Publications by authors named "Nicoletta Banzola"

Normal human life expectancy has increased; hence, growing interest in the field of skin quality is observed. Peels are common medical devices that stimulate new skin growth and improve texture. Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA)-based products act by replacing fragmented collagen.

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Laser is a widely accepted tool for tattoo removal, with standardized treatment protocols. Nevertheless, cosmetic tattoo removal may be challenging, because tattoos are performed in proximity of "sensitive" areas and because the ink used in cosmetic tattoos may contain substances that are not standardized and may modify their color at a high temperature. In this case series, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of Q-switched (QS) Nd:YAG laser for cosmetic tattoo removal.

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The vaginal microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and functioning of the female genital tract, preventing the colonization of urogenital pathogens and sexually transmitted infections. In this study, we characterized the vaginal bacterial communities and the metabolome associated to infection (CT: 20 women), compared to healthy condition (H: 22 women) and bacterial vaginosis (BV: 19 women). A microarray-based tool (VaginArray), implemented with a real-time PCR for , was used to determine the vaginal bacterial composition, whereas the metabolic profiles were assessed by a proton-based nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) spectroscopy.

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Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), Ureaplasma parvum (UP), Mycoplasma hominis (MH) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) are the most common Mollicutes of the female genital tract. Although many studies have addressed their possible role in the vaginal ecosystem, many aspects remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaginal presence of ureaplasmas/mycoplasmas in women with different clinical conditions.

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We report the first case of reactive arthritis associated with lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) in an Italian human immunodeficiency virus-negative woman with urogenital and rectal Chlamydia trachomatis L2 serovar infection. The LGV-associated arthritis has to be considered even when classic symptoms of arthritis are missing and in case of asymptomatic or cryptic LGV localizations.

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Neisseria gonorrhoeae is one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted pathogen with the vast majority of reported cases diagnosed at urogenital sites. While urethral gonococcal infections in men usually present with penile discharge and dysuria, pharynx and rectal infections are often asymptomatic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that sexually active men who have sex with men (MSM) be screened at least annually for urethral, pharyngeal and rectal gonorrhea, considering sexual exposure history, and every 3 to 6 months if higher-risk behaviours are reported.

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The aim of this study was to assess Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection prevalence and serovar distribution in a high-density urban area in the north of Italy, by comparing different groups of subjects divided on the basis of the type of care provider they referred to (STI Clinic, gynaecologists or general practitioners). From January 2011 to May 2014, all the specimens submitted to the Microbiology Laboratory of St Orsola Hospital in Bologna for CT detection were tested by PCR assay. For positive specimens, molecular genotyping based on RFLP analysis was performed.

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An Italian HIV-positive man having sex with men (MSM) attended the STIs Outpatients Clinic of Sant'Orsola Hospital in Bologna complaining of anal pain and constipation. According to patient's sexual history and repertoires, NAAT testing for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) was performed. Pharyngeal and anal swabs resulted positive for CT DNA detection and the following molecular genotyping identified a L2 serovar, coming to the final diagnosis of pharyngeal and rectal lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) infection.

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We studied the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) urogenital infection and the distribution of different genotypes in a non-selected STD population of 1625 patients, evaluating presence of coinfections with other sexually transmitted diseases. Each patient was bled to perform serological tests for syphilis and HIV, then urethral or endocervical swabs were obtained for the detection of CT and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by culture. DNA extracted from remnant positive swabs was amplified by omp1 Nested PCR and products were sequenced.

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Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus (ILVEN) is normally associated with the failure of topical and systemic treatments and with recurrences on interruption of therapy. Many physical approaches have been used, but they generally resulted in varying rates of recurrence and unacceptable scarring. We reported a case of ILVEN treated with a single session CO(2) laser treatment.

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Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC) are the two most common sexually transmitted bacterial infections in developed countries. The purpose of the present study was evaluating a new system for CT/GC detection in urine specimens. A total of 700 urine specimens were obtained from patients attending the STD Outpatients Clinic of St.

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