Exploring the Severity Strata of Disease Activity and Repigmentation in Vitiligo Based on Validated Physician Global Assessment (PGA) Scores.

There is currently no guidance on how to interpret the global degrees of activity (worsening) and repigmentation (improvement) in vitiligo. Stratification into global degrees can be completed for static evaluations (e.g.

Hot spots for clinical signs of disease activity in vitiligo.

There is evidence of a link between disease activity in vitiligo and clinical visible signs such as confetti-like depigmentation, Koebner phenomenon and hypochromic areas/borders. Despite its established value, dermatologists and researchers continue to have a limited understanding of the vitiligo disease activity signs. The primary goal of this study was to identify 'hot spots' of disease activity signs in vitiligo patients in order to improve detection in clinical practice.

Image analysis systems to calculate the surface area of vitiligo lesions: A systematic review of measurement properties.

Several digital image analysis systems have been developed for surface calculation of vitiligo lesions. Critical assessment of their measurement properties is crucial to support evidence-based recommendations on the most suitable instruments and will reveal the need for future research. A systematic review was performed to systematically summarize, compare, and critically assess the measurement properties of digital and analogue analysis systems for surface calculation of vitiligo lesions following the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) recommendations.

Assessing the dynamic changes in vitiligo: reliability and validity of the Vitiligo Disease Activity Score (VDAS) and Vitiligo Disease Improvement Score (VDIS).

Background: The assessment of the individual evolution of vitiligo is important for therapeutic decision making in daily practice. A fast, simple and validated physician-reported score to assess clinical changes in depigmentation over time in separate parts (activity and improvement) is currently missing.

Objective: The main objective of the study was to develop and validate the Vitiligo Disease Activity Score (VDAS) and Vitiligo Disease Improvement Score (VDIS).

Analysis of clinical outcome and postoperative organ function effects in a propensity-matched comparison between conventional and minimally invasive mitral valve surgery.

Background: Minimally invasive mitral valve (MV) surgery (MIVT) is increasingly performed with excellent clinical outcome, despite longer procedural times. This study analyzes clinical outcomes and effects on secondary organ functions in a propensity-matched comparison with conventional MV surgery.

Methods And Results: Out of 439 patients undergoing MV surgery from January 2005 to May 2017, 233 patients were included after propensity-matching: 90 sternotomy patients and 143 MIVT patients.