Improving of psychological status and inflammatory biomarkers during omalizumab for chronic spontaneous urticaria

Background: Depression and anxiety are the most common psychiatric comorbidities in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody approved for CSU treatment. We evaluated the prevalence of anxiety and depression in CSU patients before and after treatment with omalizumab. Materials & methods: A total of 30 patients were enrolled in the study: 15 patients affected by CSU and treated with omalizumab and the other 15 healthy subjects did not receive any systemic therapy. All patients were evaluated using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, CRP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, at baseline and after 6 months. Results: The omalizumab group after 6 months of therapy had a decrease of all the scores and biomarkers. Conclusion: Omalizumab allowed an improvement of urticaria and mental comorbidities

Dermoscopy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy in the Diagnosis and Management of Nail Fold Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The management and prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma largely depend on its invasiveness and grade of differentiation. Pigmented nail fold squamous cell carcinoma represents a therapeutic challenge, needing careful treatment to preserve nail function. Here, we report the use of dermoscopy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy to monitor nail fold squamous cell carcinoma in situ and its response to treatment with topical imiquimod

The Usefulness of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for the Treatment of Vitiligo: State of the Art and Review

Introduction:Vitiligo is an acquired, idiopathic disorder clinically characterized by ame-lanotic lesions on the skin which cause significant impairment of patients’quality of life.A variety of treatments have been proposed, with inconsistent results. In the last decades, the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is receiving increasing interest as a potential effectivetechnique in the treatment of several dermatological diseases, including vitiligo. Objective:We conducted a review with the aim to identify studies that documented the useof PRP for vitiligo. Materials and Methods:Electronic databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CochraneCentral Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) from inception to November 2019 havebeen searched using different combinations of the following terms:“platelet-rich plasma”,“platelet gel”,“platelet-richfibrin”,“PRP”and“vitiligo”. Results:We identified 6 clinical studies consistent with our research, with a total of 253patients, listing and discussing the obtained results. In all reports, all treated patients showeda stable vitiligo, and a significantly higher improvement in the PRP groups was alwaysobserved compared to control groups. Regarding the side effects, PRP in vitiligo patients isuseful and without important side effects. Conclusion:PRP is a promising treatment for stable vitiligo lesions in different body sites.The possible use of PRP in combination with traditional therapeutic options and thestandardization of processing protocols represents a very fertilefield for future research.Larger clinical trials with longer time of observation would provide solid evidence regardingthe effectiveness of PRP for the treatment of vitiligo

Direct examination, histopathology and fungal culture for the diagnosis of onychomycosis: A retrospective, comparative study on 2245 specimens.

Onychomycosis affects 5.5% of the general population and represents up to 50% of all nail diseases. Diagnosis and pathogen identification are essential in order to plan an adequate treatment. Many diagnostic techniques are available, and however, no solid data regarding comparison between different techniques over a large number of specimens are available to date.info:eu-repo/semantics/inPres

Reflectance Confocal Microscopy Applied to Folliculitis Decalvans: Preliminary Results of a Multicenter Study

Although trichoscopic criteria indicative of disease severity and inflammatory activity have been recently proposed, the potential use of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in the evaluation of the inflammatory stage of FD has never been published to date. Our study investigated RCM features of 14 patients with a histopathological diagnosis of FD, evaluating clinical and trichoscopic findings. RCM findings were divided into 2 main patterns: "follicular" and "interfollicular." Our results suggest a potential role for RCM as a noninvasive, fast technique for a complementary investigation in the diagnostic process, as well as in the therapeutic management decision

Asymptomatic Scalp Carriage among Household Contacts of Children Affected by Tinea Capitis: A Prospective Study in the Metropolitan Area of Brussels, Belgium

Introduction: Tinea capitis (TC) is a superficial fungal infection affecting the scalp. The existence of asymptomatic carriers (ACs) could represent a potential reservoir responsible of (re)contamination and failure of treatment. No prospective studies on ACs in household contacts of TC patients in Europe have been published to date. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ACs in a cohort of household contacts of children who were diagnosed with TC in the metropolitan area of Bruxelles, Belgium. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted from October 2015 to April 2016 at the Dermatology Department of the University Hospitals Brugmann, Saint-Pierre, Queen Fabiola Children Hospital. Results: Ninety-nine cases of TC from 95 different family circles were included. The main infectious agent identified was Microsporum audouinii in 53 cases. The mean age of TC patients was 5.8 years. Male/female ratio was 2.8. Eighty-one household contacts of TC patients were enrolled in the study. Two cases of ACs (5%) were identified. Conclusions: M. audouinii was the most common pathogen identified. The prevalence of ACs we report is on average higher compared to other European large cities. Larger prospective studies including all close contacts of affected patients are required in order to establish guidelines regarding identification and management of ACs.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Sinonasal adenocarcinoma in a patient without exposure to risk factors Case report and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: Sinonasal adenocarcinoma is a tumor typically associated with exposure to occupational carcinogens. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published several data in order to classify carcinogenic power of physical-chemical agents as far as sinonasal cancer is concerned. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report a clinical case of sinonasal adenocarcinoma observed in an 84 years old patient, without clinical history of past exposure to carcinogens, smoke and alcohol. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A sinonasal adenocarcinoma in a patient without risk factors is extremely rare. It is very important to recognize this cancer at an early stage in order to give better survival rates to the patients. Carcinogens, Intestinal-type adenocarcinoma, Sinonasal cancer