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Background Few reported studies compare drug survival in moderate-to-severe psoriasis vulgaris. Objectives To describe and compare drug survival of systemic drugs, including biologic agents (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab and ustekinumab) and classical drugs (acitretin, ciclosporin and methotrexate) in moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Methods This was a multicenter, prospective, cohort study of patients receiving systemic therapies between 2008 and 2013 in 12 hospitals in Spain. Baseline data and drug discontinuation were collected. Drug survival is presented using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. We compared adjusted risk ratios of serious adverse events (AEs) with results of survival analysis for AEs. Results A total of 1956 patients were included for analysis (1240 exposed to biologics during follow-up and 1076 to classic therapies). Median follow-up time was 3.3 years (0.0-5.1 years). There were 2209 discontinuations out of 3640 therapy cycles started. The main reason for discontinuation was lack of efficacy (36.4%) and remission (27.2%). Biologics showed a higher drug survival than classics and the pattern of survival results for all outcomes (positive or negative) were very similar. Adjusted risk ratios of serious AEs did not agree with results of survival analysis. Limitations A limitation is that this is an observational study with potential selection bias. Conclusion Survival as a proxy measure of drug safety in psoriasis is inadequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The addition of calcipotriol ointment to PUVA therapy for psoriasis vulgaris results in a lower total UVA dose and a faster onset of response. The addition of calcipotriol cream to PUVA, however, has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether combining calcipotriol cream with PUVA therapy has a UVA sparing effect. METHODS: We performed a randomized, multicentre, vehicle-controlled, double-blind, 12-week comparative study including 120 patients with psoriasis covering 20-50% body surface area. The study consisted of a washout phase followed by a 10-week treatment phase. PUVA therapy three times weekly was added within 1 week after randomization. Efficacy was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). RESULTS: At baseline the mean PASI scores were 17.5 and 19.2 in the calcipotriol and vehicle (placebo) groups, respectively. At the end of treatment, the mean PASI scores were 2.65 and 7.03 ( p <0.01), respectively. A reduction in PASI score >90% was observed in 69% of the patients in the calcipotriol-treated group and in 36.4% of the patients in the vehicle group ( p <0.01). CONCLUSION: Calcipotriol cream plus PUVA clearly reduces the cumulative dose of UVA and improves the response of psoriasis vulgaris to PUVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 43-year-old woman who developed skin diseases called demodicidoses. Multiple follicular hyperkeratotic spicules has been observed on physical examination. The patient had undergone diagnostic assessment called Demodex Filliculorum by means of reflectance confucal microscopy.

Objective: Patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC)-ie, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)-have an increased risk of developing a second skin cancer. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency, incidence per 1000 person-years, and predictors of a second skin cancer in a cohort of patients with NMSC treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS)., Material and Methods: Prospective study of a national cohort of patients with NMSC who underwent MMS at 22 Spanish hospitals between July 2013 and February 2020; case data were recorded in the REGESMOHS registry. The study variables included demographic characteristics, frequency and incidence per 1000 person-years of second skin cancers diagnosed during the study period, and risk factors identified using mixed-effects logistic regression., Results: We analyzed data for 4768 patients who underwent MMS; 4397 (92%) had BCC and 371 (8%) had SCC. Mean follow-up was 2.4 years. Overall, 1201 patients (25%) developed a second skin cancer during follow-up; 1013 of the tumors were BCCs (21%), 154 were SCCs (3%), and 20 were melanomas (0.4%). The incidence was 107 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 101-113) for any cancer, 90 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 85-96) for BCC, 14 (95% CI, 12-16) per 1000 person-years for SCC, and 2 (95% CI, 1-3) per 1000 person-years for melanoma. More men than women developed a subsequent skin cancer (738 [61%] vs 463 [39%]). The main risk factors were a history of multiple tumors before diagnosis (relative risk [RR], 4.6; 95% CI, 2.9-7.1), immunosuppression (RR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4-3.1), and male sex (RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.4-1.9)., Conclusion: Patients have an increased risk of developing a second tumor after MMS treatment of NMSC. Risk factors are a history of multiple tumors at diagnosis, immunosuppression, and male sex., (Copyright © 2022. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Background: The management of melanocytic lesions with peripheral globules (MLPGs) is usually age-dependent and can be challenging in high-risk melanoma patients., Objectives: To evaluate clinical, dermoscopic and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) features of MLPG in patients under digital dermoscopic surveillance. To know whether dermoscopic or RCM findings correlate with histologic diagnosis and the accuracy of the dermoscopy-RCM compared with histopathology., Methods: During 24 months, we prospectively enrolled MLPG in patients under digital dermoscopy follow-up. All were evaluated by dermoscopy and RCM and excised for histologic examination., Results: We enrolled 154 patients, mean age 42.45 years (18.78-73.19). Three melanomas and 19 dysplastic naevi (DNs) were diagnosed. There were no significant differences in the age of the patients (P = 0.662). MLPGs with diameter of 6 mm or more and asymmetry in two axes were associated with melanoma (P = 0.01, P = 0.003). Patients with more than one MLPG were less likely to have melanoma. Blue-grey and red colours were more frequent in melanoma (P = 0.013 and P = 0.000). Different sizes and shapes of PG were associated with DN and melanoma (P = 0.000 and P = 0.001). In a new lesion, PG in <25% of the circumference was related to malignancy (P = 0.010). RCM signs of malignancy were related to melanoma: pagetoid cells (P = 0.000), non-edged papillae (P = 0.001), atypical junctional thickenings (P = 0.000) and atypical cells at the dermal-epidermal junction (P = 0.000). Dense irregular nests were associated to melanoma (P = 0.019). Dermoscopy and confocal evaluation were able to diagnose 100% of melanomas and 84.21% of DNs. The kappa coefficient between dermoscopy-RCM vs. histology was 0.76., Conclusions: We recommend to excise a MLPG when it presents asymmetry in two axes, 6 or more mm, new lesion with PG in less than the 25% of the circumference, irregular size and shape PGs and irregular dense nests on RCM, regardless of the patient's age., (© 2021 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

Background and Objectives: Current psoriasis guidelines do not usually include recommendations about first line classical or biologic treatment. The objectives of this study were: to describe shifts in the prescription of the first biological treatment, and to compare treatment withdrawal and rates of adverse events over ten years., Material and Methods: Biobadaderm registry was analyzed to describe: first biological prescription in bio-naïve patients, adverse events rate and reasons for drug withdrawal comparing three periods of time (2008-2010, 2011-2014, 2015-2018)., Results: Anti-TNF drugs were the most prescribed biological drug from 2008 to 2010. Ustekinumab has become the most prescribed first biologic since 2014. The main reasons for drug discontinuation were adverse events, lack of efficacy and remission. In each period any treatment was less likely to be discontinued due to any of these three reasons comparing to the previous period., Conclusions: The present study identifies trends in prescription of the first biological antipsoriatic drug in clinical practice from 2008 to 2018. It suggests that we have become more comfortable with the safety profile and more exigent with the efficacy of the drugs., (Copyright © 2020. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Sensitive skin has traditionally been viewed as a cosmetic problem or as a purely psychosomatic alteration with a major subjective component. Different studies of its pathophysiologic etiology, however, have shown it to be a complex entity that several authors now consider to be a neurodermatological syndrome. Because of this complexity, skin sensitivity can be difficult to diagnose and treat, particularly considering that it may present with another disease. Simple tools applicable to clinical practice are thus necessary to identify and manage this disease as an independent entity. In this study, we perform a practical review of the most recent scientific advances in the area of sensitive skin that justify it being considered an individual entity, and provide tools for its identification and treatment. We propose diagnostic and treatment algorithms based on evidence from the literature and our experience and expertise., (Copyright © 2019 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Treatment persistence is becoming a useful measure to evaluate long-term effectiveness and safety of biological therapies in real-world settings., Objective: The main objective of this study was to explore the scientific opinion of a panel of dermatologists and hospital pharmacists to reach a consensus about the impact, causes, and best strategies and interventions that might be associated with improved drug persistence in patients with psoriasis in Spain., Methods: This research was conducted using a modified Delphi method organized in two rounds and involving a panel of 90 dermatologists and 34 hospital pharmacists. A questionnaire of 70 items was developed. The items proposed to reach a consensus included topics such as definitions and measures in the treatment of psoriasis, analysis of treatment persistence, factors that may influence treatment persistence, impact of treatment persistence and economic cost of treatment., Results: Dermatologists reached a consensus on 77.1% of the items proposed, and hospital pharmacists reached a consensus on 71.4%. Both groups agreed that it is important to use standardized measures in the evaluation of treatment maintenance over time. Dermatologists agreed that treatment survival, persistence and retention are synonymous, but hospital pharmacists considered only treatment persistence as a valid term. In addition, panelists agreed that drug persistence is an indicator of success in the treatment of psoriasis that may be influenced by a drug's effectiveness and safety profile, as well as by patient satisfaction. They agreed that the different causes of treatment discontinuation should be considered in Kaplan-Meier analysis of treatment persistence. Moreover, treatment persistence was agreed to decrease the cost of therapy., Conclusion: This Delphi consensus highlights the different perspectives of dermatologists and hospital pharmacists regarding the interpretation of treatment persistence, and the challenge of harmonizing the results obtained., (© 2019 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

Background: The clinical and pathological features of primary melanoma are not sufficiently sensitive to accurately predict which patients are at a greater risk of relapse. Recently, a 31-gene expression profile (DecisionDx-Melanoma) test has shown promising results., Objectives: To evaluate the early prognostic performance of a genetic signature in a multicentre prospectively evaluated cohort., Methods: Inclusion of patients with AJCC stages IB and II conducted between April 2015 and December 2016. All patients were followed up prospectively to assess their risk of relapse. Prognostic performance of this test was evaluated individually and later combined with the AJCC staging system. Prognostic accuracy of disease-free survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analysis. Results of the gene expression profile test were designated as Class 1 (low risk) and Class 2 (high risk)., Results: Median follow-up time was 26 months (IQR 22-30). The gene expression profile test was performed with 86 patients; seven had developed metastasis (8.1%) and all of them were in the Class 2 group, representing 21.2% of this group. Gene expression profile was an independent prognostic factor for relapse as indicated by multivariate Cox regression analysis, adjusted for AJCC stages and age., Conclusions: This prospective multicentre cohort study, performed in a Spanish Caucasian cohort, shows that this 31-gene expression profile test could correctly identify patients at early AJCC stages who are at greater risk of relapse. We believe that gene expression profile in combination with the AJCC staging system could well improve the detection of patients who need intensive surveillance and optimize follow-up strategies., (© 2019 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

Background: There is currently little information available on the management of patients with psoriasis in the daily clinical practice of dermatologists in Spain., Objective: The aim of this study was to survey a group of Spanish dermatologists with particular expertise in the management of psoriasis to determine their opinions on the protocols used in routine clinical practice., Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study based on an online survey about the management of psoriasis sent to 75 dermatologists. The survey, which was specifically designed for the study, included 12questions on different aspects of clinical practice in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis., Results: The response rate was 96% (n=72). Biologics were the most widely used monotherapy option. In total, 64.3% of respondents reported that their patients used conventional systemic therapies for 1 to 2years before switching to a biologic drug and that the main reason for the switch was unstable control of disease activity. Overall, 85.7% assigned a "high" or "very high" importance to the use of a Psoriasis Area Severity Index score of <3 as a treatment goal. The drugs of choice among the respondents were etanercept for pediatric patients (78.6%), adalimumab and etanercept for patients with psoriatic arthritis (64.3%), and ustekinumab in patients frequently away from home (78.6%) and patients with a history of multiple sclerosis, demyelinating diseases (64.3%), or poor adherence to treatment (71.4%)., Conclusion: This study provides a unique overview of the opinions of a representative sample of expert dermatologists on the current use of biologics for the treatment of psoriasis in Spain., (Copyright © 2018 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Objectives: Biologic drugs are usually prescribed as second-line treatment for psoriasis, that is, after the patient has first been treated with a conventional psoriasis drug. There are, however, cases where, depending on the characteristics of the patient or the judgement of the physician, biologics may be chosen as first-line therapy. No studies to date have analyzed the demographics or clinical characteristics of patients in this setting or the safety profile of the agents used. The main aim of this study was to characterize these aspects of first-line biologic therapy and compare them to those observed for patients receiving biologics as second-line therapy., Material and Method: We conducted an observational study of 181 patients treated in various centers with a systemic biologic drug as first-line treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis between January 2008 and November 2016. All the patients were registered in the Spanish Registry of Adverse Events Associated with Biologic Drugs in Dermatology., Results: The characteristics of the first- and second-line groups were very similar, although the patients receiving a biologic as first-line treatment for their psoriasis were older. No differences were observed for disease severity (assessed using the PASI) or time to diagnosis. Hypertension, diabetes, and liver disease were all more common in the first-line group. There were no differences between the groups in terms of reasons for drug withdrawal or occurrence of adverse effects., Conclusions: No major differences were found between patients with psoriasis receiving biologic drugs as first- or second-line therapy, a finding that provides further evidence of the safety of biologic therapy in patients with psoriasis., (Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

The dermoscopic island is described as a well-defined area in a melanocytic lesion, with a different dermoscopic pattern from the rest of the lesion. It is predictive of melanoma, particularly when the pattern of the island is atypical. We present the reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) findings in 3 lesions with dermoscopic islands: nevus-associated melanoma, melanocytic nevus, and in situ melanoma. The nevus-associated melanoma and in situ melanoma presented cellular atypia (atypical cells in isolation or forming nests) and architectural distortion on RCM. The nevus presented a dermoscopic island with a typical globular pattern with dense nests and no atypia on RCM. Dermoscopic island is mainly associated with in situ and nevus-associated melanomas. RCM offers good cellular resolution to the depth of the reticular dermis and is useful for diagnosing of melanomas presenting a dermoscopic island., (Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Regesmohs registry is a nationwide registry including patients evaluated for Mohs surgery in 17 Spanish centres since July 2013. Given that Mohs surgery is the therapy with best results for high risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and other skin tumours, we wanted to describe the reasons that lead to some patients being excluded from this therapy and the alternative treatments that they received. These data may be useful to avoid excluding patients for Mohs surgery use, to estimate the healthcare demand of these patients and the demand for Hedgehog inhibitors therapy in this group., Objective: To describe patients excluded for Mohs surgery after pre-surgical assessment, and the treatments that they received., Methods: Regesmohs includes all consecutive patients assessed for Mohs surgery in the participating centres, collecting data on patient characteristics, intervention, and short and long-term results. Patients excluded for Mohs surgery after pre-surgical evaluation were described., Results: 3011 patients were included in Regesmohs from July 2013 to October 2016. In 85, Mohs surgery was not performed as they were considered inadequate candidates. 67 had BCC. Reasons for exclusion were: medical contraindication (27.1%, n=23) low-risk tumour in (18.8%, n=16) and giant tumour and bone invasion (15.3%, n=13). Only 1 patient (1.2%) showed lymph node involvement and no patients had visceral metastases. Of the 85 excluded patients, 29 (34.1%) were treated with conventional surgery, 24 (28.3%) with radiotherapy, 4 (4.7%) with inhibitors of the Hedgehog pathway (only indicated for BCC), and 2 (2.4%) received palliative care. We had no follow-up data on 14 patients (16.5%)., Conclusion: Medical comorbidities were the most common reason for withholding Mohs surgery. Withholding therapy on the basis of distant extension is uncommon. Most excluded patients received simpler therapies: conventional surgery or radiotherapy, with hedgehog inhibitors being a new option., (Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The elderly population is increasing and more patients in this group undergo Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). The few publications investigating MMS in elderly people conclude that it is a safe procedure; however, these are single-centre studies without a comparison group., Objective: To compare the characteristics of patients, tumours, MMS and 1-year follow-up in patients younger than 80 years, with patients older than 80 years at the time of surgery., Methods: Data was analysed from REGESMOHS, a prospective cohort study of patients treated with MMS. The participating centres were 19 Spanish hospitals where at least one MMS is performed per week. Data on characteristics of the patient, tumour and surgery were recorded. Follow-up data were collected from two visits; the first within 1 month postsurgery and the second within the first year., Results: From July 2013 to October 2016, 2575 patients that underwent MMS were included in the registry. Of them, 1942 (75.4%) were aged <80 years and 633 (24.6%) were ≥80 years old. In the elderly, the tumour size was significantly higher with a higher proportion of squamous cell carcinoma. Regarding surgery, elderly more commonly had tumours with deeper invasion and required a higher number of Mohs surgery stages, leaving larger defects and requiring more time in the operating room. Despite this, the incidence of postoperative complications was the same in both groups (7%) and there were no significant differences in proportion of relapses in the first-year follow-up., Conclusion: The risk of short-term complications and relapses were similar in elderly and younger groups. MMS is a safe procedure in the elderly., (© 2017 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

Introduction: The Spanish Mohs Surgery Registry is used to collect data on the use and outcomes of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) in Spain. The aim of this study was to describe perioperative and intraoperative data recorded for MMS procedures performed between July 2013 (when the registry started) and January 2016., Material and Methods: Prospective cohort study of data from 18 hospitals. The data collected included type of anesthesia, surgical technique, hospital admission, number of Mohs stages, management of preoperative risk factors, additional treatments, previous treatments, type of tumor, operating time, and complications., Results: Data were available for 1796 operations. The most common tumor treated by MMS was basal cell carcinoma (85.96%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (6.18%), lentigo maligna (2.81%), and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (1.97%). Primary tumors accounted for 66.9% of all tumors operated on; 19.2% of tumors were recurrent and 13.9% were persistent. The most common previous treatment was surgical. MMS was mostly performed under local anesthesia (86.7% of cases) and as an outpatient procedure (71.8%). The frozen section technique was used in 89.5% of cases. One stage was needed to achieve tumor-free margins in 56.45% of patients; 2 stages were required in 32.1% of patients, 3 in 7.1%%, 4 in 2.7%, and 5 or more in 1.8%. The defect was reconstructed by the dermatologist in 98% of patients and the most common technique was flap closure (47.2%). Intraoperative complications were recorded for just 1.62% of patients and the median (interquartile range) duration of surgery was 75 (60-100) minutes., Conclusion: The characteristics of the patients and tumors treated by MMS are similar to those reported for similar studies in other geographic areas. Lentigo maligna and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans accounted for a higher proportion of cases in our series, and repair of the surgical defect by a dermatologist was also more common. Operating times in MMS are not much longer than those reported for other procedures and the rate of intraoperative complications is very low., (Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: Little is known about the adverse events (AEs) that lead to suspension of systemic treatments for psoriasis in clinical practice., Objective: The study aimed to investigate AEs associated with discontinuation of systemic therapy in patients with psoriasis in a clinical setting (Biobadaderm)., Materials and Methods: Multicentre, prospective, cohort study of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis receiving systemic therapies from January 2008 to November 2015, in 12 hospitals in Spain. The incidence rate (IR) was used to compare biologics and classic systemic therapies., Results: A total of 4218 courses of treatment were given to 1938 patients. A total of 447 (11%) treatments were discontinued due to AEs. The IR of AE associated with discontinuation of systemic therapies was 13 events/100 patient-years (PY) (95% CI: 12.14-13.93), 9.34 events/100 PY (95% CI: 8.44-10.33) for biologics and 19.67 (95% CI: 17.9-21.6) events/100 PY for classics (P < 0.001). Of 810 discontinuation-related AEs, 117 (14%) were serious. The highest IRs were for cyclosporine [49.18/100 PY (95% CI: 41.91-57.72)] and infliximab [26.52/100 PY (95% CI: 20.98-33.51). Ustekinumab presented the lowest IR (2.6/100 PY (95% CI: 1.83-3.69)., Limitations: Observational study with potential selection bias., Conclusion: Biologic therapies are associated with a lower rate of discontinuation-related AEs than are classic therapies in real clinical practice. Ustekinumab showed the lowest incidence., (© 2017 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)