Comprehensive Mast Cell Presentation; Dr. Lawrence Afrin

[jme22]

Hello all,

I've been meaning to post this link for some time. It's the text version of a presentation that the mast cell specialist I saw in South Carolina did last year for the Mastocytosis Society in Canada. It is the most comprehensive mast cell presentation/document that I have ever come across. I will admit for the purposes of most on the PP board, this will be "overkill" and far more information than you probably need (want) on mast cell disorders.

However, I want to pass it along because it does such a great job explaining (through a case studies model) how wide and varying mast cell disorder symptoms may present. It is this very reason that MCAS patients confound, confuse and frustrate physicians. You can quite literally have a cohort of MCAS patients all presenting with varying symptoms, but in the end sharing the same diagnosis.

I think you could call this presentation "the many faces of MCAS"...it's quite enlightening for those of you who are interested. Again, it's long and involved but worth the read for those interested in learning more about mast cell disorders.

Here's the link; go to the bottom of the page and you can click on the full (recommended) or abbreviated version:

http://www.mastocytosis.ca/masto.htm

Let me know what you think for those who decide to "plow" through it.

Julie

[mzh]

Thanks for posting this, Julie. I haven't gone through it yet but the mention of South Carolina sure got my attention b/c that's where I live, although in the opposite end of the state. LOL

[Gloria]

This is an interesting quote from his presentation:

I believe that, except in rare cases of new infections emerging by mutation from existing infectants or by transmission of infection to humans from non-human sources, there are no new diseases under the sun.

Here are some more:

lots of histamine-releasing drugs appear to act as triggers.