Current psoriasis treatments in an Italian population and their association with socio-demographical and clinical features.

Background: Patient adherence is a key element for therapeutic success and represents a major concern for all healthcare professionals.

Objective: Aim of our study was to assess the frequency of use of treatments currently available for psoriasis and its association with specific socio-demographical and clinical variables.

Methods: The study population consisted of 1689 patients, aged 12-85 years.

Efficacy and tolerability of 5-aminolevulinic acid 0.5% liposomal spray and intense pulsed light in wrinkle reduction of photodamaged skin.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is effective for the treatment of photoaging.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PDT using a novel 0.5% liposome-encapsulated 5-ALA spray and an intense pulsed light (IPL) system (Ellipse Flex PPT) in reduction of periorbital and nasolabial wrinkles.

EDNRB gene variants and melanoma risk in two southern European populations.

Background: EDNRB gene variants were reported to be associated with melanoma risk in French patients, with the S305N variant showing the highest frequency.

Aim: To verify the S305N association with melanoma risk in an independent larger French population (378 patients, 389 controls); to investigate the role of EDNRB variants in melanoma risk in an Italian population (133 patients, 118 controls); and to explore the association of CDKN2A or CDK4 mutations with the S305N EDNRB variant in a subgroup of patients (59 French, 12 Italian) with a suspected hereditary predisposition to melanoma (familial melanoma, sporadic multiple primary melanoma or melanoma associated with pancreatic cancer).

Methods: The S305N variant was genotyped in the French population, while the EDNRB gene in the Italian population was entirely sequenced.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of topical treatments for actinic keratosis in the perspective of the Italian health care system.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is the most common cutaneous malignant neoplasm and its prevalence continues to increase. According to the most recent findings, AK is currently considered the initial stage, in situ, of squamous cell carcinoma. Field-directed therapies for AKs are the preferred treatment since they have the advantage to clear the clinically visible lesions and also subclinical lesions within the cancerous field.

Vascular patterns in basal cell carcinoma.

Background: Dermoscopy has been proved to increase the diagnostic accuracy of basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

Objective: To characterize the type and frequency of vascular patterns in superficial and nodular BCCs.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed the dermoscopic images of 504 histopathologically proven BCCs.

MC1R variants increase melanoma risk in families with CDKN2A mutations: a meta-analysis.

Aim Of The Study: We performed a meta-analysis to assess whether MC1R variants increase the risk of melanoma in CDKN2A mutation carriers of melanoma-prone families.

Methods: Data from 96 CDKN2A-positive melanoma-prone families from seven independent populations of Europe, United States and Australia were included in the analysis. Summary risk estimates were calculated by random-effect models.

Dermatoscopy of basal cell carcinoma: morphologic variability of global and local features and accuracy of diagnosis.

Background: Early detection of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is crucial to reduce the morbidity of this tumor.

Objective: We sought to investigate the variability and diagnostic significance of dermatoscopic features of BCCs.

Methods: We conducted retrospective dermatoscopic analysis of 609 BCCs and 200 melanocytic and nonmelanocytic lesions, and assessment of interrater reliability of dermatoscopic BCC criteria.

Pigmented reticular structures in basal cell carcinoma and collision tumours.

Background: The dermatoscopic diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is based on well-known specific criteria. Despite the fact that a pigment network is considered a negative feature for the diagnosis of BCC, its detection in a BCC context has been reported in 2.8% of cases.

Meta-analysis of risk factors for cutaneous melanoma according to anatomical site and clinico-pathological variant.

A systematic meta-analysis was performed to evaluate if cutaneous melanoma (CM) risk factors differ depending on body site and histological type. Adjusted estimates were extracted from 24 observational studies, for a total of 16,180 cases. Multivariate random-effects models were used to obtain summary relative risk (RR) estimates for all risk factors by body site and histological type.

Variants of the xeroderma pigmentosum variant gene (POLH) are associated with melanoma risk.

Purpose: Xeroderma pigmentosum variant (XPV) is a rare recessive autosomal genodermatosis predisposing to multiple early onset skin cancers, including melanoma. XPV results from mutations of the POLH gene that encodes a DNA translesion polymerase. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that POLH variants could be associated with melanoma risk.

A cost-utility analysis of etanercept for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in Italy.

Introduction: Biologic therapies have proven efficacious for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. However, their economic value compared with standard of care in Italy has not been explored. This study estimates the cost-effectiveness of intermittent therapy with etanercept in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis in comparison with nonsystemic therapy in Italy.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis in a patient with primary myelofibrosis receiving thalidomide therapy.

Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm characterized by progressive anemia, massive splenomegaly, leukoerythroblastosis, extramedullary hematopoiesis and in about 50% of cases the presence of JAK2V617F mutation. Curative therapy in PMF is currently possible only with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation which is, unfortunately, associated with relatively high risks of mortality and morbidity which undermine its broad applications. Non-transplant treatment modalities are used for palliative purposes.

MC1R variants increase risk of melanomas harboring BRAF mutations.

Melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) variants have been associated with BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) mutations in non-CSD (chronic solar-damaged) melanomas in an Italian and an American population. We studied an independent Italian population of 330 subjects (165 melanoma patients and 165 controls) to verify and estimate the magnitude of this association and to explore possible effect modifiers. We sequenced MC1R in all subjects and exon 15 of BRAF in 92/165 melanoma patients.

MC1R variants, melanoma and red hair color phenotype: a meta-analysis.

Melanocortin-1-receptor (MC1R) is one of the major genes that determine skin pigmentation. MC1R variants were suggested to be associated with red hair, fair skin, and an increased risk of melanoma. We performed a meta-analysis on the association between the 9 most studied MC1R variants (p.

Dermoscopic changes in acral melanocytic nevi during digital follow-up.

Objective: To investigate changes in dermoscopic patterns of acquired acral melanocytic nevi (AAMN) over time.

Design: Retrospective analysis of digital dermoscopic follow-up of 230 AAMN located on acral volar skin.

Setting: Outpatient clinics at university dermatology departments.

Dermoscopic features of actinic keratosis.

Actinic keratosis (AK) is a keratinocytic neoplasm that typically develops on sun-damaged skin of elderly individuals. Only a few reports so far have described the dermoscopic diagnostic features of AK, mainly focusing on facial non-pigmented AKs. A typical feature of facial non-pigmented AK is a composite pattern named "strawberry pattern", characterized by a background erythema/red pseudonetwork consisting of unfocused, large vessels located between the hair follicles, associated with prominent follicular openings surrounded by a white halo.

Efficacy of photodynamic therapy with methyl aminolevulinate in the treatment of superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma: an open-label trial.

Photodynamic therapy with methyl aminolevulinate (MAL-PDT) is a non-invasive therapy for superficial and nodular basal cell carcinoma (BCC). We performed an open-label trial to evaluate efficacy, safety, tolerability and cosmetic outcome of MAL-PDT in selected patients with superficial and nodular BCCs. Ninety-four superficial and 24 nodular BCCs in 69 patients were treated with 2 to 8 MAL-PDT sessions.