British Journal of Dermatology最新文献

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) represent a severe spectrum of rare mucocutaneous reactions, primarily drug-induced and characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. These conditions manifest through extensive skin detachment, distinguishing them from other generalized skin eruptions. The rarity and severity of SJS/TEN underscore the importance of accurate diagnostic criteria and effective treatments, which are currently lacking consensus. This review proposes new diagnostic criteria to improve specificity and global applicability. Recent advancements in understanding the immunopathogenesis of SJS/TEN are explored, emphasizing the role of drug-specific T cell responses and HLA polymorphisms in disease onset. The review also addresses current therapeutic approaches, including controversies surrounding the use of immunosuppressive agents and the emerging role of TNF-α inhibitors. Novel therapeutic strategies targeting specific pathogenic mechanisms, such as necroptosis and specific immune cell pathways, are discussed. Furthermore, the development of new drugs based on these insights, including targeted monoclonal antibodies and inhibitors, are examined. The review concludes by advocating for more robust and coordinated efforts across multidisciplinary medical fields to develop effective treatments and diagnostic tools for SJS/TEN, with the aim of improving patient outcomes and understanding of the disease and its mechanisms.

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that leads to a high psychiatric, economic and systemic disease burden. A comprehensive understanding of AA epidemiology is essential for evaluating healthcare source utilization; however, a systematic approach to summarizing epidemiological data on AA is lacking.

Objectives: To investigate systematically the global, regional and national incidence and prevalence of AA.

Methods: A structured search was conducted using the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SciELO and Korean Journal Database from their date of inception to 4 October 2023. Studies that reported the prevalence or incidence of AA were included. We used a Bayesian hierarchical linear mixed model to analyse prevalence estimates. The primary outcomes of our study were the global, regional and national prevalence of physician-diagnosed AA for the overall population, for adults and for children. The incidence data were summarized descriptively.

Results: In total, 88 studies from 28 countries were included in the analysis. The reported incidence of AA tended to be higher in adults aged 19-50 years, and this trend was consistent with its estimated prevalence. The reported prevalence in overall populations tended to be higher in men vs. women. The estimated lifetime prevalence rate of AA was 0.10% [95% credible interval (CrI) 0.03-0.39] in the general population worldwide, 0.12% (95% CrI 0.02-0.52) in adults and 0.03% (95% CrI 0.01-0.12) in children. The estimated prevalence of AA was highest in the Asian region and lowest in the African region.

Conclusions: In this study, 48% of the Global Burden of Disease regions had insufficient data on the prevalence or incidence of AA. Further studies are needed to provide epidemiological information on middle- and low-income countries. Our study may serve as a crucial reference in terms of healthcare policy decisions.

Background: Increasing melanoma incidence with less increasing mortality is observed in several countries. This discrepancy is not well understood.

Objectives: In this study, our aim was to discuss factors [ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure, melanoma treatment, diagnostic activity, overdiagnosis, pathologists' diagnostic threshold and clinicians' propensity to remove suspect skin lesions] that might influence melanoma incidence and mortality in Denmark.

Methods: This was a register study with the number of melanocyte-related lesions and melanoma mortality based on comprehensive national pathology and mortality databases for the period 1999-2019. We investigated melanocyte-related diagnoses and mortality in a population of 5.5 million with a national healthcare system. Age-adjusted melanoma mortality and age-adjusted incidence of benign naevi, atypical lesion, or melanoma in situ and of invasive melanoma were computed for data analysis.

Results: In total, 1 434 798 biopsies were taken from 704 682 individuals (65% female). The mean age at biopsy was 39.8 years in males and 37.6 in females. In males and females, the incidence of invasive melanoma increased by 87% during the period 1999-2011. During the subsequent period it increased by 9% in males but remained unchanged in females. The incidence of melanoma in situ increased by 476% in males and 357% in females during the study period, while the increases for atypical melanocytic lesions were 1928% and 1686%, respectively. Biopsy rates increased by 153% in males and 118% in females from 1999 through 2011 but fell by 20% in males and 22% in females during the subsequent period. Mortality varied slightly from year to year without any significant time trend for males or females. We identified no evidence of increased UVR exposure over the latest 30 years in Denmark. Immunotherapy of advanced melanoma was introduced in Denmark in 2010 and came into general use in 2014.

Conclusions: Comprehensive national data demonstrate increasing melanoma incidence correlated with increasing biopsy rates, but with no change in mortality. Previously suggested explanations for such a trend are a lowered threshold of melanoma diagnosis among pathologists, increased diagnostic activity in the presence of overdiagnosis and improved melanoma treatment. Because the study is observational and we have more explanatory factors than outcomes, the findings do not warrant conclusions about causal relationships.