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Finally, teledermatology was not investigated in our survey due to ongoing clinical validation and medico-legal restrictions..9,10 In conclusion, healthcare quality and patient safety appear to have been generally guaranteed in melanoma management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Healthcare and safety of patients with melanoma during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on care of melanoma patients in Berlin, Germany: the Mela-COVID survey. [Extracted from the article]

Background Digital dermoscopy monitoring (DDM) is an effective strategy for melanoma detection. Two methods are currently employed. Short-term follow-up (STFU) for the evaluation of single, atypical lesions to detect subtle changes over a short period of time (3-6 months). Long-term follow-up (LTFU) is recommended for patients with multiple nevi. Although a study demonstrated that STFU improves the patients' compliance for DDM, little remains known about the impact and reliability of STFU in this setting. Objectives The aim of this retrospective, observational study was to evaluate the impact and reliability of a schedule combining STFU and LTFU in patients with multiple atypical nevi. Methods We searched our database for all cases of patients with multiple atypical nevi occurring between 2006 and 2014. Results A total of 3823 lesions in 541 patients were dermoscopically monitored (mean number = 7 lesions per patient; median = 6 lesions; range, 2-51). In all, 264 (6.9%) lesions in 184 (34.4%) patients were excised (mean of 0.5 lesions per patient). In total, 197 (74.6%) lesions were excised at follow-up, with melanomas representing 30.5% of lesions excised after follow-up. A total of 30 (33.3%) melanomas were excised at baseline, 23 (25.6%) after STFU and 37 (41.1%) after LTFU. There was no difference in the number of in situ melanomas detected at baseline with those detected after follow-up. The mean Breslow thickness of melanomas detected at baseline was higher than those detected after STFU ( P = 0.038) and LTFU ( P = 0.055). Conclusions Our study confirm that digital dermoscopy follow-up is a valid management strategy for patients with multiple atypical nevi, with short-term monitoring playing an effective role also in this setting of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dear Editor, Psoriasis is a major chronic inflammatory skin disease, affecting about 3% of the population in Italy, whose management requires experienced specialists in order to guarantee high-quality standards of care.[1] The pandemic coronavirus (2019-nCoV; COVID-19) has changed the approach to all patients requiring close contact during a visit, including dermatologic consultations. On 26 March 2020, the number of infections among health personnel was higher (40%) than the national average of 7-8%.[6] In this uncomfortable setting, a COVID-19 patient indicated the skin consultation at the Dermatology Clinic of Sassari as the possible source of contagion. Restrictive measures were mandatory, and dermatologists had to adapt: more counselling to support patients, detect unmet needs and find ways to reassure patients about their disease, to keep them safely home. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the case of a patient who developed fluoroscopy-induced chronic radiodermatitis following transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Topics discussed include the patient's medical history, pain and burning sensation experienced by the patient after TIPS, and the results of skin biopsies. Also mentioned are the results of magnetic resonance imaging and the treatment regimen which incudes pain therapy and excision of the radiodermitic areas.

A letter to the editor is presented regarding a retrospective study on patients with rare diseases involving skin in the Department of Dermatology operative unit (OU), University of Sassari, from January 1996 to December 2008.

A letter to the editor is presented which describes a case of amicrobial pustolosis in a lupus erythematous patient under corticosteroid therapy.

Background: Recently, the incidence of binge drinking by women has increased. Binge drinking is detrimental to women's health, yet the biological mechanisms that promote excessive drinking by women are not well understood. One method of assessing binge-like ethanol (EtOH) consumption in mice is the drinking in the dark (DID) test, in which mice drink sufficient EtOH to achieve intoxication. In this study, we directly compared male, female, and ovariectomized (OVX) mice for DID and tested whether 17β-estradiol (E2) contributes to DID. We also measured whether DID varies throughout the estrous cycle and whether repeated intermittent DID impacts the estrous cycle., Methods: Male, female, and OVX C57BL/6J mice were tested for DID for 2 hours per day on days 1 to 3 and for 4 hours on day 4 using a single bottle containing 20% EtOH. To measure the effects of E2 on DID, OVX mice were treated with estradiol benzoate (EB) or vehicle daily starting 2 weeks prior to the drinking test and throughout the DID procedure. In a separate group of experiments, EtOH consumption and estrous cycle phase were measured in freely cycling mice that were drinking EtOH or water 5 days per week for 2 or 6 weeks., Results: Female mice consumed more EtOH than male and OVX mice. Treatment with EB increased EtOH consumption by OVX mice compared with vehicle-treated controls. However, EtOH intake did not vary across the estrous cycle, nor did long-term DID alter the estrous cycle., Conclusions: These results demonstrate that ovarian hormones, specifically E2, contribute to increased EtOH consumption by female mice in the DID test. Although ovarian hormones contribute to this behavior, EtOH consumption is not affected by estrous cycle phase in freely cycling mice. This study provides a framework for understanding the factors that contribute to binge drinking in females., (Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.)