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Recent Advance in the Management of Morphea

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Dermatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2021) | Viewed by 12674

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chair and Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Pediatric Dermatology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
Interests: psoriasis and comorbidities; atopic dermatitis; morphea; systemic sclerosis; skin cancers
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Guest Editor
Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Pediatric Dermatology, Medical University of Lublin, Radziwiłłowska 13, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
Interests: connective tissue diseases; acne vulgaris; rosacea and skin cancers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Morphea (localized scleroderma, LoSc) and Lichen sclerosus (LS) are rare autoimmune-induced inflammatory and sclerotic skin diseases that may have similar clinical appearance. LoS often involves underlying tissues while LS is a mucocutaneous disorder of genital and extragenital skin, causing itch, pain, dysuria, dyspareunia, and significant sexual dysfunction in women and men with potential progression to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The etiopathogenesis is not fully understood, but it is assumed that some genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors are involved. Morphea is more common in the Caucasian population, and in females, with a female to male ratio of 4:2, and children with morphea representing approximately 15% that of the adult morphea population. The exact prevalence of LS is about 0.1–0.3 % but it is probably underestimated. Both adult female and male patients are affected, and it occurs in prepubertal children. The treatment management depends on the activity/severity and clinical type of the disease as well as the patient’s age and should be introduced according to guidelines. Despite the use of a recommended therapy, either morphea or LS are relapsing disease with a potential for atrophy, disfigurement and functional impairment. This Special Issue invites articles concerning recent advances in the management of morphea, drawing on both experimental and clinical data related to the disease. We would appreciate the novelty of the manuscript.

In summary, I am happy to be the guest editor of this issue and welcome your Special Issue submissions, hoping your contributions make its success.

Prof. Dr. Dorota Krasowska
Dr. Małgorzata Michalska-Jakubus
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Morphea
  • Lichen sclerosus
  • Etiopathogenesis
  • Antibodies
  • Treatment
  • Cosmetic treatment

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

13 pages, 619 KiB  
Review
Photodynamic Therapy in the Treatment of Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus: A Systematic Review of the Literature
by Agnieszka Gerkowicz, Paulina Szczepanik-Kułak and Dorota Krasowska
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(23), 5491; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10235491 - 23 Nov 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4206
Abstract
Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the genital skin and mucous membrane. Patients exhibit focal atrophy and destructive scarring, with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Due to objective symptoms as well as subjective complaints, patients with VLS experience [...] Read more.
Vulvar lichen sclerosus (VLS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving the genital skin and mucous membrane. Patients exhibit focal atrophy and destructive scarring, with an increased risk of malignant transformation. Due to objective symptoms as well as subjective complaints, patients with VLS experience emotional distress, lowered mood, and sexual dysfunction, which is reflected in impaired health-related quality of life. Thus, the necessity of implementing appropriate therapy at the earliest possible stage of the disease in order to avoid serious complications is highlighted. We presented the systematic review of available literature, performed with MEDLINE, Cinahl, Central, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We identified a total of twenty relevant studies which indicate that photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a valuable therapeutic modality in the treatment of VLS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Management of Morphea)
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15 pages, 1384 KiB  
Review
Laser Therapy for the Treatment of Morphea: A Systematic Review of Literature
by Paulina Szczepanik-Kułak, Małgorzata Michalska-Jakubus and Dorota Krasowska
J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10(15), 3409; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10153409 - 30 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7466
Abstract
Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma (LoS), comprises a set of autoimmune sclerotic skin diseases. It is characterized by inflammation and limited thickening and induration of the skin; however, in some cases, deeper tissues might also be involved. Although morphea is not considered [...] Read more.
Morphea, also known as localized scleroderma (LoS), comprises a set of autoimmune sclerotic skin diseases. It is characterized by inflammation and limited thickening and induration of the skin; however, in some cases, deeper tissues might also be involved. Although morphea is not considered a life-threatening disease, the apparent cosmetic disfigurement, functional or psychosocial impairment affects multiple fields of patients’ quality of life. Therapy for LoS is often unsatisfactory with numerous treatments that have only limited effectiveness or considerable side effects. Due to the advances in the application of lasers and their possible beneficial effects, the aim of this study is to review the reported usage of laser in morphea. We present a systematic review of available literature, performed with MEDLINE, Cinahl, Central, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. We identified a total of twenty relevant studies (MEDLINE n = 10, Cinahl n = 1, Central n = 0, Scopus n = 2, Web of Science n = 5, Google Scholar n = 2) using laser therapy for LoS. Eight studies were focused on the use of PDL, six on fractional lasers (CO2 and Er:YAG), four on excimer, and two on either alexandrite or Nd:YAG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Management of Morphea)
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