Journal of

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Background and Aim: Skin cancers are one of the most common malignancies in the world and create a high rate of morbidity but low rate of mortality with the exception of malignant melanoma that has a high mortality rate. In recent decades, incidence of skin cancer has been increased. The most important risk factors are sunlight and skin type. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of skin cancers in patients who were admitted to Sina Hospital of Hamedan during a 17-year period.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 951 patients with different types of skin cancer, entered in the study. For each patient, data related to age, gender, location, occupation, pathologic type of cancer and site of skin involvement, were collected.
Results: The mean age (mean±standard deviation) of patients was 61.6±15.3 years (2-100 yrs) and most of them (67.2%) were males and workers (%38). The most common pathologic types of skin cancer were basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (59%) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (29%). The most frequent site of tumor expression was face (61.2%) and the least frequent involved site was genitalia (0.4%).
Conclusion: This study showed that skin cancer is more common in males, old patients and workers. It was more common on the face. Screening program for detection of this disease at an earlier stage of elderly men especially in sun exposed occupations is recommended.

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Background and Aim: Vitiligo and acne are common chronic skin diseases with cosmetic impacts affecting various aspects of quality of life. This research was done to study the quality of life in these patients and their related factors. Methods: This cross-sectinal study was carried out on 132 patients with vitiligo and 136 patients with acne. The patients were asked to answer questionnaires including questions about their demographic and clinical information as well as questionnaire of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). SpSS version 16 was used to statistically describe and test the data. Results: The mean±standard deviation (SD) ages of patients with vitiligo and acne, were 22.8±5.7 and 28.9±11.5 years, respectively. The proportions of female patients with vitiligo and acne were 54.5% and 83.8%, respectively. Patients were matched for age and gender. There was no statically significant differrence between the mean DLQI score and age, martial status, occupation, residence, education, age of onset of disease in neither group. Patients with more chronic vitiligo experienced significantly impaired quality of life (P=0.008). A statistically differrence was found between mean DLQI scores and clinical forms of vitiligo. The mean scores of patients with generalized type was higher than those with localized forms (P=0.032). Patients with severe acne experienced significantly impaired quality of life (P=0.002). The mean DLQI scores in vitiligo and acne were 6.75 and 7.05, respectively, but this differrence was not statistically significant (P=0.08). A statistically significant difference was found in two subgroup: in symptoms and feelings (P=0.002) and interpersonal relationships (P=0.02). Conclusion: The quality of lifves of patients were affecteded by the type of disease, its severity and its duration in both groups.

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Background and Aim: Wart is one of the most common viral diseases of skin caused by human papilloma virus (HPV) and results in high costs for therapeutic, cosmetic and hygienic interventions. Euphorbia is an annual plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family that has seventy species. All of them have latexes with high medicinal values. These plants have anti-viral and anti-tumor substances and 10 species of them are used in traditional medicine for treatment of ulcers, tumors, warts, and other diseases. In this study, the therapeutic effect of Euphorbia macrolada latex on common warts is compared with the standard keratolytic treatment. Methods: The latex of E. macrolada was prepared from Dehgolan region in Kurdistan Province and used directly. The standard keratolytic solution, which contained 16.7 g salicylic acid, 16.7 g lactic acid and up to 100 g collodion was prepared and delivered by the Hamedan Behzisti Pharmacy. A double-blind trial was conducted in Farshchian Hospital, Hamedan, Iran on 88 patients (44 in each group). They were instructed to apply the solutions on their warts twice daily for maximum of 8 weeks. Results: All lesions in both groups were cured after 8 weeks. The meanstandard deviation (SD) of time to cure was 4.51.4 weeks in E. macrolada group and 5.11.6 weeks in the control group. None of these differences were statistically significant (P>0.05). No adverse effects was observed in any of patients. Conclusion: The findings indicated that E. macrolada had a therapeutic effect on common warts. Based on the results of this study, latex of this plant can be used as a complementary or alternative medicine in the treatment of patients with common warts.

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Background and Aim: Cicatricial alopecia refers to lesions that result in permanent and irreversible hair loss and are associated with destruction of hair follicles. In this alopecias the hair follicle is replaced with connective tissue. After remission of initial infection or inflammation, hair regrowth is unlikely.

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 222 patients with cicatricial alopecia, admitted to Farshchian Hospital, Hamadan, Iran were investigated. Hospital records of patients with cicatricial alopecia were reviewed, and their demographic as well as clinical data were extracted and entered into prepared data gathering forms.

Results: One-hundred and ten patients (49.5%) had discoid lupus erythematosus, 71 patients (31.9%) had lichen planopilaris, 23 patients (10.4%) had pseudopelade of Brocq, 11 patients (4.9%) had keratosis pilaris spinulosa decalvans and 3 patients (1.3%) had central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. Each of alopecia mucinosa and dissecting cellulitis/folliculitis were observed in 2 patients (0.9%). The correlation between of illness, extent of disease, gender, location, occupation, and clinical features of the disease were studied.

Conclusion: Cicatricial alopecia usually results in irreversible hair loss, but early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the progression of the lesions and its complications. The diagnosis of this disease is possible with a clinicopathologic study.