Somya Agrawal

Abstract

Background: Non-healing ulcers are a major cause of disability and impairment, interfering with physical and mental well-being of patients with Hansen’s disease. They are difficult to manage having longer duration of treatment and increased financial burden. Minimizing the duration of healing can be a major step in rehabilitation of such patients. Platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is a newer modality to hasten wound healing. It is a concentration of platelets suspended in plasma extracted after centrifuging patient’s own blood. Aim: To study the efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in management of non-healing ulcers. Materials and Methods : 13 patients with 16 non-healing ulcers of more than 8 weeks duration were included in our study but 2 patients were lost to follow up after first sitting. Written consent for the procedure and ethical clearance from Institutional Ethical Committee was taken. Detailed history was noted, baseline photographs and measurement of area and volume were done at every sitting at an interval of 1 week. An average of 2-3 sittings of PRF was done in each patient and then the ulcer was spontaneously allowed to heal with regular dressing till complete closure was achieved. Results: The mean age of cases in our study was 39.4 years. The average percentage improvement in area and volume was 97.12% and 98.72% respectively. Out of 14 ulcers, 12 (85.71%) ulcers showed complete healing within 4 weeks. The mean duration of healing was found to be 2.41 weeks. The procedure was safe with no noted adverse events. Limitation: The limitation of our study was small sample size. More studies are needed with larger sample size to confirm the results. Conclusion: PRF is an inexpensive, safe, feasible and effective procedure in the management of non-healing ulcers.   Keywords: Platelet rich fibrin, PRF, Hansen’s disease, Non-healing ulcer

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Abstract

Introduction: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is explained by decrease in hair fiber production and their eventual miniaturization. It is considered a counterpart of male androgenetic alopecia but the role of androgens in its pathogenesis is yet to be proven. Aim: To evaluate the trichoscopic features in females with patterned hair loss. Materials and Methods: Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied and 37 cases were enrolled in our study. Detailed history and clinical examination were done to establish the diagnosis. Trichoscopic examination was done after taking consent in diagnosed cases. Results: On trichoscopy, hair diameter variability, peri pilar sign, white dots, scalp pigmentation and focal atrichia was observed in 62.2%, 62.2%, 40.5%, 45.9% and 40.5% respectively. Most common trichoscopy finding observed was peri pilar sign and hair diameter variability in 23/37 females. Conclusion: Definitive diagnosis of FPHL is difficult to be established solely on the basis of clinical examination. Thus, trichoscopy serves as a non-invasive tool to ascertain the diagnosis in these patients.   Keywords: Trichoscopy, Female pattern hair loss, Androgenetic alopecia

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