A node pruning algorithm based on a Fourier amplitude sensitivity test method.

In this paper, we propose a new pruning algorithm to obtain the optimal number of hidden units of a single layer of a fully connected neural network (NN). The technique relies on a global sensitivity analysis of model output. The relevance of the hidden nodes is determined by analysing the Fourier decomposition of the variance of the model output.

A Bayesian Neural Network approach to estimating the Energy Equivalent Speed.

To reduce the number and the gravity of accidents, it is necessary to analyse and reconstruct them. Accident modelling requires the modelling of the impact which in turn requires the estimation of the deformation energy. There are several tools available to evaluate the deformation energy absorbed by a vehicle during an impact.

Determinants of severity for superficial cellutitis (erysipelas) of the leg: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Superficial cellulitis (erysipelas) of the leg is a frequent infectious disease with a favorable outcome, whereas some patients present a serious disease. The determinants of severity for superficial cellulitis (erysipelas) of the leg have not yet been clearly established. In order to determine the characteristics of patients presenting with severe superficial cellulitis of the leg, we analyzed patients with favorable and unfavorable outcome.

[Assessment off-label prescribing in Dermatology].

Introduction: The official policy of the French National Health Insurance system is to deny reimbursement for drugs prescribed for off-label indications. The objectives of this study were 1) to quantify the use of off-label prescriptions by physicians from a hospital department of dermatology in France; 2) to characterize these off-label prescriptions; 3) to assess data from the literature on the appropriateness of these off-label prescriptions.

Patients And Methods: For each patient consulting between February 1 and April 1, 2001, the symptom or the disease that was treated and the type of prescription were recorded on standard forms.

Surgical margins in cutaneous melanoma (2 cm versus 5 cm for lesions measuring less than 2.1-mm thick).

Background: This study addressed the question of whether limited surgery for primary malignant melanoma with a 2-cm margin is as good as a 5-cm margin. An update of a 16-year follow-up is provided.

Methods: Nine European Centers, over a period of 5 years, prospectively randomized 337 patients with melanoma measuring less than 2.

[Bullous pemphigoid induced by spironolactone].

Introduction: The role of spironolactone as pemphigoid-inducing agent has recently been suggested. We report a new case of pemphigoid probably induced by spironolactone. The disease resolved after withdrawal of the diuretic drug containing aldactone.

[Chronic eczematiform eruption in the elderly].

Introduction: Eczematiform eruptions in the elderly represent a relatively frequent motive for consultation and may lead to repeated hospitalization. Their etiologic diagnosis is often difficult and explains the frequent relapses. The frequent relapses can be explained by the difficulty in determining their etiologic diagnosis.

[Mouth ulcers in patients receiving tacrolimus].

Introduction: The buccal side effects of immunodepressors are well defined with cyclosporine and certain antimitotic agents. We report a case of buccal ulcerations in a patient treated with a new immunosuppressive macrolide: tacrolimus (Prograf).

Observation: A 53 year-old woman presenting a severe cardio-myopathy, underwent heart transplantation in May 1997.

[Photodermatosis induced by hydroxychloroquine: 4 cases].

Background: Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug often used in dermatology for its photo-protective effects. Four cases of photodermatosis induced by hydroxychloroquine are reported.

Case Reports: Four patients, aged from 21 to 68 years, developed a photolocalized eruption from 6 days to 10 weeks after starting hydroxychloroquine.

[Cutaneous aseptic abscesses, manifestations of neutrophilic diseases].

Background: Neutrophilic skin disease includes several entities: Sweet syndrome, pyoderma gangrenosum, erythema elevatum diutium, Sneddon-Wilkinson sub-keratous pustulosis, and neutrophilic eccrine hidradenitis. We report two cases of aseptic abscesses which correspond to the deepest anatomoclinical form of neutrophilic dermatosis.

Case Reports: A 28-year-old man was hospitalized for fever and abdominal pain with bloody diarrhea in relation with Crohn's disease.

[Hydroa vacciniforme: dietary fish oil].

Background: Hydroa vaccinniforme is a highly uncommon photodermatosis acquired in childhood. The clinical course is dominated by the risk of varioliform scars. Numerous treatments have been proposed with variable efficacy.

[Detection of clonal T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement with the use of PCR-DGGE for diagnosis of erythroderma].

Background: It is often difficult to establish the etiological diagnosis of erythroderma because clinical findings and immunohistology cannot always distinguish between lymphomatous erythroderma and inflammatory erythroderma. The purpose of this work was to assess the contribution of PCR-DGGE for detecting clonal T-cell receptor gamma gene rearrangement to the etiological diagnosis of erythroderma.

Patients And Methods: The following inclusion criteria were used: patient with erythroderma; skin biopsy for histologic study, immunophenotyping and molecular biology; minimal follow-up of 12 months after initial diagnosis.

[Histological and clinical forms of the eosinophilic cellulitis].

Background: Wells' syndrome is characterized by clinical features of cellulitis and a histological picture of eosinophilic infiltrate of the dermis with some "flame" figures.

Patients And Methods: The clinical and histological features of nine patients with Wells' syndrome seen from 1988 to 1998 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: The clinical features of the nine patients (five men and four women) were urticaria (n=1), cellulitis (n=2), annular plaques (n=3), vesiculo-bullous lesions (n=2) and edema of the face with nodules of the conjunctiva (n=1).

[Hemophagocytic syndrome and metastatic melanoma: 3 cases].

Background: Macrophage activation syndrome was initially described during viral infections in immunocompromised patients. Since the original report, many diseases have been found to be associated with macrophage activation syndrome. Lymphoproliferative disorders have been more frequently reported to be associated with macrophage activation syndrome than solid tumors.

[Epidermal nevus associated with a type I neurofibromatosis and a nephroblastoma: a new epidermal nevus syndrome?].

We report the case of a 6-year-old boy who showed a large epidermal nevus mixed with a plexiform neurofibroma, which was associated with "café au lait" macules and a nephroblastoma. This association could not be classified in one of the five well defined epidermal nevus syndrome. To our knowledge this is the first time that this type of epidermal nevus syndrome has been described, which raises the question of the relationship between neurofibromatosis 1, nephroblastoma and epidermal nevus.

[Medium-term renal involvement in adult patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura].

Introduction: The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of medium-term renal involvement, in a series of adult patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura treated in a dermatology department.

Patients And Methods: Seventeen patients with Henoch-Schönlein purpura followed from 1991 to 1997 in the department of dermatology were included in the study. Renal tests included: research of microscopic hematuria, proteinuria, plasma creatinine levels and calculated creatinine clearance which were measured during initial hospitalization and at the date of the study in May 1998.

Sensitivity and specificity of clinical, histologic, and immunologic features in the diagnosis of paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Background: Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies mainly directed against proteins of the plakin family. An overlapping distribution of autoantibody specificities has been recently reported between PNP, pemphigus vulgaris (PV), and pemphigus foliaceus (PF), which suggests a relationship between the different types of pemphigus.

Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the sensitivity and the specificity of clinical, histologic, and immunologic features in the diagnosis of PNP.

[Inpatient and outpatient follow-up of grade I malignant melanoma].

Background: In 1995, the French consensus conference on management of patients with grade I malignant melanoma recommended clinical examination for patient monitoring. To date, only one survey has been conducted to evaluate these recommendations and their consequences, providing no means of assessing follow-up practices. The aim of this study was to assess follow-up practices in patients with grade I malignant melanoma followed in an outpatient private practice setting and in a hospital setting with regular appointments.

Evolution of chronic recurrent multifocal osteitis toward spondylarthropathy over the long term.

Objective: To retrospectively assess, with a sufficiently long followup (mean 11.6 years; median 9 years), the long-term outcome of chronic recurrent multifocal osteitis (CRMO), a multifocal, inflammatory bone disease.

Methods: Patients included were 8 children/adolescents and 7 adults with no family history of rheumatic disease who had been diagnosed as having CRMO between 1979 and 1995.

[Evaluation of the diagnosis of pigmented tumors of the skin and factors leading to a decision to excise. Dermatologists of the Postgraduate Association of Haute-Normandie].

Introduction: The necessity of excising melanomas characterized by a slight thickness at an early stage, leads dermatologists to remove pigmented lesions which do not correspond to melanomas. The aims of this study were: a) to prospectively assess the accuracy of melanoma diagnosis, b) to quantify the number of excisions performed according to the degree of melanoma suspicion, c) to determine the specific clinical sign or signs of relevant diagnostic value.

Patients And Methods: This study was conducted prospectively from January 1996 to August 1997 by dermatologists in private practice and dermatologists from a University Hospital staff.

Immunoblot and immunoelectronmicroscopic analysis of endemic Tunisian pemphigus.

Tunisian pemphigus is a newly described form of endemic pemphigus whose clinical, histological and epidemiological characteristics have recently been detailed. The objective of this study was to analyse the binding properties of autoantibodies present in sera from patients with endemic Tunisian pemphigus using immunoblotting and indirect immunoelectron microscopy (IEM). Thirty patients with pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and six with pemphigus vulgaris (PV) seen in the dermatology department of Tunis Hospital between 1992 and 1994 were selected for this study.

[Eczema-like cutaneous graft versus host disease treated by UV-B therapy in a 2-year-old child].

Introduction: Chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) has rarely been reported in children. Optimal treatment should minimize infectious complications and preserve the child's growth. We report a case of cutaneous GVHD in a two year-old boy, who presented an eczema-like eruption and responded well to broad band UV-B therapy.

Lichenoid erythrodermic bullous pemphigoid of the African patient.

Background: Lichen planus (LP) pemphigoides is defined by the concurrence of bullous pemphigoid (BP) and LP lesions. However, other autoimmune bullous skin diseases such as paraneoplastic pemphigus or bullous lupus erythematosus may also be associated with lichenoid eruptions.

Objective: Our purpose was to describe 3 African patients with a similar form of lichenoid erythrodermic BP.