All patients treated with both, laser sessions and sun exposure, improved their chronic NSV lesions. Improvement was less significant in patients who exhibited vitiligo lesions over articular surfaces such as elbows and underarms. The best results were observed in vitiligo plaques located on the face, neck and legs. Consequently, fractional CO2 laser followed by sun exposure could be considered as an alternative modality for the treatment of refractory vitiligo, especially in sunny regions.
Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that has rapidly spread to most cities in the world since December 2019 causing a rise in global mortality and adverse effects on mental health. This paper aims to examine the potential implications of the pandemic for mental health in societies with economic and political instability, focusing on Lebanon. Design/methodology/approach Previous empirical research into mental health and COVID-19 was examined in relation to the Lebanese context. Findings There is a risk of poor mental health in Lebanon owing to the deleterious effects of military conflict and political instability over several decades. More recently, the country is also experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history with unprecedented rates of unemployment, inflation, poverty, and devaluation of the national currency. It is suggested that the lockdown measures may be depriving the Lebanese people of effective coping strategies, such as group memberships (e.g., religion), social support and community involvement, during the COVID-19 outbreak. This in turn may lead to the deployment of maladaptive coping strategies in the population. Practical implications Mental health services are still in their formative phases in Lebanon and mostly run by civil society organizations. There is an urgent need for a national action plan to respond to the potential mental health burden and use of maladaptive coping strategies which may arise in the aftermath of COVID-19. Originality/value This paper provides a novel analysis of mental health in Lebanese society through the lens of social, political, economic and psychological factors.
Netherton syndrome (NS) is a rare and severe autosomal recessive ichthyosis. We report the case of a patient with NS treated successfully with narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy after failure of low-dose oral isotretinoin. A 16-year-old girl born to consanguineous parents presented with severe ichthyosis. On examination of her hair, she was found to have trichorrhexis invaginata. Genetic analysis revealed a SPINK5 mutation specific for NS. The patient's cousin had the same mutation. The patient developed Cushing syndrome after long-term application of topical steroids. She was treated with low-dose oral isotretinoin with no benefit. NB-UVB phototherapy was started, which resulted in marked improvement after 2 months. In conclusion, we report a case of NS with failure of low-dose oral isotretinoin, for which NB-UVB phototherapy, through its apoptosis-inducing and immunomodulatory effects, was effective. However, long-term use of UVB is limited by its potential side-effects.
Fox-Fordyce disease is an uncommon inflammatory disease of the apocrine sweat glands. Two recent reports indicated laser hair removal as a novel cause of axillary Fox-Fordyce disease. We report the first case of Fox-Fordyce disease developing in women after completing treatment with a depilatory hair laser appearing in the axillae, umbilicus, and pubis. We describe a case of Fox-Fordyce disease that developed in a 27-year-old woman 3 months after she had completed two LightSheer Diode laser treatments of her axilla, periumbilical region, and bikini area. Clinical and histopathological changes are as well detailed. Laser therapy induces damage to follicular infundibulum, resulting in altered maturation of keratinocytes which led to keratin plugging causing the common pathologic features in Fox-Fordyce disease. Differences in the physiologic features of the anatomic sites, in the susceptibility to laser-induced injury among these areas, or additional factors may contribute to Fox-Fordyce disease.
Drawing on identity process theory from social psychology, this study explores the protective and risk factors of psychological distress and self-harm in a religiously diverse sample of heterosexual and non-heterosexual students at an English-speaking university in Lebanon. A convenience sample of 209 undergraduate students participated in a cross-sectional survey and completed measures of religiosity, identity threat, psychological distress and self-harm. Results indicated that non-heterosexual participants exhibited higher levels of psychological distress, were more likely to report self-harm, and reported lower levels of religiosity than their heterosexual counterparts. The multiple regression analyses showed that religiosity is protective against psychological distress, and that sexual orientation distress predicts selfharm. In order to reduce the risk of psychological distress and self-harm, it will be necessary to challenge stigma towards sexual minorities, to promote engagement with a broader range of social identity categories (other than just religion), and to ensure that individuals of all faiths and sexualities in Lebanon are able to access counselling support if they require it.
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