Treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids with a fractional CO2 laser: a personal experience.

Keloids and hypertrophic scars are both abnormal wound responses in predisposed individuals but they differ in that keloids extend beyond the original wound and almost never regress, while hypertrophic scars remain within the original wound and tend to regress. How keloids grow is not totally clear because there is no animal model; in fact, keloids affect only humans. Different injuries can result in keloids, including burns, surgery, ear piercing, lacerations, abrasions, tattooing, vaccinations, injections, insect bites and any process causing skin inflammation (chicken pox, acne, folliculitis, zoster).

Treatment of hypertrophic scars and keloids with an LBO laser (532 nm) and silicone gel sheeting.

Background: Keloid scars continue to be a complex and poorly understood subject. The main problem faced by researchers is the lack of an animal model because keloids affect only humans. Traditional techniques for keloids and hypertrophic scars are still available.

Right-left comparison study of hydrogel pad versus transparent fluid gel in patients with dermo-cosmetic lesions undergoing non-ablative laser therapy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the cooling properties of a transparent hydrogel pad and a fluid gel in patients with dermo-cosmetic lesions undergoing non-ablative laser therapy.

Methods: Patients enrolled in this prospective, open, randomized study had vascular or pigmented lesions in the face, v-neck or hands. The assigned test product was applied to the skin on the left side of the lesion whereas the other product was applied to the opposite side.

SPANX-B and SPANX-C (Xq27 region) gene dosage analysis in Sicilian patients with melanoma.

The incidence of melanoma has dramatically increased in many countries (it is 4.5 cases every 100 000 inhabitants in Sicily) and Xq27 region contains genes important in cancer like the SPANX (sperm protein associated with the nucleus in the X chromosome) gene family. These genes, made up of two exons separated by an intron of about 650 base pair, are expressed in sperm cells and in many tumours, including melanoma.