Occlusion rate, venous symptoms and patient satisfaction after radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy (RFITT®): are there differences between the great and the small saphenous veins?

Background: Previous studies on the therapy of insufficient saphenous veins mainly compare different treatment methods. Only a few investigate differences of a specific treatment option between the great (GSV) and the small saphenous vein (SSV). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, clinical improvement and patient satisfaction after radiofrequency-induced thermotherapy (RFITT®) with regard to the treated vein.

Fumarate treatment in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis: first results of a single-center observational study.

Objectives: Therapeutic options in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are still limited. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) has immunomodulatory properties but may also exert antioxidative cytoprotective effects. Hence, it may be a therapeutic option for progressive MS.

[Seafood allergy in cooks: a case series and review of the literature].

Background: Seafood is a very potent allergen. Epidemiological studies of seafood allergy in the highly exposed cooking profession are lacking. The objective of this first case series was to demonstrate the high relevance and consequences of seafood allergy in cooks.

A novel epidermal growth factor--containing wound dressing for the treatment of hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of a novel wound dressing containing epidermal growth factor (EGF) in a collagen-gel matrix on hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers.

Patients And Methods: The authors included 33 hard-to-heal venous leg ulcers found on 31 patients. The EGF-containing dressing was applied 3 times while best practice conservative wound treatment was continued.

Immunohistochemical analysis of FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in healthy human skin and autoimmune dermatoses.

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in autoimmune diseases. In skin, the presence of Tregs is thought to be mandatory for suppression of autoreactive T cells. Here, we assess the number of Tregs in skin of healthy subjects and patients with an autoimmune dermatosis.

Clinical characteristics and survival data of melanoma patients with nevus cell aggregates within sentinel lymph nodes.

Histopathologic differentiation of nevus cell aggregates and metastatic melanoma in lymph nodes is challenging. Patients with melanoma who had undergone sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses as well as Kaplan-Meier statistics. Of the 651 patients, 50 (7.

Efficacy and comfort of medical compression stockings with low and moderate pressure six weeks after vein surgery.

Objective: The first two authors contributed equally to this work. A prospective, randomized study to evaluate efficacy, safety, and comfort of thigh-high, round knitted medical compression stockings (MCSs) with different pressure six weeks after vein surgery.

Methods: Female patients undergoing vein surgery were randomized for a compression therapy with low (18-21 mmHg, group A) or moderate (23-32 mmHg, group B) pressure MCSs.

Foam sclerotherapy with enoxaparin prophylaxis in high-risk patients with postthrombotic syndrome.

Background: According to the current guidelines for sclerotherapy hypercoagulability and thrombophilia with or without deep venous thrombosis are seen as relative contraindication for this treatment. But often such patients have an indication for a sclerotherapy. Recommendations for additional anticoagulation for sclerotherapy are missing.

MicroRNA in non-melanoma skin cancer.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a fairly novel class of 17- to 23-nucleotide (nt), short, non-coding RNA molecules that have revolutionized our understanding of gene regulation and opened new possibilities in the future of gene therapy. Here, we review the potential role of miRNAs in non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and summarize the current studies available in this new aspect of NMSC research.

Thick legs - not always lipedema.

Due to its increased presence in the press and on television, the diagnosis of lipedema is on the way to becoming a trendy diagnosis for those with thick legs. Despite this, one must recognize that lipedema is a very rare disease. It is characterized by disproportional obesity of the extremities, especially in the region of the hip and the legs, hematoma development after minimal trauma, and increased pressure-induced or spontaneous pain.

Association of autoimmune diseases with lichen sclerosus in 532 male and female patients.

Lichen sclerosus is a relatively common chronic inflammatory skin disease that predominantly affects the anogenital area. Accumulating evidence indicates that lichen sclerosus in women may be associated with other autoimmune disease, whereas this association seems to lack in male patients. We retrospectively evaluated the prevalence of autoimmune diseases and serological parameters indicative for autoimmunity in male and female patients with lichen sclerosus.

Acne inversa: evaluating antimicrobial peptides and proteins.

Background: Acne inversa is a chronic, suppurative relapsing inflammatory skin disease that primarily affects the axillae, perineum and inframammary regions. Evidence suggests that the innate immune system is involved in the pathogenesis of acne inversa.

Objective: To investigate the role of the innate immune system in acne inversa.

Comparative microarray analysis of microRNA expression profiles in primary cutaneous malignant melanoma, cutaneous malignant melanoma metastases, and benign melanocytic nevi.

Perturbations in microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles have been reported for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) predominantly when examined in cell lines. Despite the rapidly growing number of newly discovered human miRNA sequences, the availability of up-to-date miRNA expression profiles for clinical samples of primary cutaneous malignant melanoma (PCMM), cutaneous malignant melanoma metastases (CMMM), and benign melanocytic nevi (BMN) is limited. Specimens excised from the center of tumors (lesional) from patients with PCMM (n=9), CMMM (n=4), or BMN (n=8) were obtained during surgery.

Microarray analysis of microRNA expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a novel class of short RNAs that are capable epigenetically regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. MicroRNAs have been shown to be dysregulated in a variety of cancers. The data on miRNA expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are very limited, and microarray-based miRNA expression profiles of cSCC have not yet been determined.

The miRNA machinery in primary cutaneous malignant melanoma, cutaneous malignant melanoma metastases and benign melanocytic nevi.

Although several studies have shown a dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles in cutaneous melanoma, there has been little research on the miRNA machinery itself. In this study, we investigated the mRNA expression profiles of different miRNA machinery components in primary cutaneous malignant melanoma (PCMM), cutaneous malignant melanoma metastases (CMMM) and benign melanocytic nevi (BMN). Patients with PCMM (n = 7), CMMM (n = 6) and BMN (n = 7) were included in the study.

Impact on wound healing and efficacy of various leg ulcer debridement techniques.

Aim: To evaluate the evidence on the impact of different debridement techniques on healing and their efficacy in the treatment of leg ulcers.

Methods: Web-based search (PubMed) for trials investigating surgical, enzymatic, autolytic, osmotic, ultrasound-assisted, and biosurgical wound debridement on leg ulcers with regard to healing and efficacy.

Results: Both surgical and hydrosurgical methods proved to be effective debridement techniques.

Coexistence of lichen sclerosus and morphea: a retrospective analysis of 472 patients with localized scleroderma from a German tertiary referral center.

Background: The coexistence of lichen sclerosus (LiS) and localized scleroderma (LoS) has sporadically been reported in the literature. Recently, a prospective multicenter study demonstrated a surprisingly high percentage of genital LiS in patients with morphea.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of LiS in a cohort of patients with LoS who presented at a tertiary referral medical center for connective tissue diseases in Germany.

Compression therapy in elderly and overweight patients.

Background: According to the current demography of the western population, age and weight will have increasing impact on medical therapies. The aim of the analysis was to examine if there are differences in the use of compression therapy depending on age and BMI.

Patients And Methods: Questioning of 200 consecutive phlebological patients (C2-C6) with a compression therapy time of > 2 weeks.

Medical emergencies on board commercial airlines: is documentation as expected?

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive, content-based analysis on the different forms of documentation for in-flight medical emergencies that are currently provided in the emergency medical kits on board commercial airlines.

Methods: Passenger airlines in the World Airline Directory were contacted between March and May 2011. For each participating airline, sample in-flight medical emergency documentation forms were obtained.