Diagnostic accuracy of reflectance confocal microscopy for lesions typified by dermoscopic island.

Introduction: Dermoscopic island (DI) is a dermoscopic clue for the diagnosis of thin melanoma (MM). However, its positive predictive value is about 50% and several naevi with DI are unnecessarily excised. Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a second level non-invasive imaging tool that increases diagnostic accuracy for MM.

Intralesional (incision) biopsy for melanoma diagnosis: the rules and the exception.

Intralesional (incision) biopsy for melanoma diagnosis can be warranted for large lesions or for those lesions whose in-toto excision leads to cosmetic and/or functional impairment. However, this diagnostic approach carries a risk of underdiagnosis, if a clinicopathologic diagnostic approach is not implemented. As a rule, in large pigmented lesions from special body areas (scalp and acral skin), clinicodermoscopic differential diagnosis of melanoma includes non-melanocytic skin lesions, traumatic skin changes, and nevi.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes After Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold Implantation for the Treatment of Coronary In-Stent Restenosis: A Multicenter Italian Experience.

Background: Treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is still challenging. In this setting, the use of bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) seems attractive because it allows drug delivery combined with transient vessel scaffolding. We aimed to investigate the long-term results after BVS use in ISR lesions.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffolds for small vessels coronary disease: The BVS-save registry.

Objective: In this study, we investigated long-term results following bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) implantation in small coronary arteries.

Background: Management of small coronary vessel disease with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is often associated with high recurrencies and an increased risk of late or very late adverse events. Currently, little is known about BVS behavior in this setting.

Dermoscopy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy for Monitoring the Treatment of Actinic Keratosis with Ingenol Mebutate Gel: Report of Two Cases.

Introduction: A relatively novel application for dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is their use in the monitoring of topical treatment response for non-melanoma skin cancer. Actinic keratosis (AK) is the early phase of a multistep biologic continuum leading to invasive squamous cell carcinoma. A number of topical therapies are now available for the treatment of AK but their disadvantages include long treatment duration and prolonged local reactions.

Unusual Dermoscopic Patterns of Seborrheic Keratosis.

Background: Seborrheic keratoses (SKs) may sometimes mimic benign and malignant skin tumors, and a biopsy can be necessary in order to rule out malignancy.

Methods: From the database of our pigmented lesion clinic, we evaluated the dermoscopic features of difficult-to-diagnose SKs that were biopsied between January 2010 and December 2014.

Results: SKs represented 3.

Confocal and dermoscopic features of basal cell carcinoma in Gorlin-Goltz syndrome: A case report.

Gorlin-Goltz (GS) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease linked to a mutation in the PTCH gene. Major criteria include the onset of multiple basal cell carcinoma (BCC), keratocystic odontogenic tumours in the jaws and bifid ribs. Dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy represent imaging tools that are able to increase the diagnostic accuracy of skin cancer in a totally noninvasive manner, without performing punch biopsies.

Precise Longitudinal Tracking of Microscopic Structures in Melanocytic Nevi Using Reflectance Confocal Microscopy: A Feasibility Study.

Importance: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), a cellular-level, in vivo imaging technique, may be potentially used for monitoring melanocytic neoplasms for microscopic stability vs changes over time.

Objective: To test feasibility of using RCM to track specific microscopic structures within nevi over 1 year.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was an observational study, a review of prospectively acquired RCM images, performed at a tertiary academic medical center.

Orthovoltage radiotherapy for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC): Comparison between 2 different schedules.

Background: Radiotherapy is an established treatment for some types of patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer. A hypofractionated schedule has been proposed as a valuable option for elderly disabled patients to minimize the number of hospital visits.

Objective: We sought to compare a weekly hypofractionated orthovoltage radiotherapy regimen with a standard daily one for the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

The extent of whole-genome copy number alterations predicts aggressive features in primary melanomas.

Recent evidence indicates that melanoma comprises distinct types of tumors and suggests that specific morphological features may help predict its clinical behavior. Using a SNP-array approach, we quantified chromosomal copy number alterations (CNA) across the whole genome in 41 primary melanomas and found a high degree of heterogeneity in their genomic asset. Association analysis correlating the number and relative length of CNA with clinical, morphological, and dermoscopic attributes of melanoma revealed that features of aggressiveness were strongly linked to the overall amount of genomic damage.

Spitz naevi and melanomas with similar dermoscopic patterns: can confocal microscopy differentiate?

Background: Differentiating Spitz naevi from melanomas can be difficult both clinically and dermoscopically. Previous studies have reported the potential role of in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in increasing diagnostic accuracy.

Objectives: To define RCM criteria that can differentiate 'false twins', namely Spitz naevi and melanomas sharing similar dermoscopic appearance.

Clinical and dermoscopic features of atypical Spitz tumors: A multicenter, retrospective, case-control study.

Background: Few studies have described the clinical and dermoscopic features of atypical Spitz tumors.

Objective: We sought to describe the clinical and dermoscopic features of a series of atypical Spitz tumors as compared with those of conventional Spitz nevi.

Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective, case-control study, analyzing the clinical and dermoscopic characteristics of 55 atypical Spitz tumors and 110 Spitz nevi that were excised and diagnosed histopathologically.

Dermoscopy in the diagnosis and management of basal cell carcinoma.

The dermoscopic findings of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) were first described more than a decade ago and the list of BCC-related criteria has been several times updated and enriched. Today, the dermatoscope is considered the key tool for the diagnosis of BCC, since it allows its early detection and enables its discrimination from other pigmented and nonpigmented skin tumors. The dermoscopic pattern of BCC results from several combinations of well-known BCC criteria, depending on several factors, including histopathologic subtype, location, gender, age and pigmentary trait.

Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging in Merkel cell carcinoma.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon aggressive primary cutaneous carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation. However, literature data about the use of somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging in MCC are limited and its role is not clearly stated.

Objective: To investigate the role of PET/CT using somatostatin analogues radiolabelled with gallium-68 in patients with MCC.

In vivo confocal microscopic substrate of grey colour in melanosis.

Background: Melanosis is the most common cause of mucosal pigmentation and can be clinically difficult to differentiate from early melanoma (MM). Dermoscopy can help in the distinction between melanosis and MM, but in some instances, melanoses may exhibit overlapping features with MM such as the presence of grey colour.

Objective: We sought to evaluate whether reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) can help to better understand the dermoscopic features of melanoses in order to assist clinicians in their diagnosis.

Bioabsorbable drug-eluting vascular scaffold for the treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis: A two center registry.

Background/purpose: Coronary in-stent restenosis (ISR) is a clinical problem for which a satisfactory solution has not been found yet. Bioabsorbable drug eluting vascular scaffolds (BVSs) provide transient vessel scaffolding combined with prolonged drug delivery capability. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of BVS for the treatment of coronary ISR.

Routine Clinical-Pathologic Correlation of Pigmented Skin Tumors Can Influence Patient Management.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the benefit of integrating clinical with pathologic information, to obtain a confident diagnosis for melanocytic tumors. However, all those studies were conducted retrospectively and no data are currently available about the role of a clinical-pathologic correlation approach on a daily basis in clinical practice.

Aim Of The Study: In our study, we evaluated the impact of a routine clinical-pathologic correlation approach for difficult skin tumors seen over 3 years in a tertiary referral center.

Bioresorbable vascular scaffold implantation for the treatment of coronary in-stent restenosis: results from a multicenter Italian experience.

This multicenter experience sought to investigate the feasibility and safety of BVS for the treatment of ISR. From April 2012 to June 2014, a total of 315 patients (334 lesions) underwent PCI for ISR at the participating centers. Of those, 83 patients (90 lesions) received BVS.