A. Coggi

F. Pesapane

R. Gianotti

AIR Universita degli studi di Milano

Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Didacticandhands-oneducation, suchasattendingwoundses-
sions at the American Academy of Dermatology (http://www
.aad.org) or wound healing meetings (http://www.sawc.org)
and learning systematic evaluation andmanagement of VLUs
(and other chronic wounds) from evidence-based guidelines
for chronic wounds (Wound Healing Society; http://www
.woundheal.org), is necessary. Dermatologists can assess their
practice of treating VLUs through the newly released perfor-
manceimprovementcontinuingmedicaleducationactivitypro-
vided by the American Academy of Dermatology. In addition,
manufacturers of compression bandages create systems to as-
sist in proper application and educate practitioners on appli-
cation, so use of these systems, as opposed to elastic (ace-
type)wraps,wouldprovidemore standardized care.However,
directmonitoringof individualpatients for adequate compres-
sion is not routine. Recently developed real-time subbandage
pressure monitors using fiberoptic force sensors might help
change that and ensure that all patients receive optimal com-
pression. Finally, assessment ofwound improvement through
closetrackingofwoundsizereductionbymeasurementsorpho-
tographs isneeded,andtheuseof templates forpatientcareand
procedures can be incorporated into electronic medical rec-
ords, which can serve as a resource to ensure that all elements
of evaluation andmanagement are performed.
ARTICLE INFORMATION
Author Affiliation:Department of Dermatology
and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller
School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
Corresponding Author: Robert S. Kirsner, MD,
PhD, Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous
Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of
Medicine, 1600 NW 10th Ave, Rosenstiel Medical
Science Building, Room 2023-A, Miami, FL 33136
(rkirsner@med.miami.edu).
Published Online:May 14, 2014.
doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.330.
Conflict of Interest Disclosures:None reported.
REFERENCES
1. Zarchi K, Jemec GBE. Delivery of compression
therapy for venous leg ulcers [published online May
14, 2014]. JAMA Dermatol. doi:10.1001
/jamadermatol.2013.7962.
2. Kirsner RS, Margolis DJ. Stockings before
bandages: an option for venous ulcers. Lancet.
2014;383(9920):850-851.
3. Wang DH, Blenman N, Maunder S, Patton V,
Arkwright J. An optical fiber Bragg grating force
sensor for monitoring sub-bandage pressure during
compression therapy.Opt Express. 2013;21(17):
19799-19807.
NOTABLENOTES
Two Important Italian Scientists of the Renaissance and the First Book Ever Devoted toNevi
Filippo Pesapane, MD; Antonella Coggi, MD; Raffaele Gianotti, MD
Gerolamo Cardano (1501-1576) was an important figure in the medical
world of theRenaissance: hewrotemore than 200works onmedicine,
mathematics, physics, philosophy, religion, andmusic.1
Hisgambling ledhimtoformulateelementaryrules inprobability,mak-
ing him one of the founders of the field. In 1520, he entered the Univer-
sityofPavia,wherehestudiedmedicine. In 1525,Cardano repeatedlyap-
plied to theCollege of Physicians inMilan butwas not admittedowing to
his combative reputation and illegitimate birth. Eventually, he managed
todevelopaconsiderable reputationasaphysician,andhis serviceswere
highly valued at the royal courts. Hewas the first to describe typhoid fe-
ver, and in 1553 he cured the Scottish Archbishop of St Andrews of a dis-
ease that had left him speechless andwas thought incurable.2
Indeed,Cardano’spopularityandfamewerebasedlargelyonhisbooks
dealingwithscientificandphilosophicalquestions,especiallyDeSubtilitate
Rerum (“TheSubtletyofThings”),acollectionofphysicalexperimentsand
inventions, interspersedwithanecdotes.Amonghismanybooksonmedi-
cine,alchemy,andnaturalphenomena,healsowroteDeMetoscopia (liter-
ally:“Abouttheobservationofthefront”).Inthisbookheexplainedhistheory
that it should bepossible to identify the character of a person looking the
appearanceofhisfrontalskin.Healsospeculatesonthemeaningofthenevi.3
InspiredbyCardano’s ideas, LudovicoSettala (1552-1633)wrote the
first book ever devoted to nevi (De Naevis) in 1626. According to Set-
tala it was possible to understand the qualities and defects of a person
byobserving thepositionof thenevus inhis body.After his studieswith
the Jesuits in Milan and graduation with a medical degree at Pavia, he
applied himself to problems of public hygiene. He published De Peste
et Pestiferis Affectibus Libri Quinque (“Five Books on the Effects of the
PlagueandPestiferous”) in 1622andDellaPreservazionedellaPeste (“The
Preservation of the Plague”) in 1630. Settala is featured in Alessandro
Manzoni’s masterpiece Promessi Sposi as an exemplary physician who,
because of his foresight and rare knowledge of hygiene, was actually
accused of creating and spreading the plague.
Author Affiliations:Dermatology Unit, “Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda,
Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico,” University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Corresponding Author: Filippo Pesapane, MD, Dermatology Unit, “Fondazione
IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico,” Department of
Medical-Surgical and Transplantation Physiopathology, University of Milan,
Via Pace 9, Milan 20100, Italy (filippopesapane@gmail.com).
1. Westfall RS. Girolamo Cardano: The Galileo Project. http://galileo.rice.edu
/Catalog/NewFiles/cardano.html. Accessed April 24, 2014.
2. Cardanus G.De Propria Vita Liber (His Own Life).Amsterdam, TheNetherlands:
Self-published; 1654:136-137.
3. Cardanus G. DeMetoscopia Libris Tredecim, et Octingentis Faciei Humanae
Eiconibus Complexa. Paris, France: Gabriel Naudé; 1658.
Compression Therapy for Venous Leg Ulcers Invited Commentary Research
jamadermatology.com JAMADermatology July 2014 Volume 150, Number 7 737
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Two important Italian scientists of the Renaissance and the first book ever devoted to nevi

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Two important Italian scientists of the Renaissance and the first book ever devoted to nevi

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