Minimally ablative resurfacing with the confluent 2,790 nm erbium:YSGG laser: a pilot study on safety and efficacy.

Background: The 2,790 nm Er:YSGG wavelength has a lower water absorption coefficient than the 2,940 nm Er:YAG, but a higher coefficient than the 10,600 nm CO(2) laser. This allows ablative resurfacing with mild thermal coagulation, which may increase clinical efficacy while reducing patient downtime.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the confluent 2,790 nm Erbium:YSGG (Pearl™, Cutera) laser for facial rejuvenation.

Survey of regional laser centers: a Minnesota perspective.

Background: Laser use in medicine is rapidly expanding as patients seek treatment for medical and cosmetic purposes. Concern is mounting about the unsupervised use of lasers and similar devices by nonphysician personnel. Minnesota is currently one of the few states with no legislation regarding the uses of lasers.

Semi-Automated method of analysis of horizontal histological sections of skin for objective evaluation of fractional devices.

Background And Objective: The treatment of skin with fractional devices creates columns of micro-ablation or micro-denaturation depending on the device. Since the geometric profiles of thermal damage depend on the treatment parameters or physical properties of the treated tissue, the size of these columns may vary from a few microns to a few millimeters. For objective evaluation of the damage profiles generated by fractional devices, this report describes an innovative and efficient method of processing and evaluating horizontal sections of skin using a novel software program.

Pilot investigation of the correlation between histological and clinical effects of infrared fractional resurfacing lasers.

Methods: Yucatan Black pig skin was treated with a 1,540-nm erbium (Er):glass laser (Lux1540, 15 and 30 mJ) and two 1,550-nm Er-doped fiber lasers (Fraxel SR750 and SR1500, 8, 10, and 12 mJ). Histologic sections were examined to determine the depth of damage and to correlate subjects' clinical response. Concurrently, six subjects with photodamaged skin received three split-face and ipsilateral dorsal hand treatments with the 1,540-nm Er:glass laser on one side and one of the 1,550-nm Er-doped lasers (Fraxel SR750) on the other.

Ultrastructural effects of an infrared handpiece on forehead and abdominal skin.

Background: Collagen fibril contraction has been shown to be associated with tissue tightening by nonablative skin rejuvenation. Transmission electron microscopy has proven to be an effective method for characterizing collagen contraction delivered by ablative and nonablative devices used on human skin.

Objective: The purpose of this two-part study was to evaluate ultrastructural changes in cadaveric forehead skin and live abdominal skin by transmission electron microscopy for different fluence levels using the Titan infrared handpiece (Cutera, Inc.

Ultrastructural evaluation of multiple pass low energy versus single pass high energy radio-frequency treatment.

Background And Objective: The radio-frequency (RF) device is a system capable of volumetric heating of the mid to deep dermis and selective heating of the fibrous septa strands and fascia layer. Clinically, these effects promote dermal collagen production, and tightening of these deep subcutaneous structures. A new technique of using multiple low energy passes has been described which results in lower patient discomfort and fewer side effects.

Histological and ultrastructural evaluation of the effects of a radiofrequency-based nonablative dermal remodeling device: a pilot study.

Background: Many light- and laser-based systems are used to reduce cutaneous wrinkles, and some have been shown to stimulate dermal collagen production. Using the ThermaCool TC radiofrequency device to treat bovine tendon and human abdominal skin, we documented the cutaneous effects of a radiofrequency-based system for nonablative treatment.

Observations: Electron microscopy of bovine tendon treated at varied heat and cooling settings revealed collagen fibrils with increased diameter and loss of distinct borders as deep as 6 mm.

Purkinje cell size is reduced in cerebellum of patients with autism.

1. The authors' goal was to compare the size and density of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum of subjects with and without autism. Blocks of cerebellum were dissected at autopsy from the brains of age, sex- and postmortem-intervaled (PMI) groups of autistic and normal control individuals (N = 5 per group).

Prenatal viral infection leads to pyramidal cell atrophy and macrocephaly in adulthood: implications for genesis of autism and schizophrenia.

We investigated the role of maternal exposure to human influenza virus (H1N1) in C57BL/6 mice on Day 9 of pregnancy on pyramidal and nonpyramidal cell density, pyramidal nuclear area, and overall brain size in Day 0 neonates and 14-week-old progeny and compared them to sham-infected cohorts. Pyramidal cell density increased significantly (p < 0.0038) by 170% in Day 0 infected mice vs.