Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp in an adolescent with near‐total hair regrowth: Case report and review of the literature

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is an uncommon chronic inflammatory response to scalp trauma that usually resolves with cicatricial alopecia. It most commonly affects elderly patients with a history of actinic damage. Herein, we describe a 16‐year‐old girl with acrofacial dysostosis type 1 presenting after surgery with crusting purulent scalp lesions, whose clinical presentation and histopathologic findings were consistent with EPDS. A review of the literature on EPDS in children is also detailed.     

Oral beta2-agonist use by preschool children with asthma in East and Central Harlem, New York.

Although studies have documented underuse of controller medications and overuse of short-acting inhaled ss(2)-agonist among children with persistent asthma in disadvantaged communities, the persistence of oral ss(2)-agonist use in pediatric practice has not been studied since inhaled short-acting ss(2)-agonists became widespread. We describe medications used to treat asthma among children 3 to 5 years of age at 10 Head Start and other subsidized preschool centers in East and Central Harlem, New York City. We interviewed 149 parents/guardians of children who were identified as having probable asthma based on physician's diagnosis, persistent symptoms, hospitalization, and medication use. We classified 86 of the 149 children (58%) as having current persistent asthma. Only 15 of them (17%) were reported to have used controller medications at least 5 days/week in the last 4 weeks-only 2 of whom used inhaled corticosteroids. By contrast, 53 children (62%) used oral ss(2)-agonist in the last 4 weeks, often (72%) in conjunction with nebulized or inhaled short-acting ss(2)-agonist. Use of oral ss(2)-agonist was associated with more severe symptoms. This study documents the continued widespread use of oral ss(2)-agonist for treatment of children in a low-income community with high prevalence of asthma.     

Cutaneous plasmacytosis associated with lung and anal carcinomas

Cutaneous plasmacytosis is a rare disorder characterized by a benign proliferation of mature plasma cells that appears as multiple dark-brown to purplish skin lesions, often associated with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia. We present the case of a 55-year-old Caucasian man who suffered from a cutaneous plasmacytosis associated with two different carcinomas. Cutaneous plasmacytosis seems to be a reactive process because most cases reported are not associated with any apparent underlying disease. Nevertheless, because few reported cases were associated with malignancies, screening of additional neoplasms would be justified.     

Altered modulation of prefrontal and subcortical brain activity in newly diagnosed schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder. A regional cerebral blood flow study.

To measure prefrontal and subcortical activity during a cognitive task, we examined 19 newly diagnosed schizophrenics and patients with schizophreniform psychosis. Seven healthy volunteers served as controls. The patients were drug naive or had received neuroleptics for a few days only. Cerebral blood flow distribution was depicted by single photon emission computed tomography at rest and during activation with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A significant relative activation deficit in the left inferior-prefrontal region was revealed during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in the patient group. Furthermore, the patients had impaired striatal suppression on the left side during the cognitive task. The test performance was significantly impaired in the patients. The inability to reduce striatal activity may be due to a lack of corticostriatal feedback during prefrontal activation.     

Private long-term care insurance. Simulations of a potential market

Long-term care is now the most common cause of catastrophic illness costs for the elderly. Although acute care health insurance represents a mature market, private long-term care insurance is in its infancy and poised for development. This study presents a comparative analysis of simulation data, generated from the Brookings-ICF Long-Term Care Financing Model, for five alternative private long-term care insurance models. The simulation results indicate 1) the potential market for private long-term care insurance is substantial, 2) moderately comprehensive long-term care policies are affordable by a significant minority of the elderly, 3) policies are considerably more affordable to those under age 65, and 4) long-term care insurance has somewhat less potential to pay for nursing home costs for high risk groups than for other elderly.