therapy. Methods We enrolled a geographically diverse and nationally representative sample of physicians with expertise in the clinical management of SCD in this mixed methods study. We conducted and analyzed qualitative interviews focused on the physician perspective of patients' values, preferences and decisional needs in decision making regarding disease-modifying therapeutic options in SCD. These interviews were part of a larger study to understand decisional needs of patients with SCD in order to develop a decision aid for the therapeutic options in SCD. Open-ended semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. We used NVivo10 for analysis of qualitative data. We sought to understand the framework of discussion used by physicians for the various therapeutic options. Our analysis concentrated on how physicians engaged in discussions related to therapeutic options to reveal whether physicians facilitate the patient's decision process or intend to convince the patient of a treatment plan. Results We interviewed 37 physicians who were experts in pediatric or adult SCD or BMT. Twenty of the 37 were female. Physician narratives reflected high concern for the well-being of the patient and caregivers. Using content analysis, we categorized the physicians' narratives on a spectrum based on their degree of involvement in guiding decision making regarding disease modifying therapies. Narratives placed on one end of the spectrum were those where the physician frequently discussed patient involvement in the decision-making process. On the other end of the spectrum, we categorized physicians who were explicitly advocating for a particular treatment plan for the patient. Thus, the assumption was that this latter group of physicians entered into physician-patient conversations with a recommended therapeutic plan. We further analyzed the content of this spectrum to reveal what patient attributes influenced the physician's narrative. While all of the physicians in our study were advocates of patient education and active involvement, more than half of the narratives were explicitly promoting a particular therapeutic plan. Our analysis revealed that the degree of physician involvement was influenced by the perception of patient compliance, socio-economic barriers, and the patient's current clinical condition. Physicians who advocated a treatment option were more likely to discuss patient non-compliance and barriers as influencing their treatment decision. Moreover, many of these physicians were less likely to discuss all available treatment options, such as BMT. Conclusions Decision making regarding disease modifying therapy in SCD is complex and the approach of physicians ranges from SDM model to that of a physician advocating for a particular treatment. These data suggest the need for greater awareness of and education about the SDM model for patients and physicians. They provide the rationale for creating of decision support systems regarding disease-modifying therapies for SCD. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Surgery for Lung Cancer and the Consequences for the Swallow

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (13) ◽  
pp. 162-168
Author(s):  
Pippa Hales ◽  
Corinne Mossey-Gaston
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Vocal Cord Palsy ◽  
Subsequent Treatment ◽  
Physiological Reserve ◽  
Palliative Phase ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Swallow Function

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers across Northern America and Europe. Treatment options offered are dependent on the type of cancer, the location of the tumor, the staging, and the overall health of the person. When surgery for lung cancer is offered, difficulty swallowing is a potential complication that can have several influencing factors. Surgical interaction with the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) can lead to unilateral vocal cord palsy, altering swallow function and safety. Understanding whether the RLN has been preserved, damaged, or sacrificed is integral to understanding the effect on the swallow and the subsequent treatment options available. There is also the risk of post-surgical reduction of physiological reserve, which can reduce the strength and function of the swallow in addition to any surgery specific complications. As lung cancer has a limited prognosis, the clinician must also factor in the palliative phase, as this can further increase the burden of an already compromised swallow. By understanding the surgery and the implications this may have for the swallow, there is the potential to reduce the impact of post-surgical complications and so improve quality of life (QOL) for people with lung cancer.

Raynaud’s phenomenon and digital ischaemia - pharmacologic approach and alternative treatment options

VASA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Linnemann ◽  
Matthias Erbe
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Angiotensin Receptor Blockers ◽  
Raynaud’S Phenomenon ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Raynaud's Phenomenon ◽  
Tissue Loss ◽  
Receptor Antagonists ◽  
Skin Ulcers ◽  
Digital Ischaemia

Abstract. The primary goal of therapy is to reduce the frequency and intensity of Raynaud’s attacks and to minimize the related morbidity rather than to cure the underlying condition. Treatment strategies depend on whether Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is primary or secondary. All patients should be instructed about general measures to maintain body warmth and to avoid triggers of RP attacks. Pharmacologic intervention can be useful for patients with severe and frequent RP episodes that impair the patient’s quality of life. Calcium channel blockers are currently the most prescribed and studied medications for this purpose. There has been limited evidence for the efficacy of alpha-1-adrenergic receptor antagonists, angiotensin receptor blockers, topical nitrates or fluoxetine to treat RP. The intravenously administered prostacyclin analogue iloprost can reduce the frequency and severity of RP attacks and is considered a second-line therapy in patients with markedly impaired quality of life, critical digital ischaemia and skin ulcers who are at risk for substantial tissue loss and amputation. Phosphodiesterase inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil) can also improve RP symptoms and ulcer healing whereas endothelin-1 receptor antagonists (e.g., bosentan) are mainly considered treatment options in secondary prevention for patients with digital skin ulcers related to systemic sclerosis. However, their use in clinical practice has been limited by their high cost. Antiplatelet therapy with low-dose aspirin is recommended for all patients who suffer from secondary RP due to ischaemia caused by structural vessel damage. Anticoagulant therapy can be considered during the acute phase of digital ischaemia in patients with suspected vascular occlusive disease attributed to the occurrence of new thromboses. In patients with critical digital ischaemia, consideration should be given to hospitalisation, optimisation of medical treatment in accordance with the underlying disease and evaluation for a secondary, possibly reversible process that is causing or aggravating the clinical symptoms.

Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists in Children with Immune Thrombocytopenia: A New Therapeutic Era

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Lassandro ◽  
Valentina Palladino ◽  
Giovanni Carlo Del Vecchioa ◽  
Viviana Valeria Palmieri ◽  
Paola Carmela Corallo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Thrombocytopenia ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Thrombopoietin Receptor Agonists ◽  
Receptor Agonists ◽  
Thrombopoietin Receptor ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Background and Objective: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a common bleeding disorder in childhood. The management of ITP in children is controversial, requiring personalized assessment of patients and therapeutic choices. Thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO-RAs), eltrombopag and romiplostim, have been shown to be safety and effective for the treatment of pediatric ITP. The aim of our research is defining the role of thrombopoietin receptor agonists in the management of pediatric ITP. Method: This review focuses on the use of TPO-RAs in pediatric ITP, in randomized trials and in clinical routine, highlighting their key role in management of the disease. Results: Eltrombopag and romiplostim appear effective treatment options for children with ITP. Several clinical studies have assessed that the use of TPO-RAs increases platelet count, decreases bleeding symptoms and improves health-related quality of life. Moreover, TPO-RAs are well tolerated with minor side effects. Conclusion: Although TPO-RAs long term efficacy and safety still require further investigations, their use is gradually expanding in clinical practice of children with ITP.

An Ayurvedic Visual Rehabilitation In Lebers Congenital Amaurosis - Prospective Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Vidhyasri M ◽  
Dr. S. M. Pasha
Keyword(s):  
Marked Improvement ◽  
Clinical Case ◽  
Treatment Plan ◽  
Visual Disability ◽  
Visual Rehabilitation ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Slow Frequency

Introduction: This is the case report of child who was diagnosed with LCA reported with complaints of large-amplitude, slow-frequency, roving nystagmus, frequent tendency to press on his eyes, enopthalmos, with completely normal ophthalmoscopic examination with normal appearing optic nerve and retina and has a non recordable ERG; considering this condition under the lines of Vataja Nanatmaja Vyadhi treatment was structured to render effective visual rehabilitation which showed marked results. Methods: 4 years old male child who was diagnosed with lebers congenital amaurosis was brought by his parents to Eye OPD, GAMC, Bengaluru. The presentation of this case includes bibliographic review of the subject, presentation of a clinical case and description of the importance of Ayurvedic prespective of handling of these patients. Results: The child showed improvement in fixing for light and also nystagmus showed marked improvement and there were considerable behavioural changes observed. Discussion: It is important to deepen the environment of the disease to know the possible implications in Ayurvedic management, recognize the magnitude of visual disability that our patient presents for the establishment of the treatment plan and provide an integral care of excellence in an interdisciplinary way in favor of visual rehabilitation of our patients and also help to restore quality of life with no potential risks of side effects.

scholarly journals Neglected femoral neck fractures in cerebral palsy: a narrative review

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-64
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Toro ◽  
Antimo Moretti ◽  
Marco Paoletta ◽  
Annalisa De Cicco ◽  
Adriano Braile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Femoral Neck ◽  
Motor Function ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Fibular Graft ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Neck Fracture

Hip fractures are severe conditions with a high morbidity and mortality, especially when the diagnosis is delayed, and if formulated over 30 days after the injury, is termed a ‘neglected femoral neck fracture’ (NFNF). Cerebral palsy (CP) is probably one of the major risk factors for NFNF in Western countries, mainly because of both cognitive and motor impairments. However, considering the high prevalence of fractures in these patients, the incidence of NFNF in this population is probably underestimated, and this condition might result in persistent hip or abdominal pain. Several techniques are available for the treatment of NFNF (i.e. muscle pedicle bone graft, fixation with fibular graft, valgisation osteotomy), but most of them could affect motor function. Motor function must be preserved for as long as possible, in order to enhance the quality of life of CP patients. After discussing published NFNF cases in CP patients and available treatment options, a practical approach is proposed to facilitate the orthopaedic surgeon to both early identify and appropriately manage these challenging fractures. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2020;5:58-64. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.5.190019

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