Genital nodular scabies in Indonesian adolescent boy

<p class="abstract">Scabies is an infection caused by infestation and sensitization to the parasitic mite <em>Sarcoptes</em> <em>scabiei</em> <em>var</em>. <em>hominis</em>. World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017 declared that scabies was included as Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) and become a significant health concern in many developing countries. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study in 2015, Indonesia was the first place among 195 countries with the greatest scabies burden. Nodular scabies is an uncommon clinical variant in classical scabies cases, characterized by persistent pruritic nodules due to immune response against the mites and their products (eggs and scybala). This variant was occurring in about 7% of scabies patients. The incidence and prevalence of nodular scabies are still unknown. Nodular scabies is usually found in young children and affect the male genitalia, especially in the scrotum. The diagnosis of nodular scabies generally can be made clinically and supported by a history of receiving adequate anti-scabies treatment. Active infestation form or atypical manifestations of nodular scabies might be confused the diagnosis. Diagnostic tools such as dermoscopic and skin biopsy may aid in differentiating them. Histopathology features also can rule out the differential diagnosis. Corticosteroid (topical or injection) and topical inhibitor calcineurin (tacrolimus) was reported effective in treating nodular scabies. We reported an Indonesian adolescent boy who has been diagnosed with scabies complained of persistent pruritic nodules on his genital for several months despite adequate anti scabies therapy being given. Intralesional corticosteroid injection was the options treatment of this case due to the nodular lesion being resistant with topical corticosteroids, while topical tacrolimus is difficult to obtain in our region.</p>

Comparison of intralesional corticosteroid injection with and without thumb Spica cast for de-Quervain tenosynovitis.

Objective: To compare efficacy of methyl prednisolone acetate injection with and without thumb spica cast for the treatment of de-Quervain tenosynovitis. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Orthopedic Unit, Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. Period: April 2016 to September 2016. Material & Methods: In each group 41 patients were included with non-probability consecutive sampling. Results: Eighty two patients were enrolled in the study. Out of 82 patients in the study, 3 (3.7%) were males and 79 (96.3%) were females. There were 10 (12.20%) pateints with age >40 years, and 36 (43.90%) patient in each of age group 21-30 and 31-40 years. The proportions of cured persons between two groups i.e., treated with corticosteroid injection and those treated with combination of injection and thumb Spica splint were found same with p-value 0.19 for Z=1.31. The efficacy was independent of treatment methods with χ2=1.10 (p-value = 0.30). The same independence pattern was also observed in different age groups. Age range was between 18 and 70 years. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square test. Six weeks following treatment, 29 (35.37%) patients from group A and 34 (41.46%) patients from group B showed relief of pain, swelling and tenderness and a negative Finkelstein test (p-value 0.295). post stratification of gender showed no significant association (p-value 0.388 and 0.328 in groups A and B respectively). Conclusion: It has been concluded that use of corticosteroid injection alone is sufficient to treat de-Quervain syndrome as compared to the use of thumb Spica splint with corticosteroid injection. It is therefore recommended that in patients suffering from de-Quervain syndrome, corticosteroid injection may be the choice of treatment.

Corticosteroid Injection Alone or Combined with Surgical Excision of Keloids versus Other Therapies Including Ionising Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Keloid scars are difficult to manage and remain a therapeutic challenge. Corticosteroid therapy alone or ionising radiation (radiotherapy) alone or combined with surgery are first-line treatments, but the scientific justification for these treatments is unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) is to assess the effects of intralesional corticosteroid injection in treating keloids or preventing their recurrence after surgical removal. Searches for RCTs were conducted through the MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCO and Cochrane databases from January 1974 to September 2017. Two authors independently reviewed study eligibility, extracted data, analysed the results, and assessed methodological quality. Sixteen RCTs that included more than 814 patients were scrutinised. The quality of evidence for most outcomes was moderate to high. In 10 RCTs, corticosteroid intralesional injections were compared with 5-fluorouracil, etanercept, cryosurgery, botulinum toxin, topical corticosteroid under a silicone dressing, and radiotherapy. Corticosteroid intralesional injections were more effective than radiotherapy (RR 3.3, 95% CI: 1.4–8.1) but equipotent with the other interventions. In conjunction with keloid excision, corticosteroid treatment was compared with radiotherapy, interferon α-2b and verapamil. In two RCTs, there were fewer keloid recurrences (RR 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21–0.89) demonstrated with adjuvant radiotherapy than with corticosteroid injections. More high-quality, large-scale RCTs are required to establish the effectiveness of corticosteroids and other therapies in keloid management.