• Pityriasis versicolor is a superficial fungal infection of the skin that is commonly seen in general practice. The latest practice pointer looks at its diagnosis, differential diagnosis, management, and prevention.
One particular aspect about its management is that first line treatment comprises shampoo containing either ketoconazole, selenium sulphide, or zinc pyrithione.
• Iron deficiency anaemia is another common condition seen in primary care. A news article reports that the influential United States Preventive Services Task Force considers there is not enough evidence to gauge the balance of benefits and harms of screening for iron deficiency anaemia in pregnant women and children aged between 6 months and 24 months.
• Do you still remember how the complement cascade works? C1 esterase inhibitor deficiency is not as common as pityriasis versicolor or iron deficiency anaemia, but it could lead to catastrophic outcomes by leading to increased vascular permeability and, ultimately, angio-oedema. Our most recent endgames article considers the case of a 57 year old woman who presented to the emergency department with swelling of the lips and oropharynx of one hour’s duration. Our clinical cases in endgames have been renamed Case Reviews, and we are currently working on making them increasingly more relevant to both primary and secondary care.
• Our latest endgames Anatomy Quiz reviews the thoracic vessels through a computed tomography angiogram, but we are no longer accepting submissions for this article type and we’ll stop publishing them soon. You can find out more details about the submission process for endgames on our revamped instructions for authors.
• In his latest journal review, Richard Lehman highlights a Chinese trial published in JAMA, which raises the possibility that folic acid supplementation could reduce the risk of stroke in people with hypertension. If, like me, you’re a fan of his blog, you can see him in person at the Evidence Live conference next week in Oxford, where he will be giving a few talks.
Tiago Villanueva is assistant editor, The BMJ.