Morgellons demographics

[Doc Holliday]

HAS ANYONE HAD AN EXAM LIKE THIS??
Clinical and laboratory investigation of infectious hair diseases introduction
Clinical evaluation
Laboratory investigation
Diagnosis of infectious hair diseases
Clinical and laboratory investigation of infectious hair diseases references
Clinical and laboratory investigation of infectious hair diseases introduction

Hair is a collective term for slender, threadlike outgrowths of the epidermis of humans and forms a characteristic body covering. Every hair on the human body grows from a follicle, a shaft or opening on the surface of the skin. Although follicles are most obvious on the scalp, they are also present everywhere except on the palms, soles and mucous membranes.

The hair follicle is of great importance to the survival of mammals. Hair fiber not only forms a tough barrier protecting the epidermis from minor abrasions and/or from ultra violet light, some hair follicles also have a highly developed nerve network around them and provide sensory, tactile information about the environment.

The pilosebaceous unit of the follicle is divided into three parts, the infundibulum or the superficial part including the sebaceous gland, the isthmus (middle segment) and the inferior part, which comprises the stem and the hair bulb deep in the skin. Normally, the follicles carry out their functions with few problems, but when they are damaged, or invaded by viruses, bacteria and fungi, it can lead to an inflammatory reaction.

A limited inflammatory response focused on the superficial aspect of the hair follicle is often termed a folliculitis. In order to simplify the broad spectrum of the condition “folliculitis”, the condition is classified into infectious folliculitis and non-infectious folliculitis, based on clinical manifestations and therapeutic applications. Non-infectious folliculitis can be caused by the use of systemic and topical corticosteroids and corticotrophin. These drugs can result in follicular skin eruptions consisting of small, inflammatory pustules distributed over the body. However, more commonly folliculitis is infectious in nature. Depending on the causative agent, infectious folliculitis is further classified as bacterial, syphilitic, fungal, viral or parasitic.

For a practical approach to diagnosis of infectius hair diseases, clinicians should have in-depth knowledge of the different types of infectious agents and diseases they cause, their clinical presentations, proper management and treatment measures. Good clinical and pathological correlation may be required in some cases for successful evaluation, confident diagnosis, and appropriate treatment application.

Clinical evaluation

An evaluation of the clinical presentation, history, and physical examination is very important in determining the cause of any hair disease.

A detailed personal history of the patient is essential to determine the etiology. In order to classify a hair follicle focused cutaneous eruption, a dermatologist should ask detailed questions on the duration and temporal pattern of skin problems, itching or pain, use of over-the-counter creams and even clothing habits. When an underlying disease is suspected, a more detailed history of related symptoms might be elicited. It is also important to question the patient about predisposing factors to cutaneous infections including drug abuse, any underlying immune deficiency, exposure to possibly contaminated heated water, and relations to food intake and exposure to sunlight. The patient’s race, age, sex, occupation and the possibility of other related dermatitis conditions is also helpful to the diagnosis of hair follicle infection.

Pruritis or itching, defined as an unpleasant sensation in the skin that provokes the desire to scratch, is a common complaint in all the cases, and can represent a major diagnostic and therapeutic challenge for practicing clinicians. Pruritis can be localized or generalized, constant or intermittent, mild or severe.
A thorough physical examination with particular attention to the location and distribution of primary and secondary lesions as well as knowledge of their evolution is crucial to the final diagnosis. Physical examination is generally under bright light and it can involve the whole body. At this stage, the doctor may apply Wood's light, which may aid in diagnosing types of mycosis, or a dermatoscope, which makes the skin easier to see and may help differentiate the lesions.

By applying their knowledge of primary and secondary lesions and carefully evaluating the condition to determine the predominant pattern, experienced dermatologists can arrive at the correct diagnosis. A physical examination, which usually reveals the typical lesions formed by follicular and perifollicular pustules, papules and papulopustules, can supply evidence of any recognizable disorder. Focal accumulations of pus (furuncles) or fluid (vesicles, bullae) and scaling are indicative of the degree of infection and corresponding inflammation of the hair follicle.

Laboratory investigation

Dermatology has the benefit of having easy access to tissue (skin) for diagnosis, and pathological examination of the skin lesions in some cases may help to establish or substantiate the diagnosis made as a result of the clinical assessment. Relevant investigations in the routine evaluation of bacterial infections of the hair follicle include Gram stain smears of pus or exudates from the lesions. Investigations also may include bacterial culture (to identify the particular infective organism involved) coupled with antibiotic sensitivity tests to help define the course of treatment. This can include nasal swabs for those patients with recurrent skin infections.

Results of swabs and gram stain smears of the pustule content can help verify diagnosis. Scrapings of flaky skin may also be taken for fungal culture if a fungal infection is suspected. A potassium hydroxide preparation may identify a yeast form or candida. A positive Tzanck smear almost always indicates a diagnosis of herpes simplex virus. Serological tests for HIV or syphilis can be done when there is evidence or suspicion of these predisposing factors. In some cases of viral folliculitis, the diagnosis can be confirmed by sophisticated tests like polymerase chain reaction. For more details on some of these tests, check the “diagnosis / decisions” section of this web site.

Diagnosis of infectious hair diseases

A thorough evaluation with respect to all diagnostic parameters is important before coming to a final diagnosis and commencing therapy. In conditions when the diagnosis is uncertain, a small punch biopsy of skin can be taken for histopathological examination under the microscope. Clinically, many hair disorders can be confused with each other as symptoms of distinct diseases may similar. Therefore, differential diagnosis, the process involved in distinguishing between two or more diseases and conditions with similar symptoms by systematic analysis of the clinical and diagnostic data, is essential before arriving at a conclusive diagnosis and commencing therapy.

Clinical and laboratory investigation of infectious hair diseases references

Gutzmer R, Mommert S, Kuttler U, Werfel T, Kapp A. Rapid identification and differentiation of fungal DNA in dermatological specimens by LightCycler PCR. J Med Microbiol. 2004 Dec;53(Pt 12):1207-14. PMID: 15585499
Gupta AK, Chaudhry M, Elewski B. Tinea corporis, tinea cruris, tinea nigra, and piedra. Dermatol Clin. 2003 Jul;21(3):395-400. PMID: 12956194
Hainer BL. Dermatophyte infections. Am Fam Physician. 2003 Jan 1;67(1):101-8. PMID: 12537173
Liu D, Coloe S, Baird R, Pedersen J. Application of PCR to the identification of dermatophyte fungi. J Med Microbiol. 2000 Jun;49(6):493-7. PMID: 10847201
Ruocco V, Ruocco E. Tzanck smear, an old test for the new millennium: when and how. Int J Dermatol. 1999 Nov;38(11):830-4. PMID: 10583615
Liu D, Coloe S, Baird R, Pedersen J. Molecular determination of dermatophyte fungi using the arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction. Br J Dermatol. 1997 Sep;137(3):351-5. PMID: 9349328
Van Praag MC, Van Rooij RW, Folkers E, Spritzer R, Menke HE, Oranje AP. Diagnosis and treatment of pustular disorders in the neonate. Pediatr Dermatol. 1997 Mar-Apr;14(2):131-43. PMID: 9144701
Wigger-Alberti W, Elsner P. [Fluorescence with Wood's light. Current applications in dermatologic diagnosis, therapy follow-up and prevention] Hautarzt. 1997 Aug;48(:523-7. PMID: 9378631
Cohen PR. Tests for detecting herpes simplex virus and varicella-zoster virus infections. Dermatol Clin. 1994 Jan;12(1):51-68. PMID: 8143385
Rezabek GH, Friedman AD. Superficial fungal infections of the skin. Diagnosis and current treatment recommendations. Drugs. 1992 May;43(5):674-82. PMID: 1379146
Prevost E. The rise and fall of fluorescent tinea capitis. Pediatr Dermatol. 1983 Oct;1(2):127-33. PMID: 6680181
Caplan RM. Medical uses of the Wood's lamp. JAMA. 1967 Dec 11;202(11):1035-8. PMID: 6072599
___I NEVER DID

Originally Posted by Enviro Girl

Hey Eris, hang out a while - ya just ignore certain people and post around them. There's only like 3 or 4 rotten eggs, don't pitch the whole carton

Thanks EV. I had to give this a break for a few days. Girl, some days I have to crawl out of bed, and coming on here for "support" and to get picked at makes me stay away because I will lose my religion dealing with some of these people. (((HUGS))) take it easy girl, thanks for you and KC support just to name a few. I've been crying all day, I'm back itching like a mad person, and more lesions trying to come on. I feel the things under my skin having fun, I HATE PARASITES!!!

Originally Posted by cureme

The reason why morgellons started in california and texas is because that is where they are spraying the "chemtrail" poisons on us. Now they are spraying everywhere and everyone is getting exposed to this. As the fibers are in the chemtrails - the chemical biological compounds that are being sprayed into the air. This is not a parasite - this is a silicone technology compliments of our govt biowarfare laboratories. Keeping on thinking that this is a parasite is going to keep you on this forum for years and years..as taking ALL the parasite meds in the world will never get rid of the fibers. Silver or chlorine compounds will never get this out. Everyone is getting exposed. People all over the world now have this. The govt is spraying "chemtrails" everywhere now. They are trying to kill us all off for population control. "The illuminati" billionaire families want to control the world and get rid of most of us..and b/c all the sheep in the world can't figure this out..they may succeed. They have been poisoning our water and food for decades. They created AIDS, lymes and now this..The only way to stop this **** is if the sheep in this country wake up..but i doubt there is any intelligence left on this planet to wake up before they sicken all of us. People are too stupid. BAAAAAAH

I agree with you 100%, except calling people stupid. I've been knowing all about the Illuminati, Chem-trails, FEMA list, etc. since 1997 when everybody called me crazy for saying these things. Let me inform you, a parasite is anything that feeds off your body without your permission, thus what is in our bodies are parasites, in this case a highly possible silicone based parasite. The Chem-trails are indeed a part of the problem, but what is the solution? Nobody has the answer to that, and there is so much more occurring and will occur. We have limited power, we all will get sick eventually, how can you control the powers that be?