Extracorporeal photopheresis as a treatment for patients with severe, refractory atopic dermatitis.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a complex disease with a variety of possible treatment regimens. The study objective was to demonstrate that methoxsalen used in conjunction with the Uvar XTS photopheresis system (Therakos, Exton, Pa., USA) is safe and can have a clinical effect on the skin manifestations and the quality of life in patients with severe, refractory AD.

Erbium:YAG laser-assisted preparation of a combined dermal/full thickness sandwich skin graft.

Background: Skin grafting is a common procedure to close defects after tumor resection. However, delicate areas such as the heel or the sole of the foot can be closed with a specially designed graft as described in this article.

Objective: To describe a surgical technique by means of erbium:YAG laser-assisted preparation of a combined dermal/full-thickness sandwich skin graft that facilitates the closure of defects, especially at mechanically stressed anatomic sites.

[Extracorporeal photopheresis in progressive systemic sclerosis: discrimination of responders and non-responders].

Background: The benefit of extracorporeal photopheresis (ExP) in progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) is controversial. There is limited experience with the long-term use of ExP in PSS. The purpose of the present study was to distinguish between responders and non-responders by using ExP in PSS and to evaluate activation markers for PSS.

Bicentre experience in the treatment of severe generalised atopic dermatitis with extracorporeal photochemotherapy.

Pilot studies have shown an improvement of atopic dermatitis in approximately 65% of patients during extracorporeal photopheresis (ExP) therapy. The purpose of the present clinical trial was to investigate the response to ExP by controlling clinical and laboratory parameters during short term ExP therapy in patients with severe generalised atopic dermatitis. Thirty-five patients with severe, therapy-resistant atopic dermatitis were treated with ExP in an open clinical trial at two week intervals over a period of 6 to 10 cycles.

Histometric data obtained by in vivo confocal laser scanning microscopy in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Background: It would be a benefit if time-saving, non-invasive methods could give hints for diagnosing systemic sclerosis. To investigate the skin of patients with systemic sclerosis using confocal laser scanning microscopy in vivo and to develop histometric parameters to describe characteristic cutaneous changes of systemic sclerosis observed by this new technique, we conducted an exploratory study.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen patients with systemic sclerosis treated with extracorporal photopheresis were compared with 15 healthy volunteers and 10 patients with other disorders also treated with extracorporal photopheresis.