The British journal of dermatology
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Review Meta Analysis
The surface area of the hand and the palm for estimating percentage of total body surface area: results of a meta-analysis.
The estimation of body surface area involvement is an important tool. Hand surface area (HSA) or palm surface area (PSA) is commonly used for the estimate, with an assumption that HSA represents 1% of the total body surface area (TBSA). ⋯ The use of HSA equating to 1% TBSA results in an overestimate for adults (particularly women) and an underestimate for children. PSA equating to 0.5% TBSA appears to be suitable for adults. Patient variables including sex and BMI result in variation of HSA as a percentage of TBSA. The heterogeneity of the included studies and the lack of data for children are the major limitations of this study.
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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in the U. K. and its incidence is increasing. Vismodegib, a hedgehog pathway inhibitor, has recently been licensed by the U. ⋯ Further research is needed to investigate means of circumventing these side-effects, and longitudinal data are required to assess the long-term benefits of, and the nature of resistance to, this novel class of agents. Alternative hedgehog inhibitors are currently in clinical development. We review the current data pertaining to this novel treatment modality and discuss its likely future role in the management of BCC.