Search

In the past years, more than 300 hairdressers have been reported to the mandatory accident insurance carriers as being suspected of having developed hairdressers asthma. Between 2001 and 2003, only 68 to 85 cases were confirmed as being caused or worsened by working as a hairdresser. Our study of more than 100 hairdressers from 2001 - 2005 has shown two age peaks for suspected cases. The first one in mostly young atopic hairdressers lies between 18 and 22 years. The second peak was determined to be between 3 8 and 45, comprising almost exclusively smokers with chronic bronchitis. Our results show that in most cases working in a salon does not cause asthma but that the inhalative exposure to numerous chemical substances increases symptoms and in a few cases leads to a progression of pre-existing bronchial hyperreactivity and asthma.

A 59-year-old woman with a single cuff-like plaque, consisting of multiple skin-coloured to bluish cysts and comedones on her right forearm is reported. The solitary lesion resembled, morphologically and histologically, the Favre-Racouchot syndrome. The above condition is another case of the previously described actinic comedonal plaque, which seems to be a rare entity within the spectrum of disease caused by actinic damage to the skin.

The aim of this study is to provide awareness of the common causes of death and their associated trends in the very aged. Forensic autopsies on patients aged >90 years were reviewed. The study lasted from January 1, 1988 to December 11, 1998 and was done in Auckland, New Zealand, the population of which is 1.3 million. Cases were divided into natural or unnatural deaths. Of the total of 319 cases, 272 (85%) deaths were natural. Of those, only 13 (5%) were "written off" as being attributed to old age or senile debility. The most common causes of death were ischemic heart disease (IHD), 74 cases (23%); bronchopneumonia, 37 cases (12%); fractures, 28 cases (9%); acute myocardial infarction, 25 cases (8%); cerebrovascular accident, 19 cases (6%); and ruptured aneurysm, 17 cases (5%); 61 (19%) deaths were multifactorial. Fractures, either as the primary cause of death or as a complicating factor, accounted for 29 cases, third only to IHD and bronchopneumonia. Forty-seven deaths (15%) were unnatural; of those, 43 were accidents, 3 were suicides, and 1 was a homicide. From these results it is clear that the very elderly succumb to disease; they do not often die of old age.

Certain drugs used to treat the elderly are known to precipitate hypothermia. In this study, the effects of chlormethiazole and thioridazine in producing postural hypotension were compared. In a study of hypothermia in the elderly the effects of chlormethiazole, thioridazine and lormetazepam were examined. Only three patients showed a postural drop following chlormethiazole, while 11 showed a postural drop following thioridazine. Chlormethiazole showed little variation from the control group in the hypothermia study, while thioridazine and lormetazepam caused a fall in temperature. For behaviour control in the elderly and for a short course as a hypnotic, chlormethiazole seems to be safer than thioridazine or lormetazepam.

Phlebologic diseases have become extremely common and have major socio-economic impact. However, the percentage of dermatologists working in phlebology appears to be decreasing according to the data of the German Society of Phlebology (DGP). To investigate the reasons for this development, we-on behalf of the DGP-sent a questionnaire to 120 German Departments of Dermatology in autumn 2012. In 76 returned questionnaires, the number of physicians with additional fellowship training in phlebology averaged 1.5; the average number of those who fulfill the criteria for training fellows in phlebology was 0.9. In 71.1 % of the departments there was a phlebologist. A special phlebologic outpatient clinic existed in 73.7 % of the departments. Sonography with Doppler (89.5 %) and duplex (86.8 %) was used as the most frequent diagnostic tool. For therapy, compression (94.7 %), sclerotherapy (liquid 78.9 %, foam 63.2 %, catheter 18.4 %), endoluminal thermic procedures (radio wave 28.9 %, laser 17.1 %) and surgery (especially crossectomy and stripping 67.1 %, phlebectomy of tributaries 75 %) were used. The average number of treatments was very heterogenous in the different departments. Phlebology definitely plays an important role in dermatology. Most departments fulfill the formal criteria for the license to conduct advanced training in phlebology. A wide spectrum of phlebological diagnostic and therapeutic procedures is available., Hintergrund Venenleiden sind eine Volkskrankheit und haben eine enorme sozioökonomische Bedeutung. Dennoch scheint der Anteil der phlebologisch tätigen Dermatologen entsprechend den Zahlen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Phlebologie (DGP) abzunehmen. Methoden Um die Ursachen dieser Entwicklung zu untersuchen, führten wir im Herbst 2012 im Auftrag der DGP eine Befragungsstudie zur Phlebologie an 120 deutschen Hautkliniken durch. Ergebnisse In 76 antwortenden Klinien gab es im Mittel 1,5 Phlebologen und 0,9 Ärzte mit Voraussetzungen zur Weiterbildungsermächtigung Phlebologie. In 71,1 % der Kliniken gab es einen Phlebologen, in 73,7 % eine phlebologische Sprechstunde. Zur Diagnostik wurden besonders die Doppler- (89,5 %) und Duplexsonographie (86,8 %) eingesetzt. In der Therapie führte die Kompressionstherapie (94,7 %), gefolgt von Sklerosierungstherapien (flüssig 78,9 %, Schaum 63,2 %, Katheter 18,4 %), den endoluminalen thermischen Verfahren (Radiowelle 28,9 %, Laser 17,1 %) und den operativen Eingriffen (vor allem Cross- und Saphenektomie 67,1 %, Seitenastexhairese 75 %). Die durchschnittlichen Behandlungszahlen waren sehr heterogen. Schlussfolgerung Die Phlebologie spielt in der Dermatologie weiterhin eine wichtige Rolle. Mehrheitlich sind in den Kliniken die Möglichkeiten zur Weiterbildung Phlebologie gegeben. Es wird ein breites Spektrum an phlebologischen Techniken zur Diagnostik und Therapie angeboten.