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Mycosis fungoides and Sèzary syndrome are the most studied subtypes common cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. The current treatment objective is to improve the clinical manifestations of the disease in the affected areas, to relieve symptoms and to halt disease progression. Patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides are usually managed with skin-directed therapies, whereas patients with resistant or advanced-stage mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome often require systemic drugs. Over the last decade, new drugs have been developed, increasing the breadth of treatment options for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas patients. Mogamulizumab is a first-in-class defucosylated humanized IgG1 κ monoclonal antibody, which exerts its anti-tumour action by selectively binding to C-C chemokine receptor 4 and increasing antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity against malignant T-cells. Several clinical trials showed that mogamulizumab is able to effectively control the cutaneous T-cell lymphomas in each site (skin, blood, lymph nodes and viscera), improving patients' symptoms, function and overall quality of life with a manageable safety profile. In this report, we discuss 12 cases of patients with mycosis fungoides or Sèzary syndrome successfully treated with mogamulizumab in real-life clinical practice in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) emergency, on March 9, 2020 Italy went in lock‐down imposing the closure of non‐urgent outpatient clinics devoted to care of chronic, severe, inflammatory skin diseases that require periodic follow‐up. In this emergency situation, due to the lack of a teledermatology platform and in order not to leave our vulnerable high‐need patients without proper follow‐up, we started a teledermatologic service in smartworking using phone calls and emails. The total number of patients scheduled was 195; in 12 cases, we were not able to talk to the patients. Remote monitoring was performed in 183 patients (126 moderate to severe psoriasis, 10 severe acne, 11 severe atopic dermatitis, 11 hidradenitis suppurativa, 9 blistering autoimmune diseases, and 16 other autoimmune skin diseases). During remote‐visits, several interventions were conducted: triage for COVID‐19 suspected symptoms, email check of clinical pictures and of laboratory examinations, advices for topical and systemic therapy continuation or discontinuation/switch and reschedule of next appointment. Only five patients required personal office visit (2.7%), reducing consistently the number of face‐to face visits. Our real‐life experience shows that remote monitoring was effective in preventing unnecessary worsening of severe chronic skin diseases and poor outcomes due to withdrawal of current therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Leprosy is far from being eliminated with more than 200 000 new cases detected (NCD)/year. Objective Retrospective analysis between 2003 and 2009 to compare the New Case Detected Rate (NCDR) observed in Italy in the immigrant population with the NCDR of the same population in their country of origin to verify if the cases observed are those expected or not. Methods Leprosy statistics were retrieved from the Italian leprosy register and from official WHO data. Results The NCD in Italy were lower than expected, from 2003 when the expected number of NCD was 40.5 between the legally resident immigrants, but only one case was diagnosed (98% of lower from the expected), to 2009 when four NCD were diagnosed and 41 were expected (90% lower from expected). Conclusions This study points out a discrepancy between the observed and the expected cases of leprosy in Italy. Specifically, the number of NCD was less than expected for each studied year. Of course our data do not represent a validation, but only an indication of the leprosy diagnosis in Italy. Difficulty in accessing the health systems, fear of segregation, ignorance and illegal immigrant status with consequent fear of police arrest are possible explaining factors. The critical issue anyhow is the medical expertise. The role of the dermatologist is fundamental. For these reasons, there is still a need for wide spread leprosy teaching programmes. Although with few limitations, this study represents a first approach to validate the accuracy in leprosy diagnosis in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Telemedicine could be useful in countries like Italy to meet the needs of elderly patients and in particular in those in precarious general conditions, for whom travelling even short distances can pose considerable practical and economical difficulties. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of store-and-forward teledermatology vs face-to-face consultations in elderly patients. Methods A total of 130 geriatric patients with skin diseases requiring dermatological examination were enrolled. The patients examined, consisting of 60 men (46.15%) and 70 women (53.85%), were aged between 66 and 97 years (mean age 80.58 years). Three dermatologists of the department, with equal experience took turns in face-to-face examination and teledermatology ( store-and-forward). To compare face-to-face dermatological examinations with the asynchronous store-and-forward approach of teledermatology, we considered diagnostic agreement (ICD-9 code), therapeutic agreement and concordance of diagnostic confidence. Results One hundred and fourteen of 130 patients were diagnosed with the same ICD-9 code, making a total observed agreement of 87.7% with a Cohen's κ estimated of 0.863. Agreement between therapies was 69.6% (Cohen's κ = 0.640). As it concerns diagnostic confidence, dermatologists appeared generally slightly less certain of their diagnosis by telemedicine. Conclusions Store-and-forward teledermatology can improve diagnostic and therapeutic care for skin disease in elderly who lack easy and/or direct access to dermatologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three batches of soft smear-ripened Taleggio PDO cheese were made in Northern Italy during the summertime 2010. A total of 129 isolates cultured from cheese surface were examined by using PCR-based methods and sequencing of both the ITS1 region and D1 and D2 domains of the 26S rRNA gene. Sequence analysis of isolates brought to the identification of 6 species: Debaryomyces hansenii, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia guilliermondii, and Torulaspora delbrueckii. Analysis of DNA directly extracted from 45 cheese surfaces permitted to detect 2 additional species Candida sake and Candida etchellsii. D. hansenii was predominant and widespread whereas the other yeast species were detected less frequently. To determine the relationships between yeast community and the environment, 39 isolates from wooden boxes used for dry salting of cheese were analyzed as well. Sequencing of ITS1 region allowed to identify D. hansenii, T. delbrueckii, and K. lactis. ITS1 multiple sequence alignments of D. hansenii detected in wooden boxes showed an in-del polymorphism at position 169. ITS1 secondary structures of yeasts were modeled to explore new applications of this region for molecular identification purposes. Practical Application: This study used molecular analysis to identify adventitious yeast population present in the surface of Taleggio smear-ripened cheese. D. hansenii was found predominant in pasteurized milk, in dry salting equipment, and in all cheese samples until the end of ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Original article.Objective:To test the use of bornaprine in the hyperhidrosis treatment in the acute phase of spinal cord-injured patients.Setting:Patients with acute spinal cord lesions in the Spinal Unit of Pietra Ligure, Savona, Italy.Method:In 4 years, 12 patients have been treated, for a maximum period of 75 days, with dosages ranging from 2 to 4 mg day−1.Results:All of them reported long-lasting subjective benefits, without side effects, even after the interruption of the therapy.Conclusion:The bornaprine treatment, at 2 or 4 mg day−1 dosage, has been effective and safe to contrast hyperhidrosis, in the acute phase of spinal cord-injured patients. This positive experience would require additional trials and a larger number of cases to gain a more solid support.Spinal Cord (2008) 46, 571–573; doi:10.1038/sc.2008.12; published online 11 March 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After spinal cord injury (SCI), patients face many physical and psychological issues including intestinal dysfunction and comorbidities, strongly affecting quality of life. The gut microbiota has recently been suggested to influence the course of the disease in these patients. However, to date only two studies have profiled the gut microbiota in SCI patients, months after a traumatic injury. Here we characterized the gut microbiota in a large Italian SCI population, within a short time from a not only traumatic injury. Feces were collected within the first week at the rehabilitation center (no later than 60 days after SCI), and profiled by 16S rRNA gene-based next-generation sequencing. Microbial profiles were compared to those publicly available of healthy age- and gender-matched Italians, and correlated to patient metadata, including type of SCI, spinal unit location, nutrition and concomitant antibiotic therapies. The gut microbiota of SCI patients shows distinct dysbiotic signatures, i.e. increase in potentially pathogenic, pro-inflammatory and mucus-degrading bacteria, and depletion of short-chain fatty acid producers. While robust to most host variables, such dysbiosis varies by lesion level and completeness, with the most neurologically impaired patients showing an even more unbalanced microbial profile. The SCI-related gut microbiome dysbiosis is very likely secondary to injury and closely related to the degree of completeness and severity of the lesion, regardless of etiology and time interval. This microbial layout could variously contribute to increased gut permeability and inflammation, potentially predisposing patients to the onset of severe comorbidities.

Study Design: Multicentric prospective psychometric study., Objective: To provide a translation of the International Spinal Cord Injury Pain Basic Data Set (ISCIPBDS) for Italian persons and to evaluate the interrater reliability of the translated version., Setting: Ten Italian rehabilitation centres specialized in spinal injury care., Methods: The initial translation was performed by two medical doctors who had an in-depth knowledge of spinal cord injury (SCI), and then a back translation (from Italian to English) was given to an accredited agency. Sixty-six participants with SCI (53 men, 13 women; mean ± SD age: 53.4 ± 16.0 years) were evaluated by means of the Italian version of the ISCIPBDS by two different examiners. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) or Cohen's Kappa (ĸ) was calculated to test the interrater agreement for the test-retest cases., Results: All 66 participants had at least one pain problem and 34% of them had only one type of pain. A good interrater agreement was obtained in terms of number of pain (ICC = 0.781), type of pain (ĸ = 0.683), pain intensity (ICC = 0.798), correspondence of pain localization (ĸ = 0.750), and the value of the pain interference in day-to-day activities, overall mood and night's sleep (ICC = 0.827, ICC = 0.861 and ICC = 0.724, respectively). Eventually a prominent prevalence of neuropathic pain was recorded (64% from the first examiner and 62% from the second one)., Conclusions: The authors propose the Italian version of ISCIPBDS that can be used for research and clinical evaluation of pain in SCI persons; it shows a significant interrater reliability.

The Author points out that the psycho-analysis and the psychotherapy of analytical type have been objects of severe criticisms, not always objective and often contradictory. The medical world opposed or ignored at the beginning the Freudian theories and those from them deriving. At present the diffusion of the psychotherapy finds obstacles both in the resistances offered by the medical and social context to which it is addressed, and in the dogmatism and in the scarce flexibility of some psychotherrapeutic schools and currents. Above all the A. focuses on this last aspect, works a review of the shrewdest and most documented criticisms aroused to psycho-analysis and enunciates, lastly, the postulates required in order to have any psychotherapeutic method considered as scientifically trustworthy. This last requisite is indispensable to the introduction of the psychotherapy into the National Health Service.