Publications by authors named "Aragona E"
Article Synopsis
- In 2023, nirsevimab was approved in the U.S. as a monoclonal antibody to prevent bronchiolitis in newborns caused by RSV, prompting a study on parental responses to this recommendation.
- A study involving 28 parents revealed that 38% planned to administer nirsevimab, 25% opted out, and the remaining were uncertain, highlighting significant knowledge gaps about RSV and the treatment.
- Key concerns for parents included trust in pediatricians, fear of side effects, and misinformation likening nirsevimab to the COVID-19 vaccine, suggesting the need for improved awareness and communication among healthcare providers and parents.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore gender differences in the phenotypical expression of Behçet's disease (BD) using data from the International AIDA Network Registry, focusing on damage index, disease manifestations, and cardiovascular risk.
- A total of 1024 patients (567 males and 457 females) were examined, revealing that males had a significantly higher overall damage index and more frequent occurrences of uveitis and vascular involvement, while females showed higher instances of arthralgia, arthritis, and CNS involvement.
- Key factors associated with major organ involvement included male gender, treatment with biologic agents, origin from endemic regions, and longer disease duration, indicating a more severe course of BD in males compared to females.
Introduction: Despite an improved understanding of its pathogenesis, dry eye disease (DED) remains relatively underestimated and its treatment challenging. A better alignment between the clinical evaluation and the patient self-assessment also requires capturing the whole patient experience of DED. This project aimed to unveil this experience through narrative medicine (NM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Retinal microaneurysms (MAs) are among the earliest signs of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and can be classified in several subtypes by non-invasive multimodal retinal imaging. The main aim of the present study is to characterize retinal MAs perfusion properties and their blood flow network connectivity by means of Dense Automatic-RealTime (DART) OCTA technology, checking the relationship with the multimodal retinal imaging classification and testing the clinical impact of DART.
Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study setting was chosen.
The identification of new biomarkers of ocular diseases is nowadays of outmost importance both for early diagnosis and treatment. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing emerging area of research and its involvement in the pathophysiology of ocular disease and regulatory mechanisms is of undisputable importance for diagnostic purposes. Environmental changes may impact the ocular surface, and the knowledge of induced epigenetic changes might help to elucidate the mechanisms of ocular surface disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical role of multi-signal quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) perfusion sampling in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods: The study was designed as a cross-sectional case series. We collected data from already treated macular neovascularization (MNV), characterized by (I) clinically relevant recurrent exudation, (II) nonclinically relevant recurrent exudation, and (III) inactive lesion.
Objective: To differentiate intraretinal fluid (IRF) cysts from degenerative pseudocysts in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by quantitative multimodal imaging.
Design: Observational, cross-sectional.
Participants: Patients affected by macular neovascularization secondary to AMD.
Background: Bowel preparation (BP) for colonoscopy induces significant changes in gut microbiota, causing dysbiosis that, in turn, elicits intestinal symptoms. Consequently, probiotics may counterbalance the disturbed microbiota after BP. So, probiotics may restore microbiota homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Geographic atrophy (GA) is a serious condition associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), leading to irreversible vision loss, and currently has no effective treatment, though new therapies are emerging.
- A survey conducted by the Società Italiana di Scienze Oftalmologiche (S.I.S.O.) assessed the knowledge and management practices of 365 Italian ophthalmologists regarding GA through a detailed questionnaire.
- Results indicate that ophthalmologists in Italy feel knowledgeable about GA and are eager to learn more, with many already implementing effective management strategies, including nutraceuticals and lifestyle changes for their patients.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the relationship between Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), a severe inflammatory condition, and the risk of cancer development compared to other diseases like fibromyalgia, Still's disease, and Behçet's disease.
- Results show that FMF patients have a significantly lower risk for malignancies compared to fibromyalgia patients, with a risk ratio (RR) of 0.26; however, this risk is less clear when comparing with the other conditions.
- Factors influencing cancer risk in FMF patients include age at onset and diagnosis, frequency of disease attacks, and treatment with specific biotechnological agents.
: Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms are a group of clonal hematopoietic disorders including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and primary myelofi-brosis. These neoplasms are characterized by an increased risk of thrombotic complications. Several studies have highlighted that the study of vessels of the retina offers the opportunity to visualize, in vivo, the damage to microcirculation that is common in various systemic pathologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Macular neovascularization (MNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is well managed by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections. However, outer retinal atrophy represents an unavoidable occurrence detected during follow-up. Several imaging metrics have been proposed as clinically relevant in stratifying the risk of onset of outer retinal atrophy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of dexamethasone (DEX) 0.7 mg intravitreal implant in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and serous retinal detachment (SRD), and to study the prognostic factors on a follow up of 12 months.
Methods: Forty eyes of twenty- six patients with centre involving DME and SRD, who underwent DEX implant, were enrolled.
Purpose: To describe a phenotypical manifestation characterized by the identification of peripheral linear streaks associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Methods: Study design is a prospective observational case series. All consecutive patients affected by RP underwent a complete ophthalmological examination.
Purpose: To investigate the reduction of the ocular surface bacterial load induced by 2 commercially available ophthalmic antiseptic formulations, povidone-iodine (PVI) 0.6% and chlorhexidine (CLX) 0.02%, before ocular surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To determine if circulating antiretinal antibodies (ARAs) differ between patients affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and control participants and to assess whether ARAs are associated with clinical outcomes in patients with RP.
Methods: Cross-sectional study involving a group of patients clinically diagnosed with RP and a control group of healthy participants. Serum autoantibodies against enolase, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) were tested in all participants using Jess capillary Western blot.
Purpose: To investigate the clinical utility of choroidal quantitative assessment associated with the presence of macular neovascularization (MNV) or atrophy in high myopia.
Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective case series with two-year follow-up. We measured choroidal thickness (CT) and the presence and subtype of dome-shaped macula (DSM).
Objective: To assess the relationship between ≥ 1 localizations of intraretinal fluid (IRF) within retinal layers and the 2-year outcome in a cohort of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) eyes.
Design: Retrospective case series.
Participants: Two hundred forty-three eyes of 243 AMD patients affected by type 1 and type 2 macular neovascularization (MNV).
Importance: ABCA4-associated retinopathy is a common inherited retinal disease, and its phenotype spans from late-onset macular dystrophy to extensive cone-rod degeneration. Over 2000 disease-causing variants in the ABCA4 gene have been identified.
Objective: To investigate genotype-phenotype correlations in ABCA4-associated retinopathy.
Introduction: This paper describes the creation and preliminary results of a patient-driven registry for the collection of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and patient-reported experiences (PREs) in Behçet's disease (BD).
Methods: The project was coordinated by the University of Siena and the Italian patient advocacy organization SIMBA (Associazione Italiana Sindrome e Malattia di Behçet), in the context of the AIDA (AutoInflammatory Diseases Alliance) Network programme. Quality of life, fatigue, socioeconomic impact of the disease and therapeutic adherence were selected as core domains to include in the registry.
Purpose: To analyze fixation location and stability in best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) and test their association with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
Design: Observational, cross-sectional study.
Participants: Thirty patients (55 eyes) affected by genetically confirmed BVMD were followed up at the Retinal Heredodystrophies Unit of IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan.
Introduction: Foveal eversion (FE) is a recently described optical coherence tomography (OCT) finding associated with negative outcome in diabetic macular edema. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the role of the FE metric in the diagnostic workup of retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
Methods: This study was a retrospective, observational case series.