Contact Dermatitis in the United States: A Population-Based Study on Patient Visit Characteristics and Treatment Prescription Patterns.

Contact dermatitis (CD) affects ∼15% of the general population over a lifetime. However, there is a lack of epidemiological studies on treatment patterns for CD. We aim to analyze the patient characteristics and prescribing patterns among dermatologists and general practitioners (GPs) (internal medicine [IM] and family medicine [FM]) for CD in the United States.

Demographic and physiological factors associated with clinically significant eyelid edema in patients following upper eyelid surgery.

Purpose: To investigate demographic and physiological variables associated with clinically significant edema after upper eyelid surgery.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent blepharoplasty or external levator advancement with or without lid crease formation between January 2018 and January 2021 at the University of Southern California. Age, sex, pertinent medical history (medications causing edema and comorbidities), and pertinent surgical procedures were all collected.

Tissue Expanders in Staged Calvarial Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.

Cranioplasties are common procedures in plastic surgery. The use of tissue expansion (TE) in staged cranioplasties is less common. We present two cases of cranioplasties with TE and systematically review literature describing the use of TE in staged cranioplasties and postoperative outcomes.

Piezo1-Regulated Mechanotransduction Controls Flow-Activated Lymphatic Expansion.

Background: Mutations in PIEZO1 (Piezo type mechanosensitive ion channel component 1) cause human lymphatic malformations. We have previously uncovered an ORAI1 (ORAI calcium release-activated calcium modulator 1)-mediated mechanotransduction pathway that triggers lymphatic sprouting through Notch downregulation in response to fluid flow. However, the identity of its upstream mechanosensor remains unknown.

Prolymphangiogenic Effects of 9- Retinoic Acid Are Enhanced at Sites of Lymphatic Injury and Dependent on Treatment Duration in Experimental Postsurgical Lymphedema.

Patients undergoing surgical treatment for solid tumors are at risk for development of secondary lymphedema due to intraoperative lymphatic vessel injury. The damaged lymphatic vessels fail to adequately regenerate and lymphatic obstruction leads to fluid and protein accumulation in the interstitial space and chronic lymphedema develops as a result. There are currently no effective pharmacological agents that reduce the risk of developing lymphedema or treat pre-existing lymphedema, and management is largely palliative.

Urinary Bladder Matrix Improves Irradiated Wound Healing in a Murine Model.

Radiation skin damage is associated with chronic wounds and poor healing. Existing localized treatment modalities have limited benefit. Therefore, there has been increased interest in biologically based solutions.

Current Understanding of Pathological Mechanisms of Lymphedema.

Lymphedema is a common disease that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide with significant financial and social burdens. Despite increasing prevalence and associated morbidities, the mainstay treatment of lymphedema is largely palliative without an effective cure due to incomplete understanding of the disease. Recent studies have described key histological and pathological processes that contribute to the progression of lymphedema, including lymphatic stasis, inflammation, adipose tissue deposition, and fibrosis.

Current Advancements in Animal Models of Postsurgical Lymphedema: A Systematic Review.

Secondary lymphedema is a debilitating disease caused by lymphatic dysfunction characterized by chronic swelling, dysregulated inflammation, disfigurement, and compromised wound healing. Since there is no effective cure, animal model systems that support basic science research into the mechanisms of secondary lymphedema are critical to advancing the field. Over the last decade, lymphatic research has led to the improvement of existing animal lymphedema models and the establishment of new models.

The Addition of Partial or Circumferential Liposuction to Abdominoplasty Is Not Associated With a Higher Risk of Skin Necrosis.

Background: Combining abdominoplasty with liposuction is a common practice for optimal patient aesthetic outcomes. In the past, several practitioners have argued against liposuction due to the potential for vascular insufficiency, especially with central liposuction. Despite these concerns for flap damage with resultant necrosis, the incidence of this complication has not been comprehensively investigated.

Role of stem cell therapies in treating chronic wounds: A systematic review.

Background: The impairment of cutaneous wound healing results in chronic, non-healing wounds that are caused by altered wound environment oxygenation, tissue injury, and permissive microbial growth. Current modalities for the treatment of these wounds inadequately address the complex changes involved in chronic wound pathogenesis. Consequently, stem cell therapies have emerged as a potential therapeutic modality to promote cutaneous regeneration through trophic and paracrine activity.

Patient Characteristics Associated with Free Nipple Graft Reduction Mammoplasty.

Purpose: Surgical approaches for reduction mammoplasty most commonly incorporate a parenchymal vascular pedicle. For patients with larger breasts where pedicle viability may be compromised due to excessive length, the free nipple graft (FNG) technique provides a safe alternative. Criteria for whether a patient should undergo a FNG remains controversial due to variable reports in the literature with small sample sizes and inherent surgeon-dependent bias.

Ischemia and reperfusion injury in superficial inferior epigastric artery-based vascularized lymph node flaps.

Vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) is a promising treatment modality for lymphedema; however, how lymphatic tissue responds to ischemia has not been well defined. This study investigates the cellular changes that occur in lymph nodes in response to ischemia and reperfusion. Lymph node containing superficial epigastric artery-based groin flaps were isolated in Prox-1 EGFP rats which permits real time identification of lymphatic tissue by green fluorescence during flap dissection.

A Pre-clinical Animal Model of Secondary Head and Neck Lymphedema.

Head and neck lymphedema (HNL) is a disfiguring disease affecting over 90% of patients treated for head and neck cancer. Animal models of lymphedema are used to test pharmacologic and microsurgical therapies; however, no animal model for HNL is described in the literature to date. In this study we describe the first reproducible rat model for HNL.

Analysis of the Microsurgery Match from 2014 to 2018 Reveals Increased Competition for Microsurgery Fellowship Positions.

Background:  There has been no peer-reviewed published data analyzing the microsurgery match since it was established. The aim of this study is to present and analyze match data to inform residents and programs regarding outcomes.

Methods:  Anonymized data were requested from the San Francisco Match, which was plotted and analyzed utilizing Pearson's Chi-square, unpaired -test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Small Peptide Modulation of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3-Dependent Postnatal Lymphangiogenesis.

Background: The fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family includes transmembrane receptors involved in a wide range of developmental and postdevelopmental biologic processes as well as a wide range of human diseases. In particular, FGFR3 has been implicated in the mechanism by which 9-cis retinoic acid (9-cisRA) induces lymphangiogenesis and improves lymphedema. The purpose of this study was to validate the efficacy of a novel small peptide FGFR3 inhibitor, peptide P3 (VSPPLTLGQLLS), and to elucidate the role of FGFR3 in 9-cisRA-induced lymphangiogenesis using this peptide.

Nanopatterned Bulk Metallic Glass Biosensors.

Nanopatterning as a surface area enhancement method has the potential to increase signal and sensitivity of biosensors. Platinum-based bulk metallic glass (Pt-BMG) is a biocompatible material with electrical properties conducive for biosensor electrode applications, which can be processed in air at comparably low temperatures to produce nonrandom topography at the nanoscale. Work presented here employs nanopatterned Pt-BMG electrodes functionalized with glucose oxidase enzyme to explore the impact of nonrandom and highly reproducible nanoscale surface area enhancement on glucose biosensor performance.