10% urea cream in senile xerosis: Clinical and instrumental evaluation.

Background: Moisturizers represent the mainstay of treatment of xerosis and related pruritus in elderly patients.

Aim: In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a 10% urea cream in patients with senile xerosis.

Methods: Twenty patients affected by moderate-to-severe xerosis of the upper or lower extremities were enrolled and instructed to apply twice daily for 2 weeks a cream containing 10% urea.

High Carbohydrate 19-9 Antigen Serum Levels in Patients with Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer and Primary Occult Cancer.

Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), despite having a favourable prognosis, present an increased risk of occult malignancies. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the usefulness of the mucinous marker carbohydrate 19-9 antigen (CA 19-9) in the diagnosis of occult cancers. (1) Patients and Methods: This is a case control study in which 480 patients with NMSC and 480 matched control subjects with dermatitis were enrolled; 208 patients with NMSC showed upper-normal CA 19-9 values, and 272 showed under-normal CA 19-9 values.

Congenital Malalignment of the Great Toenails: A Review.

Congenital malalignment of the great toenail is an under-estimated dystrophic disorder of unknown origin characterized by lateral deviation of the nail plates, which are not parallel to the major axis of the distal phalanx. It usually presents in infancy or childhood, while late onset is uncommon. Treatment depends on the degree of deviation.

Dermatoscopy of Parasitic and Infectious Disorders.

The use of dermatoscopy in the diagnosis and management of parasitic and infectious skin disorders has been defined as entodermoscopy, and several studies have confirmed its advantages in dermatology. Dermatoscopic patterns of several parasitic, viral, and fungal skin infections have been identified and herein described. A noninvasive, fast, and accurate diagnosis plays an important role in containing the spread of contagious skin disorders.