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Background. Medical student performance evaluations have historically contained a significant subjective component. Multiple tools are used to assess fund of knowledge including subjective evaluation by faculty and residents as well as objective evaluations through standardized written and oral exams. We hypothesized that subjective evaluation of medical student knowledge would correlate with objective evaluation through written and oral exams.Methods. Records of consecutive medical students assigned to the surgery clerkship from January 1999 and March 2001 were reviewed. The core surgical rotation consisted of two 4-week blocks on a private, county, or VA hospital service. Surgical knowledge was assessed subjectively by both faculty (FES) and senior residents (RES) using a 10-point scale with verbal anchors. Objective measures of student surgical knowledge included the National Board shelf exam (WE) and a semistructured oral exam (OE). Data are reported as mean ± SEM. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to assess relationships between groups (r ≥ 0.5 → positive correlation).Results. A total of 354 students were evaluated. The mean FES was 7.8 ± 0.05 (median = 7.75, range 4.75 to 9.75). The mean RES was 7.7 ± 0.06 (median = 8.0, range 3.5 to 10.0). There was poor correlation between the subjective perception and objective measures of surgical knowledge (Table 1). Comparison of the FES and RES also showed poor correlation (r = 0.38).Conclusions. Subjective evaluation of surgical knowledge by faculty and residents correlates poorly with performance measured objectively. These results question whether subjective evaluation of surgical knowledge should be included as part of the evaluation process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and aims Vitiligo is an acquired pigmentary disorder of skin and hair. Active melanocytes in hair follicles can be detected by DOPA and immunohistochemical staining, while amelanotic melanocytes can only be detected by the latter. None of the studies on hair melanocytes in vitiligo discussed the effect of disease duration on these melanocytes. Here, we study the presence of melanotic and amelanotic melanocytes in vitiligo hair follicles and statistically correlating their presence with the disease duration. Methods This study was conducted on 30 patients with vitiligo and 10 normal volunteers. Three biopsies were taken from each patient: two from black and white hairs from vitiliginous areas and the third from apparently normal skin of the same patients. Sections were stained by DOPA reaction and NKI/beteb then examined for the presence of melanocytes. The presence of melanocytes and the disease duration were correlated statistically using the t-test. Results Active melanocytes were detected in black hairs of 6.7% of vitiligo patients and in 100% of apparently normal skin of the same patients and controls. On examining black hairs of the 28 vitiligo patients with negative DOPA reaction, 19 of them (67.9%) showed positive NKI/beteb stain. Disease duration was inversely correlated with the melanocytes’ presence within hair follicles. Melanocytes were absent from 100% of white hairs. Conclusions The melanotic melanocytes were the first target of the disease process followed by the amelanotic melanocytes. Since the disappearance of the latter was inversely correlated with the disease duration, early treatment in vitiligo is advised. Conflicts of interest None declared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on perifollicular inflammatory infiltrate in the acquired depigmentary disorder vitiligo. It reports that vitiligo involves loss of melanocytes from the epidermis and hair follicles. Diagnosis for the disorder which includes skin inspection and the use of Wood's light are also mentioned. The skin disorder's lesions which usually presents with a thin lymphocytic infiltrate and rarely a heavy lymphocytic infiltrate are discussed.

The article presents a retrospective study regarding the presence of eosinophils in the inflammatory infiltrate of nonsegmental vitiligo. According to the article, eosinophils are usually considered as the end-stage effector cells of innate immunity. From the biopsies of 30 patients with nonsegmental vitiligo, 20 of them had stable vitiligo and the remaining 10 had active vitiligo. It notes that the stability of vitiligo has been defined as a period varying from six months to two years.