The aim of this work was to evaluate associations between invalidating health problems and the main demographic and professional determinants among the employees of the Police Headquarter of the Province of Foggia (South Italy). Personal... more
The aim of this work was to evaluate associations between invalidating health problems and the main demographic and professional determinants among the employees of the Police Headquarter of the Province of Foggia (South Italy). Personal records of the employees on active service between November 2009 and May 2010 (N. 798 files) have been analysed. 241 personal service records reporting at least an acknowledged occupational related cause were examined. Low educational level increases the risk of occupational related causes (OR = 2.03; 95% Cl = 1.03-3.2; p < 0.002). Traumatisms (49.4%) and osteoarticular system diseases (23.6%) were the most frequent reasons for acknowledgement of work-related causes. The risk of causes related to traumatism was lower among employees with lower educational level (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.36-0.97; p = 0.0038) and higher length of service (OR = 0.83; 95% Cl = 0.79-0.87; p < 0.001). Occupational-health physician knowledgeable about police work plays ...
Research Interests: Algorithms, Police, Risk assessment, Italy, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Risk factors, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Time Factors, Workers Compensation, Educational Status, Risk Factors, Risk Assessment, Occupational Diseases, Logistic Models, Work Capacity Evaluation, and Musculoskeletal diseases
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Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is an uncommon and self-limiting skin rash commonly caused by drugs and is characterized by the acute onset of fever, pustulosis, and neutrophilia from 4 to 10 days after the drug intake.... more
Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is an uncommon and self-limiting skin rash commonly caused by drugs and is characterized by the acute onset of fever, pustulosis, and neutrophilia from 4 to 10 days after the drug intake. We describe a case of AGEP in a 61-year-old woman that was hospitalized for the acute onset of fever, erythroderma, and pustulosis. Clinical history revealed that she had been treating a bacterial inguinal intertrigo for 4 days with ciprofloxacin 500 mg tablets twice daily and desloratadine 5 mg tablet once daily. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of AGEP caused by ciprofloxacin, supporting two other previous reports.
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Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Female, Male, Psoriasis, and 6 moreAged, Middle Aged, Saliva, Adult, hydrocortisone, and Medical and Health Sciences
Unsatisfactory response rates are not rarely observed in the management of acne and seem largely related to poor adherence to treatment. As more specifically regards management of the disease in female patients, available literature... more
Unsatisfactory response rates are not rarely observed in the management of acne and seem largely related to poor adherence to treatment. As more specifically regards management of the disease in female patients, available literature provides contradictory indications regarding permissibility of using cosmetics. In this study we aimed to narrow our investigation on the habits of non-academic dermatologists specifically with regards to allowing/not-allowing their female patients to use camouflage cosmetics. A Web-based survey was carried out by sending an e-mail containing a brief, aim- oriented questionnaire to a random, nationwide sample of 1,508 Italian colleagues. Basic demographic data (sex, age and seniority of specialization), and 'tick box' and 'open' responses to the questionnaire underwent statistical analyses, as appropriate. The response rate was 32,9% (N=334), this meaning 7,6% of the entire (N=4,390) Italy- based dermatologist population. The outcome betw...
Research Interests: Italy, Humans, Female, Male, Acne Vulgaris, and 6 moreCosmetics, Middle Aged, Adult, Internet, dermatologists, and Health Care Surveys
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Tobacco and tobacco smoke are strongly associated with various skin conditions, among which contact dermatitis is of prime importance. The aetiological and clinical aspects vary according to the different tobacco production and processing... more
Tobacco and tobacco smoke are strongly associated with various skin conditions, among which contact dermatitis is of prime importance. The aetiological and clinical aspects vary according to the different tobacco production and processing steps. Contact dermatitis is frequent in tobacco harvesters, curers and cigar makers, whereas it rarely affects smokers and, only exceptionally, cigarette packaging workers. The skin sites involved also vary, according to whether the exposure is occupational or non-occupational. Tobacco contact irritation is far more frequent than contact allergy. The sensitizing compound in tobacco is unknown; nicotine, while highly toxic, does not seem to cause sensitization, except in rare cases. Besides natural substances, several compounds are added to tobacco during processing and manufacturing. For this reason, identifying the aetiological factors is exceedingly difficult. Another important aspect to take into account is the co-causative role of tobacco in e...
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Research Interests: Adolescent, Humans, Female, Male, Psoriasis, and 6 moreAged, Middle Aged, Saliva, Adult, hydrocortisone, and Medical and Health Sciences
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22 cases of Idiopathic Chronic Pigmentary Purpura are described in 9 males and 13 females with an age range from 14 to 66. Clinical picture, morphology and distribution of the lesions varied. Laboratory and instrumental investigations... more
22 cases of Idiopathic Chronic Pigmentary Purpura are described in 9 males and 13 females with an age range from 14 to 66. Clinical picture, morphology and distribution of the lesions varied. Laboratory and instrumental investigations excluded the presence of systemic diseases or toxic/pharmacological factors responsible for the purpuric eruption. On the basis of the clinical aspects and the histopathological results, an exclusively morphological classification of idiopathic purpuras in macular, papular and eczematic forms is proposed, maintaining that the old nosography is not justified and also taking into account the pathogenetic overlapping confirmed by recent immuno-histochemical and ultramicroscopical studies.
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The aim of this work was to evaluate associations between invalidating health problems and the main demographic and professional determinants among the employees of the Police Headquarter of the Province of Foggia (South Italy). Personal... more
The aim of this work was to evaluate associations between invalidating health problems and the main demographic and professional determinants among the employees of the Police Headquarter of the Province of Foggia (South Italy). Personal records of the employees on active service between November 2009 and May 2010 (N. 798 files) have been analysed. 241 personal service records reporting at least an acknowledged occupational related cause were examined. Low educational level increases the risk of occupational related causes (OR = 2.03; 95% Cl = 1.03-3.2; p < 0.002). Traumatisms (49.4%) and osteoarticular system diseases (23.6%) were the most frequent reasons for acknowledgement of work-related causes. The risk of causes related to traumatism was lower among employees with lower educational level (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.36-0.97; p = 0.0038) and higher length of service (OR = 0.83; 95% Cl = 0.79-0.87; p < 0.001). Occupational-health physician knowledgeable about police work plays ...
Research Interests: Algorithms, Police, Risk assessment, Italy, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Risk factors, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Adult, Time Factors, Workers Compensation, Educational Status, Risk Factors, Risk Assessment, Occupational Diseases, Logistic Models, Work Capacity Evaluation, and Musculoskeletal diseases
Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic-relapsing, inflammatory, and proliferative condition of the skin: prior studies hypothesized a link between Ps and anomalies in β-adrenergic tone. We therefore aimed to ascertain the prevalence of early... more
Psoriasis (Ps) is a chronic-relapsing, inflammatory, and proliferative condition of the skin: prior studies hypothesized a link between Ps and anomalies in β-adrenergic tone. We therefore aimed to ascertain the prevalence of early repolarization pattern (ERP) in resting electrocardiograms (ECGs) of psoriatic patients compared with an appropriate control group. We performed a retrospective study of resting ECGs of 100 consecutive psoriatic patients and 100 healthy controls. The presence of ERP in at least two contiguous leads at rest ECG was recorded, and findings were also categorized according to the lead group where ERP was detected (anterior, lateral, inferior). An ERP in ≥2 contiguous leads occurred in 40 % of psoriatic patients, compared with 14 % of control subjects (p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001). (36 vs 10 % in anterior leads, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.001; 6 vs 3 % in inferior leads, p n.s.; 10 vs 2 % in lateral leads). After adjustment for sex, age, heart rate, and level of physical activity, the odds ratios for the presence of ERP were 8.6 (95 % CI, 2.1-35.2, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.01), and 7.1 (95 % CI, 1.6-31.8, p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt; 0.05) in anterior leads. In a small case/control study, increased rates of ECGs showing ERP have been observed among psoriatic patients. Clinical significance of such finding needs to be assessed in further observational studies.
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The authors report 16 cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis observed in the province of Bari, southern Italy, since 1978. While no more than 55 cases have been documented in other European countries in the last 30 years, in Italy 58 cases... more
The authors report 16 cases of cutaneous sporotrichosis observed in the province of Bari, southern Italy, since 1978. While no more than 55 cases have been documented in other European countries in the last 30 years, in Italy 58 cases (present series included) have been recorded in the same time period. Furthermore, 42 of them (73.7%) originated from Apulia. This unexpectedly high incidence rate in Italy, and in Apulia in particular, provides evidence of the important role played by this area in the ecoepidemiology of sporotrichosis in Europe.
Research Interests: Italy, Humans, Child, Female, Male, and 12 moreSkin, Incidence, Clinical Sciences, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Seasons, Occupations, Sporothrix, Sporotrichosis, Mycoses, and Rural Population
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ABSTRACT A total of 30 patients with severe recalcitrant alopecia areata were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group was treated with topical immunotherapy (TI) with squaric acid dibutylester at weekly intervals, for a... more
ABSTRACT A total of 30 patients with severe recalcitrant alopecia areata were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group was treated with topical immunotherapy (TI) with squaric acid dibutylester at weekly intervals, for a maximum of 32 weeks, the second group was treated with lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN) alpha given by the intramuscular route for a 3-month period, and the third group received a combination of both treatments. After discontinuation of therapy the patients were followed-up at 4-week intervals for a 6-month period. At the end of this period, clinical responses were assessed according to the following four-point scale: 3 = full and stable recovery with a 6-month relapse-free period; 2 = full recovery with relapse occurring within 6 months; 1 = partial recovery; 0 = no response or disease progression. Combination (TI + IFN) therapy patients had significantly (P = 0.02) higher cure rates. In this group, scores of 3 and 2 were given to three and two patients, respectively. By contrast, in both monotherapy groups no score 3 was assigned, and only two patients were assessed as score 2. This study provides some support for the hypothesis that the association of TI and systemic IFNs are more effective than either treatment alone. The possibility of a synergistic action is discussed.
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Classical Kaposi&#39;s sarcoma (KS) is a sporadic disease that is particularly prevalent in Mediterranean countries. The aim of the study was to update clinical information about this rare condition. A survey of 163 cases observed in... more
Classical Kaposi&#39;s sarcoma (KS) is a sporadic disease that is particularly prevalent in Mediterranean countries. The aim of the study was to update clinical information about this rare condition. A survey of 163 cases observed in the period 1971-1990 in Bari, South Italy, was carried out. All records were reviewed and, when lost to follow-up for more than 6 months, patients were called back to update personal and family histories. The age at onset averaged 64 years (range 18-85). The male-to-female ratio was 3:1. No familiar occurrence was identified, and no significant association was found with other conditions (i.e. second primary malignancies and diabetes mellitus). Death from KS occurred in 16 cases, at the mean age of 71 years, an average of 5.7 years after the onset of the disease. To assess whether the different clinical patterns of the disease in its earlier stages may give any indication of its subsequent clinical course, all cases were re-classified into three groups (low-, moderate- and high-eruptivity group) on the basis of both the extent and the rate of spread of the disease before first admission; group-stratified survival function was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier&#39;s life table method. Highly significant (p &lt; 0.0001) differences were found in survival profiles of the three study groups, also when only deaths due to KS were computed. These findings provide some support to the hypothesis that three subsets of classical KS exist that have different prognoses and, consequently, need different therapeutic approaches.
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Research Interests: Immunology, Natural History, Risk assessment, Probability, Humans, and 15 moreFemale, Male, Immunotherapy, Follow-up studies, Clinical Sciences, ALOPECIA, Topical Drug Administration, Contact Dermatitis, Retrospective Studies, Risk Assessment, Sensitivity and Specificity, Hardening, Warts, Cohort Studies, and Hypersensitivity Delayed
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The incidence of the cutaneous malignant melanoma is increasing rapidly in the world [Ferlay J, Bray F, Pisani P, et al. GLOBOCAN 2000: Cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide, Version 1.0 IARC Cancer Base no. 5. Lyon: IARC... more
The incidence of the cutaneous malignant melanoma is increasing rapidly in the world [Ferlay J, Bray F, Pisani P, et al. GLOBOCAN 2000: Cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide, Version 1.0 IARC Cancer Base no. 5. Lyon: IARC Press, 2001]. The ...