[Specific dermatoses of pregnancy].

Dermatoses related to pregnancy or the postpartum period are known as the specific dermatoses of pregnancy. These dermatoses include (a) pemphigoid gestationis (synonym: herpes gestationis), (b) polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (synonym: pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy; PUPPP), (c) prurigo of pregnancy and (d) pruritic folliculitis of pregnancy. Of these disorders, only pemphigoid gestationis has a known cause: an allogeneic immune reaction of the mother to the placental basal membrane.

[European standard regarding clothing and protection against ultraviolet radiation].

Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) causes skin damage. An increasing awareness of this must result in people consciously wanting to protect themselves from UVR by means of clothing. The first part of the European standard on UVR-protective clothing--about test methods--is now available.

Normolipemic plane xanthoma associated with adenocarcinoma and severe itch.

Normolipemic plane xanthomas are yellow-red-colored flat patches or plaques with barely palpable borders, under normolipemic conditions usually involving the eyelids, the lateral sides of the neck, the upper aspect of the trunk, or the flexural folds. Histologically the lesions are characterized by an infiltrate consisting of foamy macrophages in the papillary and middermis with a distinct perivascular localization. Plane xanthoma has been associated with monoclonal gammopathy, cryoglobulinemia, and myeloproliferative disorders.

[Clinimetric evaluation of the Barthel Index, a measure of limitations in dailly activities].

Objective: Evaluation of the clinimetric properties of the Barthel Index.

Design: To measure disabilities in activities of daily living (ADL) and mobility by independent observers.

Setting: Clinical and outpatient departments of Neurology of the University Medical Centre, Amsterdam.