Stress echocardiography for selecting potential responders to cardiac resynchronisation therapy.

In the current ESC/ACC/AHA guidelines, the selection of patients for cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) is based upon the QRS duration, which reflects interventricular dyssynchrony. However, about 30% of patients do not respond to CRT. It has previously been demonstrated that the presence of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony is predictive of response to CRT after implantation.

Facing towards epidermal stem cells (Review).

Skin contains somatic stem cells that generate keratinocyte, melanocyte and mesenchymal cell lineages. These somatic stem cells have traditionally been thought to be restricted in their differentiation and regeneration potential to the tissues in which they reside. This review focused on epidermal stem cells (ESCs).

Exercise pulmonary hypertension in asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation.

Background: Current guidelines recommend mitral valve surgery for asymptomatic patients with severe degenerative mitral regurgitation and preserved left ventricular systolic function when exercise pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is present. However, the determinants of exercise PHT have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to identify the echocardiographic predictors of exercise PHT and the impact on symptoms.

The therapeutic potential of TNF-alpha antagonists for skin psoriasis comorbidities.

Importance Of The Field: Alopecia, psoriatic arthritis, the metabolic syndrome, inflammatory bowel diseases and cardiovascular diseases may occur as skin psoriatic comorbidities. TNF-alpha antagonists are used to treat psoriasis. Adalimumab is one of the recognized active agents for this indication.

Migration and wear of the Duraloc "1200 series" cup associated with Enduron UHWMPE using the EBRA method and the Imagika software.

We report a retrospective study on 122 THA using Duraloc "1200 series" cups. All patients received a 28-mm head (107 Al2O3, 15 CoCr). The mean age of the patients at surgery was 56.

Risk stratification in asymptomatic moderate to severe aortic stenosis: the importance of the valvular, arterial and ventricular interplay.

Objective: We sought to evaluate prognostic markers of clinical outcome in asymptomatic patients with moderate to severe aortic stenosis (AS).

Design: Prospective follow-up of asymptomatic patients with moderate to severe AS. The patients underwent clinical and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation.

Prognostic effect of long-axis left ventricular dysfunction and B-type natriuretic peptide levels in asymptomatic aortic stenosis.

In aortic stenosis (AS), the increased afterload results in progressive structural and functional changes that precede the development of symptoms. We hypothesized that the detection of abnormalities in left ventricular long-axis function could identify patients with asymptomatic AS at increased risk of events. We prospectively examined the outcome of 126 patients with asymptomatic AS who underwent a comprehensive echocardiographic examination, including tissue Doppler imaging.

Weathering of the hairless scalp: a study using skin capacitance imaging and ultraviolet light-enhanced visualization.

The balding scalp is particularly exposed to sunlight, hence, the overall ageing process modulated by ultraviolet and near-infrared light may be increased at this location. The induced changes are better revealed under ultraviolet light examination. Any alteration in the epidermal maturation is potentially reflected by stratum corneum changes observed as disturbances on skin-capacitance imaging.

Analytic quantification of the bleaching effect of a 4-hydroxyanisole-tretinoin combination on actinic lentigines.

Background: Solar lentigines represent a common feature of photoaging, particularly on the back of the hands. Bleaching agents are usually proposed to lighten the shade of the lesions.

Methods: The study was randomized and designed to assess the effect of a bleaching solution containing 2% mequinol (4-hydroxyanisole, 4HA) and 0.

Importance of left ventricular longitudinal function and functional reserve in patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation: assessment by two-dimensional speckle tracking.

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether two-dimensional speckle tracking of longitudinal myocardial deformation can detect limited contractile reserve during exercise in patients with asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods: Seventy-one patients with degenerative MR and normal left ventricular (LV) ejection fractions underwent quantitative exercise echocardiography.

Results: Compared with 23 normal subjects matched for age and sex, LV volumes were greater in patients with MR.

The blue man: an unusual happy end of a spontaneous rupture of a coronary artery.

We report the case of spontaneous rupture of a coronary artery. It was that of a 56-year-old man admitted for dyspnoea and anterior thoracic pain. The most striking feature on physical examination was the marked cyanosis of his face, upper part of the thorax and the upper limb.

Laddering melanotic pattern of Langer's lines in skin of colour.

Mechanobiological stimulation of the skin influences melanocyte activity. The clinical impact on melanocytes can be perceived by dermoscopy. Our aim was to assess the orientation of Langer's lines using the combination of ultrasound shear wave propagation and dermoscopy in 70 adults of darker skin complexion.

Immunohistochemical clues at aging of the skin microvascular unit.

Background: Skin aging is a multifaceted process influenced by various factors affecting at variable degree at different body sites. This study focused on the aging process affecting dermal dendrocytes and the microvasculature. We also explored the effect of substance P released by capsaicin because this neuropeptide is known to affect the microvasculature environment.

Clinicopathologic presentations of dermatomycoses in cancer patients.

Many of the skin fungal infections in cancer patients may look similar to those infections in non-cancer patients. However, in some cases, they become more extensive and even life threatening. Prolonged and severe neutropenia is the main risk factor for the dramatic issue of fungal infections.

The hair eclipse phenomenon: sharpening the focus on the hair cycle chronobiology.

Chronobiology governing the hair cycle is a fascinating and complex process. Both the hair growth cycle and the hair shaft growth are coordinated and depend on the interplay of different biological signals and various exogenous stimuli. A latency period may occur between hair shedding (teloptosis, exogen phase) and the early emergence of the next anagen VI stage.

Effect of residence time on the efficacy of antidandruff shampoos.

Dandruff is known to be controlled by fungistatic shampoos active against Malassezia spp. These products also remove the loosely attached scales. This study was performed to assess the effect of a 5-min residence time on the efficacy of antidandruff shampoos.

Quantification of dandruff adherence to hair.

Dandruff adherence to hair shafts is a visible annoying phenomenon. The aspect can be recorded by different means including the ultraviolet light-enhanced visualization (ULEV) method and microscopy. We present another quantitative method.

Cellulite histopathology and related mechanobiology.

Cellulite, sometimes called gynoid lipodystrophy, is much more prevalent in women than in men. There are glaring discrepancies regarding the microanatomical descriptions of this condition in the literature. A lumpy aspect of the dermo-hypodermal interface is often cited, but it appears to represent a gender-linked characteristic of the thighs and buttocks without being a specific sign of cellulite.

Whitening effect of a dermocosmetic formulation: a randomized double-blind controlled study on melasma.

Melasma is an endocrine-mediated facial hypermelanosis with epidermal and occasionally dermal components. We tested in a randomized double-blind design the effect of a whitening formulation (Thiospot intensive) on this skin disorder. The product containing ethyl linoleate, thioctic acid, octadecenedioic acid, lactic acid and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate was applied twice daily for 3 months by 20 young women.

Space-time clustering and seasonality in diagnosing skin cancers in Wallonia (south-east Belgium).

Background: In Westernized populations, the number of diagnosed cases of primary cutaneous cancers, particularly malignant melanomas and basal cell carcinomas (BCC), has been previously shown to fluctuate during specific periods of the year.

Objective And Method: The aim of the present 6-year study was to explore the seasonality if any in skin cancer detection in Wallonia (south-east Belgium).

Results: For both malignant melanomas and BCC late spring/early summer and mid-autumn were the periods of highest diagnosis prevalence irrespective of gender.

Skin fungal biocontamination and the skin hydrogel pad test.

Previous observations have revealed that environmental nondermatophyte molds (NDM) can grow inside specific hydrogel pads (LaserAid). Some of these NDM might be responsible for superficial and invasive mycoses as well as for allergic respiratory and cutaneous disorders. The load of NDM propagules in the environment is considered to be an important risk factor for all these diseases.

Crossroads between actinic keratosis and squamous cell carcinoma, and novel pharmacological issues.

Actinic keratoses (AKs) and their derived squamous cell carcinomas are distinctive lesions forming a continuum in a multi-step carcinogenesis process. They are typically found on chronically sun exposed skin. AKs merit to be recognized as such and to be distinguished from squamous cell carcinomas both conceptually and for therapeutic implications.

Midterm results with a bipolar radial head prosthesis: radiographic evidence of loosening at the bone-cement interface.

Background: Metal prostheses are useful for restoring elbow and forearm stability when the radial head cannot be fixed after a fracture. Because the anatomy of the radial head is difficult to reproduce with a prosthesis, two different options have been proposed: a bipolar prosthesis with a fixed stem and a mobile head, and a monoblock prosthesis with a smooth stem that is intentionally fixed loosely in the neck of the radius. One concern with a fixed-stem implant with a mobile head has been the risk of osteolysis.

Fungal thigmotropism in onychomycosis and in a clear hydrogel pad model.

Background: Thigmotropism is a biological characteristic corresponding to the directional growth of cells following topographical guidance cues. This behavior has been shown experimentally with fungal hyphae of both dermatophytes and nondermatophyte molds, as well as with the mycelial phase of the dimorphic yeast Candida albicans.

Objective And Methods: We presently document this phenomenon using histomycology in onychomycoses of various fungal origins.