Publications by authors named "Luca Fania"

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumor in white populations. Multiple studies demonstrated that the aberrant activation of Hedgehog signaling is a driver of BCC development, and its blockade represents a potential therapeutic target. In Italy, clinicians can prescribe Hedgehog inhibitors (HhIs) vismodegib and sonidegib.

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Skin cancer incidence is increasing worldwide. Clear communication between dermatologists and histopathologists, along with the possibility of sharing clinical images, is critically important. This survey aims to depict the level of communication between dermatologists and histopathologists in clinical practice in Italy.

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Tattooing is a widespread practice among the population, particularly among young people. With the increased popularity of tattoos, there have also been several reports of acute and chronic adverse events after tattooing. Malignant melanoma cases arising from tattoos have been increasingly described; however, there is no clear relationship between this practice and tumorigenesis.

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Sporadic hidradenitis suppurativa (spHS) is a multifactorial disease in which genetic predisposition is intertwined with environmental factors. Owing to the still-to-date limited knowledge of spHS genetics, we calculated polygenic scores (PGSs) to study the genetic underpinnings that contribute to spHS within European demographic. A total of 256 patients with spHS and 1686 healthy controls were analyzed across 6 European clinical centers.

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Actinic keratosis (AK) is a widespread pre-cancerous skin condition that may evolve to squamous cell carcinoma, a non-melanoma skin cancer, which is able to become locally invasive and metastatic. Thus, it is important to treat AK. : We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis for the field-directed therapeutic approaches: local application of drugs containing 5-fluorouracil, both alone at a 4% concentration and associated to 10% salicylic acid at a 0.

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Background: Non-photosensitive trichothiodystrophies (TTDs) are a diverse group of genodermatoses within the subset of conditions known as "sulphur-deficient brittle hair" syndromes. A part of them has only recently been identified, revealing novel causative genes and very rare phenotypes of these genetic skin disorders. At the same time, the molecular basis of previously published and unresolved cases has been revealed through the introduction of innovative genetic techniques.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Treatment methods for HS include a mix of medical therapies (like antibiotics and biologics) and surgical options, though many patients still experience high rates of recurrence and progression despite these treatments.
  • * A recent meeting of Italian HS experts focused on improving treatment strategies, emphasizing the importance of integrating biologic therapy with surgical options, and identifying ten key areas that need further exploration to optimize patient care.
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Dermoscopy is widely used for the diagnosis of skin cancer and it increases the accuracy of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) detection. BCC dermoscopic criteria have been updated and divided into vascular, pigment-related, and non-vascular/non-pigment-related. Our multicenter retrospective study tested a new dermoscopic pigment-related characteristic to detect pigmented BCC (pBCC) [brown homogeneous blotches (BHB)].

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Pemphigus is a life-threatening autoimmune blistering disease affecting skin and mucous membranes. Despite its etiopathogenesis remains largely unknown, several trigger and predisposing factors have been reported. Pemphigus is caused by autoantibodies that target desmoglein 1 and desmoglein 3, impacting desmosome function.

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Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic-relapsing inflammatory skin disease. It usually appears in the second and third decades, but a smaller proportion of patients develop late-onset HS. Geriatric HS, defined as the persistence or the development of HS after the age of 65 years, has been poorly explored.

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Background: Recent studies are stressing the idea that the level of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) severity does not always correspond to the same illness load. In fact, it was found that there was no significant association between Skindex-17 and clinical severity of HS, and that some items of the Skindex-17 might be more related to HS severity than others.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to explore the associations between different levels of clinical severity of HS (mild, moderate, severe) and the Skindex-17 single-item responses in a large sample of adults patients.

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Autoimmune bullous diseases are a heterogeneous group of rare conditions clinically characterized by the presence of blisters and/or erosions on the skin and the mucous membranes. Practically, they can be divided into two large groups: the pemphigoid group and the pemphigus group, depending on the depth of the autoimmune process on the skin. A family history of autoimmune diseases can often be found, demonstrating that genetic predisposition is crucial for their development.

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Article Synopsis
  • Keratinocyte carcinomas (KC), including basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), are reportedly on the rise globally, but accurate data on their incidence is often lacking.
  • The study aimed to estimate the occurrence of KC by analyzing the ratio of KC to melanoma cases using data collected from Italian dermatologists, while excluding those focused on melanoma and non-melanoma units.
  • Findings show a significantly lower BCC/melanoma (4.4) and SCC/melanoma (1.7) ratio compared to dermatologists' self-reported figures, indicating that the true incidence of these carcinomas in Italy is likely underestimated based on histopathological records.
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Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which include basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and actinic keratosis (AK), are the most common cancer diseases in the Caucasian race. If diagnosed late and improperly treated, BCC and SCC can become locally advanced and metastasize. Malignant melanoma (MM) is less frequent but more lethal than NMSC.

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Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease that affects the skin in 20 to 30% of cases. Skin findings are often the initial presenting signs, and cutaneous sarcoidosis may appear with a wide variety of lesions; it is often considered an imitator of many other skin diseases. Clinical appearance and specific dermoscopic criteria, confirmed by a typical pathology, may guide to the correct diagnosis.

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Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is a tumor that arises from human keratinocytes, showing abnormal control of cell proliferation and aberrant stratification. Cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (cBCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the most common sub-types of NMSC. From a molecular point of view, we are still far from fully understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the onset and progression of NMSC and to unravel targetable vulnerabilities to leverage for their treatment, which is still essentially based on surgery.

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Background: Decorative tattooing is a very widespread and constantly increasing practice, especially among young people.

Objectives: Here, we report a case study of melanoma occurring on a tattoo on the left arm and provide an overview of all cases reported so far.

Materials & Methods: A systematic literature search of publications was conducted from inception to September 2021 via Medline (PubMed), Scopus and Google Scholar, in order to identify all cases of primitive melanomas arising on tattoos.

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Background: The impact of melanoma on quality of life (QoL) is not limited to the patient but may also affect caregivers.

Objectives: To investigate the impact of melanoma on caregivers' QoL.

Materials & Methods: Caregivers of melanoma patients were recruited at the melanoma unit of our hospital.

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Background: Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune intraepithelial bullous disease involving the skin and the mucous membranes. Imiquimod, a topical therapy for skin basal cell carcinoma, is an amine that induces the production of tumor necrosis factor alfa, interleukin-1 and other cytokines. Pemphigus induced by drugs has been frequently reported, mostly after systemic therapy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) have shown minimal impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) according to general assessments, but specific tools like the Skin Cancer Index (SCI) suggest otherwise; this study aimed to validate the Italian version of the SCI among NMSC patients.
  • In a cross-sectional study with 371 patients, the revised SCI model exhibited excellent fit and strong internal consistency across subscales measuring emotional, social, and appearance-related quality of life.
  • Findings indicate the Italian SCI effectively assesses HRQoL in NMSC patients, but more research is necessary to confirm its reliability and validity in
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  • Actinic keratosis (AK) is a precancerous skin lesion that can lead to invasive squamous cell carcinoma, affecting a significant portion of the global adult population.
  • Risk factors include advanced age, fair skin, and sun exposure, with treatments varying based on lesion characteristics and patient factors.
  • A study of 110 Italian dermatologists revealed that cryotherapy and photodynamic therapy are the most commonly used treatments, while adherence to therapy is vital for effective outcomes.
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