Background. Psoriasis is a common, genetically determined inflammatory and proliferative disease of the skin. Psychological stress can exacerbate the disease. This study sought to investigate the depression and anxiety disorders among patients with psoriasis and control group. Method. In this hospital-based case-control study, One hundred patients with psoriasis (case) referred to the dermatology department and 100 patients with otolaryngology problems and dermatological healthy volunteers (control) who referred to the Otolaryngology Department of Bouali Sina Hospital in Sari, Iran, in 2007 were studied. Demographic characteristics were recorded. Beck Depression Inventory and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale I-II were administered to the patients in both groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and descriptive statistical tests. Results. From One-hundred patients in each group, 44 (45%) were men. Depression score was 67% and 12% in psoriatic patients and control, respectively. The Beck depression scores of patients with psoriasis were significantly higher than scores of the control group (P < 0.05). Based on Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Scale, anxiety was found in 45% of patients in case group and 18% of controls. Conclusion. The results revealed that psoriatic patients reported significantly higher degrees of depression and anxiety than controls. In addition, psoriatic women were more depressed than psoriatic men.

Introduction:Kawasaki disease is an acute, self-limiting childhood systemic vasculitis with unknown etiology. Because there is no diagnostic test for Kawasaki disease, the diagnosis is based on clinical criteria. An important clinical sign that is not included in the classical clinical criteria for Kawasaki disease is a reaction at the Bacille Calmette-Guérin inoculation site that are present in about 30-50% of Kawasaki disease patients.The aim:of this review was to highlight the usefulness of the inflammation at the Bacille Calmette-Guérin inoculation site for early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease, we conducted a literature review on Medline in PubMed area, Google scholar, Magiran and Scientific Information Database using the search terms “Kawasaki disease, Erythema, BCG, inoculation site, children, cardiac complications, coronary artery lesion, aneurysm, incomplete Kawasaki in 2013.Results and discussion:A total of 15 articles had been found. Erythema at the Bacille Calmette-Guérin inoculation site was found in 49.87% of Kawasaki disease patients. Coronary artery abnormalities were found in 10.3% of cases. According to this review, BCGitis is more prevalent than cervical lymphadenopathy and rash and it can be a useful criterion in the diagnosis of incomplete Kawasaki disease in cases not fulfills the classic criteria of at least four of the five findings.

BackgroundCastleman's disease or angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia is a rare benign lymph node hyperplasia usually presenting as an asymptomatic mediastinal mass in children. The disease can present at any extra thoracic site with lymphoid tissue such as retroperitoneal, mesentery, axilla, and pelvis. Hepatic localization castleman disease is very rare in children. Herein, we reported a case of Castleman's disease arising from the lymph node in hilum of liver.Case presentationA 5 -year-old girl with chief complaint of abdominal pain for two months which exaggerated in last three days was referred to the hospital. On routine physical examination, only a generalized abdominal pain was noticed. Routine laboratory investigations and Chest X-Ray were normal. Abdominal Sonography revealed a 3.7 × 3.1 cm solid mass in the hilum of the liver. On the MRI images, a lobulated mass in the portal hepatic associated with mass effect on the portal vein was visible. Histological examination revealed expansion of mantle zone in lymphatic nodules accompanied by burnt out germinal centers. This pattern was matched with the diagnosis of the hyaline-vascular type of Castleman disease. The patient underwent a laparotomy. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course.ConclusionThis pattern was matched with the diagnosis of the hyaline-vascular type of Castleman disease.

Background:The clinical presentations of pertussis infection have considerable variation. Many infections and illnesses can cause prolonged repetitive paroxysmal cough that could be confused with Bordetella pertussis infection.Aim:This retrospective study was designed to compare the clinico-laboratory findings between two groups of hospitalized infants with confirmed, and those who have clinical pertussis disease; to identify the possible additional diagnostic clues “for the diagnosis of confirmed pertussis disease”.Subjects and Methods:The study population consisted of infants ≤12 months of age with clinical diagnosis of pertussis that fulfilled the World Health Organization definition for pertussis or those diagnosed by physicians. Clinico-laboratory findings were compared between two groups of patients (confirmed vs. clinical cases).Results:From a total of 118 infants admitted with a clinical diagnosis of pertussis, 16% (19/118) were confirmed by laboratory to have confirmed pertussis. Twelve of 19 (63%) and 71.99% of confirmed and clinical cases were younger than 6 months of age, respectively. For most patients, the duration of symptoms before hospitalization was <14 days. There were no significant differences between two groups of patients for paroxysmal cough and facial discoloration. However, whoop and apnea were more common among confirmed pertussis cases: P = 0.01, and P = 0.02, respectively. Leukocytosis (≥16,000/ml) (P = 0.01) and lymphocytosis (≥11,000) (P = 0.02) were reported significantly more frequently in confirmed pertussis cases.Conclusion:Given the unavailability of a highly sensitive diagnostic test, in every afebrile patient with paroxysmal cough lasting for ≥7 days associated with whoop and/or apnea, particularly if accompanied by leukocytosis/lymphocytosis, pertussis disease should be considered. In this situation, prompt administration of empiric treatment for cases, and providing control measures to prevent infection transmission to contacts are recommended.

The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of hepatitis C infection and associated risk factors among addicted prisoners in Sari-Iran. This is a simple random sampling cross sectional study that was performed on 312 addicted prisoner men at Khazarabad addicts' prison in Sari/Iran in September 2001. Their blood samples were examined through third generation enzyme immunoassay. Data were collected through questionnaires and interview. Associated risk factors were compared in 82 hepatitis C antibody positive addicts (the affected group) and 148 hepatitis C antibody negative addicts (the unaffected group). Out of 312 addicted prisoners, 96 were hepatitis C anti body positive. The seroprevalence of hepatitis C infection was found to be 30.8%. Major associated risk factors in the affected group were as follows: duration of addiction, duration of imprisonment (mean 48 months), route of drug administration, length of alcohol consumption, tattooing, shared usage of needles and razors, multiple sexual partners and type of drugs (p < 0.05). On multivariate logistic regression analysis these factors were found to be significant independent risk factors for HCV infection: tattooing (OR 100, 95% CI), multiple sexual partners (OR 4.97, 95% CI) and history of surgery (OR 6.23, 95% CI). It is concluded that hepatitis C infection had a considerable prevalence in addicted prisoners. High risk and unsafe behaviors were found to be the main factors of contamination.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between maternal serum magnesium levels and preterm birth. This Nested case-control study carried out on 20 with preterm birth and 20 women at term birth at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari/Iran in 2008. The women with singleton gestation and intact fetal membrane suspected to preterm labor (case group), 10 cc blood samples were drawn into syringes and sent to laboratory of the hospital immediately. Sampling for control group was same as the case group. These samples recognized as control group just as birth occurring after week 37. Finally, serum magnesium level measured. Data analyzed using chi2, t-test and OR (Odd's Ratio). There was a relationship between the number of prenatal visits (p = 0.008) and stressful events associated with preterm birth (p < 0.02). Serum magnesium level was associated with preterm birth OR = 4.75, CI 95% = (0.48-46.91), Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value of serum magnesium for preterm birth was 95, 50, 66.5 and 83.33%, respectively. Although, there was a correlation between serum magnesium levels and preterm birth, due to methodology of the study, a cohort study with the same cut off point and supplementation of magnesium in RTC studies is recommended.

Generally, 15-25% of general population experience urticaria during their life. The prevalence of chronic urticaria is about 0.1-0.3% in children and most often occurs between ages of 6-11 years. There are several causes for development of chronic urticaria. Known etiologies of chronic urticaria in children vary from 21% to 83%. Chronic urticaria caused by infections is more common in children than adults. Diagnosis of chronic urticaria is based on clinical history and physical examination and routine laboratory testing in the absence of a clinical history is rarely helpful. Similar to adults, antihistamines are the first line of treatment. Omalizumab as a biological engineering molecule is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, which targets the CH3 domain of the ε chain of the free IgE. Omalizumab has been used in patients with H1-antihistamine-refractory chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). Here in we made a review about possible mechanisms by which omalizumab may be effective in children above 12 years with chronic urticaria, and also focused on its therapeutic effects, onset criteria and possible side effects.

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