Randomized, within-patient, clinical trial comparing fluorine-synthetic fiber socks with standard cotton socks in improving plantar pustulosis

Rubbing the skin may influence the persistence of pustulosis over time. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a new fabric made with fluorine-synthetic fiber in improving plantar pustulosis

Dermatite seborroica

Si analizzano epidemiologia, fisiopatologia, clinica, diagnosi differenziali e terapia della dermatite seborroica

Melanoma epidemic across the millennium: Time trends of cutaneous melanoma in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) from 1997 to 2004

Background: After a rapid increase in malignant melanoma (MM) incidence in the last decades, trends of the melanoma epidemic in the recent years seemed not homogeneous. Objective: This study aimed at the monitoring of some epidemiological data referring to melanoma in a region of the Northern Italy during the past 8-year period. Methods: All cases of melanoma, including also in situ lesions, diagnosed in Emilia-Romagna and San Marino State, with the exclusion of Cesena province, from 1997 to 2004 were recorded and the incidence of melanoma, adjusted for the European standard population by the direct method, was calculated. Results: Mean standardized incidence was 9.7 for invasive MMs and 11.9, considering also in situ ones, showing an ascending trend with an increment of 3.3 new incident cases in 2004 compared with 1997. No differences in age distribution, gender and site were reported. Concerning tumour thickness, although a general ascending trend in all subtypes, only thin melanoma incidence significantly increased over the study period. Conclusions: Contrary to data from Northern European countries, melanoma incidence still showed an ascending trend in the Italian population of Emilia Romagna. © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology

Melanoma epidemic across the millennium: time trends of cutaneous melanoma in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) from 1997 to 2004

After a rapid increase in malignant melanoma (MM) incidence in the last decades, trends of the melanoma epidemic in the recent years seemed not homogeneous. This study aimed at the monitoring of some epidemiological data referring to melanoma in a region of the Northern Italy during the past 8-year period. All cases of melanoma, including also in situ lesions, diagnosed in Emilia-Romagna and San Marino State, with the exclusion of Cesena province, from 1997 to 2004 were recorded and the incidence of melanoma, adjusted for the European standard population by the direct method, was calculated. Mean standardized incidence was 9.7 for invasive MMs and 11.9, considering also in situ ones, showing an ascending trend with an increment of 3.3 new incident cases in 2004 compared with 1997. No differences in age distribution, gender and site were reported. Concerning tumour thickness, although a general ascending trend in all subtypes, only thin melanoma incidence significantly increased over the study period. Conclusions Contrary to data from Northern European countries, melanoma incidence still showed an ascending trend in the Italian population of Emilia Romagna

Melanoma epidemic across the millennium: time trends of cutaneous melanoma in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) from 1997 to 2004

Background After a rapid increase in malignant melanoma (MM) incidence trends of the melanoma epidemic in the recent years seemed in-the last decades, not homogeneous. Objective This study aimed at the monitoring of some epidemiological data referring to melanoma in a region of the Northern Italy during the past 8-year period. Methods All cases of melanoma, including also in situ lesions, diagnosed in Emilia-Romagna and San Marino State, with the exclusion of Cesena province, from 1997 to 2004 were recorded and the incidence of melanoma, adjusted for the European standard population by the direct method, was calculated. Results Mean standardized incidence was 9.7 for invasive MMs and 11.9 considering also in situ ones, showing an ascending trend with an increment of 3.3 new incident cases in 2004. compared with 1997. No differences in age distribution, gender and site were reported. Concerning tumour thickness, although a general ascending trend in all subtypes, only thin melanoma incidence significantly increased over the study period. Conclusions Contrary to data from Northern European countries, melanoma incidence still showed an ascending trend in the Italian population of Emilia Romagna

Melanoma epidemic across the millennium: time trends of cutaneous melanoma in Emilia-Romagna (Italy) from 1997 to 2004

Background After a rapid increase in malignant melanoma (MM) incidence trends of the melanoma epidemic in the recent years seemed in-the last decades, not homogeneous. Objective This study aimed at the monitoring of some epidemiological data referring to melanoma in a region of the Northern Italy during the past 8-year period. Methods All cases of melanoma, including also in situ lesions, diagnosed in Emilia-Romagna and San Marino State, with the exclusion of Cesena province, from 1997 to 2004 were recorded and the incidence of melanoma, adjusted for the European standard population by the direct method, was calculated. Results Mean standardized incidence was 9.7 for invasive MMs and 11.9 considering also in situ ones, showing an ascending trend with an increment of 3.3 new incident cases in 2004. compared with 1997. No differences in age distribution, gender and site were reported. Concerning tumour thickness, although a general ascending trend in all subtypes, only thin melanoma incidence significantly increased over the study period. Conclusions Contrary to data from Northern European countries, melanoma incidence still showed an ascending trend in the Italian population of Emilia Romagna

Self-detected cutaneous melanomas in Italian patients

Self-detection of suspicious pigmented skin lesion combined with rapid referral to dermatologie centres is the key strategy in the fight against melanoma. The investigation of factors associated with pattern of detection of melanoma (self- vs. nonself-detection) may be useful to refine educational strategies for the future. We investigated the frequency of melanoma self-detection in a Mediterranean population at intermediate melanoma risk. A multicentric survey identified 816 consecutive cases of cutaneous melanoma in the period January to December 2001 in 11 Italian clinical centres belonging to the Italian Multidisciplinary Group on Melanoma. All patients filled a standardized questionnaire and were clinically examined by expert dermatologists. Self-detected melanomas were 40.6%, while the remaining lesions were detected by a dermatologist (18.5%), the family physician (15.2%), other specialists (5%), the spouse (12.5%), a friend or someone else (8.2%). Variables associated with self-detected melanomas were female sex, young age, absence of atypical nevi, knowledge of the ABCD rule, habit of performing skin self-examination. Self-detected melanomas did not differ from nonself-detected tumours in term of lesion thickness; however, patients with self-detected melanomas waited a longer period before having a diagnostic confirmation (patient's delay) (> 3 months: odds ratio, 3.89; 95% confidence interval, 2.74-5.53). In order to reduce the patients' delays, educational messages should adequately stress the need for a prompt referral to a physician once a suspicious pigmented lesion is self-detected