[Thyroid nodules: benign or malignant?].

A thyroid nodule is a frequent occurrence. Its prevalence in a general adult population is about 50% and can even reach 67% when a cervical echography is performed. Only 5% of these nodules are cancers, and it is therefore important to avoid an useless and riskful surgery.

Assessment of severity of hand eczema: discrepancies between patient- and physician-rated scores.

Background: In clinical practice or trials on hand eczema the severity of this disease can be 'measured' in different ways: by means of a physician-rated clinical severity score, a patient-rated clinical severity score or by an indicator of the burden of disease. We assume that the patient-rated severity score corresponds more with the (change in) burden of disease than with the physician-rated severity score.

Objectives: To demonstrate how physicians and patients differ in their assessment of the severity of hand eczema as seen in a physician-rated severity score, patient-rated severity score and a burden of disease questionnaire.

Comparison of oral psoralen-UV-A with a portable tanning unit at home vs hospital-administered bath psoralen-UV-A in patients with chronic hand eczema: an open-label randomized controlled trial of efficacy.

Objective: To study whether oral psoralen-UV-A (PUVA) with a portable tanning unit at home is as effective as hospital-administered bath PUVA in patients with chronic hand eczema.

Design: Open-label randomized controlled trial, with a 10-week treatment period and an 8-week follow-up period.

Setting: Two university hospital dermatology departments in the Netherlands, specializing in hand eczema.

Overview of studies of treatments for hand eczema-the EDEN hand eczema survey.

Background: Hand eczema is a major cause of morbidity and lost earnings. Many interventions ranging from topical steroids to oral ciclosporin are used, but their evidence base and the best methods to assess their efficacy are uncertain.

Objectives: As part of a long-term project to improve standards of design and reporting in hand eczema trials, we sought to describe the prevalent study designs and comment on the quality of reporting of such studies.

[Spontaneous blood blister formation swellings of the oral mucosa].

An 88 year-old man was hospitalized because of bullous pemphigoid of the skin with detectable autoantibodies against type XVII collagen. During his stay in the hospital, he developed easily bleeding hemorrhagic bullous lesions of the oral mucosa, which were thought to be an oral manifestation of bullous pemphigoid. A thorough blood examination showed acquired haemophilia A, related to the development of autoantibodies against factor VIII.