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Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK) is a poorly understood but debilitating disease, that is a common cause of unilateral acute knee pain and swelling. The term “SONK” has been replaced by the term “subchondral insufficiency fracture” in the latest pathology and imaging literature. Few studies investigated the pathogenesis of SONK by examining the histological changes of the tissues. Very recently, the development of SONK was associated with a meniscal root tear. In terms of the preferred imaging, plain radiographs can confirm the diagnosis in late stages; however, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is often required. Regarding the treatment, conservative management is usually the treatment of choice in early stages, including a period of non-weightbearing or the use of medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) or bisphosphonates. However, when SONK progresses, often a surgical intervention is required, such as knee replacement, but also minimally invasive techniques, such as arthroscopic intervention, have been described. We present a case of early SONK and discuss the possible pathogenesis of SONK, the clinical presentation, the radiological findings, and we focus on the importance of early diagnosis and early off-load period that is required to prevent further progression of the disease.

Osteopoikilosis, a sclerosing bone dysplasia, is an asymptomatic incidental finding characterised by multiple bone islands. Although it requires no treatment there can be diagnostic uncertainty as appearances can be similar to osteoblastic metastases or metabolic disorders such as Paget disease. We present a case of osteopoikilosis in a patient with familial adenopolyposis and discuss the clinical presentation, image findings and key considerations in diagnosis of this benign entity.

Purpose Tildrakizumab is a selective inhibitor of IL-23 approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in two dosages. We conducted a 16-week multicenter retrospective study to compare the effectiveness and safety of tildrakizumab 200 mg versus tildrakizumab 100 mg in patients with a high disease burden or high body weight.Materials and methods Our retrospective study included 134 patients treated with tildrakizumab 200 mg and 364 patients treated with tildrakizumab 100 mg from 28 Italian Dermatology Units affected by moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The patients had a body weight above 90 kg or a high disease burden (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] ≥ 16 or the involvement of difficult-to-treat areas). We evaluated the effectiveness of tildrakizumab at the week-16 visit in terms of PASI90, PASI100 and absolute PASI ≤ 2.Results After 16 weeks of treatment with tildrakizumab 200 mg, PASI90 was reached by 57.5% of patients and PASI100 by 39.6% of patients. At the same time point, 34.3% and 24.2% of patients treated with tildrakizumab 100 mg achieved PASI90 and PASI100, respectively.Conclusions Our data suggest that tildrakizumab 200 mg has better effectiveness than tildrakizumab 100 mg in patients with a body weight ≥ 90 kg and a high disease burden.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) profoundly impacts patients’ lives, necessitating long-term systemic treatments.Methods This retrospective study involved 709 severe AD patients receiving dupilumab. Drug survival (DS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, evaluating reasons for discontinuation. The log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were applied to assess differences in drug survival across baseline clinical characteristic groups.Results Dupilumab showcased remarkable overall drug survival, reaching 74.1% at 65 months. Survival rates remained robust even when considering discontinuation solely due to primary or secondary inefficacy (86.4% at 65 months). For overall DS, the log-rank test did not reveal a statistically significant difference among the groups. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with nummular eczema-like as a phenotype have an increased risk of discontinuing dupilumab due to the development of psoriasis (p

BackgroundBullous pemphigoid (BP) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) are rare autoimmune blistering disorders characterized by autoantibodies (autoAbs) targeting dermo-epidermal junction components such as BP180 and BP230. The differential diagnosis, based on both the time of appearance and the extension of cutaneous and/or mucosal lesions, is crucial to distinguish these diseases for improving therapy outcomes and delineating the correct prognosis; however, in some cases, it can be challenging. In addition, negative results obtained by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with BP and MMP sera, especially from patients with ocular involvement, often delay diagnosis and treatment, leading to a greater risk of poor outcomes.ObjectivesOur aim was to find potentially different reactivity profiles in BP and MMP and improve available approaches for diagnosis with focus on ocular MMP.MethodsTwo cohorts of 90 BP and 90 MMP, recruited from different Italian clinical centers, were characterized also employing a novel ELISA based on the BP180 extracellular domain (ECD-BP180).ResultsImmunoglobulin G (IgG) reactivity to BP180 and BP230 in MMP sera was significantly reduced in comparison with BP, mostly affecting BP230 and E-1080 (53% and 36% in BP vs. 11% and 3% in MMP, respectively, p < 0.0001). The combined sensitivity of BP180-NC16A and ECD-BP180 ELISAs was greater compared to BP180-NC16A and BP230 ELISAs both in BP (97% and 92%, respectively) and in MMP (42% and 31%, respectively). The present study shows that MMP patients with ocular involvement rarely reacted to BP180 by IgG in contrast with patients with oral and/or cutaneous involvement (p = 0.0245 and p = 0.0377, respectively), suggesting that an oral and/or cutaneous MMP positive to BP180 hardly evolves to ocular MMP. Of note, one-third of ocular MMP showed immunoglobulin A (IgA) reactivity to ECD-BP180 by immunoblotting.ConclusionsThe present study provides several hints to perform a correct and timely diagnosis in BP and MMP, which is crucial for improving therapy outcomes and delineating the correct prognosis.

Introduction: Psoriasis and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are chronic inflammatory diseases with significant overlap in their immunologic pathways, which involve cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alfa, interleukin (IL)-17, and IL-23. Current treatment options for HS are limited, as only adalimumab and secukinumab are approved for severe cases. Given the overlapping pathogenetic features between HS and psoriasis, anti-IL-17 and anti-IL-23 drugs could represent valuable treatments for the management of HS. Objectives: We sought to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of anti-IL-17 and anti-IL-23 drugs in patients with HS and concomitant moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in 11 Italian Dermatology Units. The effectiveness of the drugs was evaluated by assessing the percentage of patients achieving HS Clinical Response (HiSCR) each week. Results: We enrolled 41 patients with at least 16 weeks of follow-up, with 17 of them completing 52 weeks of treatment. The most commonly prescribed anti-IL drug was secukinumab (27 patients), followed by ixekizumab (5) and guselkumab (5). The HiSCR was achieved by 39%, 74.3%, and 77.8% of patients after 16, 32, and 52 weeks, respectively. No severe adverse events (AEs) or AEs leading to discontinuation were observed during the study. The most common AE was nasopharyngitis (4 patients). Conclusion: In this real-world study, we highlight the effectiveness of anti-IL-23 and anti-IL-17 drugs in the treatment of concomitant plaque psoriasis and severe HS. Longer and larger studies are needed to further evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of these treatments in patients affected by HS.

Abstract The lateral patellofemoral ligament (LPFL) is an important anatomical structure and a stabilizer of the patella against medial subluxation or dislocation. It is located within the second layer of the lateral soft tissue of the knee, with firm attachments to the anterior‐distal region of the lateral femoral epicondyle and the the lateral edge of the patella and patellar tendon. LPFL has a non‐isometric character and decreases its length across the knee flexion, especially from 0° to 30°. Most LPFL injuries are iatrogenic (> 90%) and occur during lateral retinacular release, while the mainstay treatment option involves reconstruction of the torn ligament using an autograft or an allograft.

Abstract Background For Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, Bloch 1790) cultured at sea cages various aquatic pathogens, complex environmental and stress factors are considered as leading causes of disease, causing tens of millions of dollars of annual economic losses. Over the years, we conducted farm-based challenges by exposing Asian seabass juveniles to complex natural environmental conditions. In one of these challenges, we collected a total of 1,250 fish classified as either ‘sensitive’ or ‘robust’ individuals during the 28-day observation period. Results We constructed a high-resolution linkage map with 3,089 SNPs for Asian seabass using the double digest Restriction-site Associated DNA (ddRAD) technology and a performed a search for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) associated with robustness. The search detected a major genome-wide significant QTL for increased robustness in pathogen-infected marine environment on linkage group 11 (ASB_LG11; 88.9 cM to 93.6 cM) with phenotypic variation explained of 81.0%. The QTL was positioned within a > 800 kb genomic region located at the tip of chromosome ASB_LG11 with two Single Nucleotide Polymorphism markers, R1-38468 and R1-61252, located near to the two ends of the QTL. When the R1-61252 marker was validated experimentally in a different mass cross population, it showed a statistically significant association with increased robustness. The majority of thirty-six potential candidate genes located within the QTL have known functions related to innate immunity, stress response or disease. By utilizing this ddRAD-based map, we detected five mis-assemblies corresponding to four chromosomes, namely ASB_LG8, ASB_LG9, ASB_LG15 and ASB_LG20, in the current Asian seabass reference genome assembly. Conclusion According to our knowledge, the QTL associated with increased robustness is the first such finding from a tropical fish species. Depending on further validation in other stocks and populations, it might be potentially useful for selecting robust Asian seabass lines in selection programs.

Introduction: Genital involvement is observed in approximately 60% of patients with psoriasis, presenting clinicians with formidable challenges in treatment. While new biologic drugs have emerged as safe and effective options for managing psoriasis, their efficacy in challenging-to-treat areas remains inadequately explored. Intriguingly, studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-17 inhibitors exhibit effectiveness in addressing genital psoriasis. Objectives: We aimed to determine the effectiveness profile of bimekizumab in patients affected by moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis with involvement of genitalia. Methods: Bimekizumab, a dual inhibitor of both IL-17A and IL-17F, was the focus of our 16-week study, demonstrating highly favorable outcomes for patients with genital psoriasis. The effectiveness of bimekizumab was evaluated in terms of improvement in Static Physician's Global Assessment of Genitalia (sPGA-G) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Results: Sixty-five adult patients were enrolled. Remarkably, 98.4% of our participants achieved a clear sPGA-G score (s-PGA-g=0) within 16 weeks. Moreover, consistent improvements were observed in PASI scores, accompanied by a significant reduction in the mean Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), signifying enhanced quality of life. Notably, none of the patients reported a severe impairment in their quality of life after 16 weeks of treatment. In our cohort of 65 patients, subgroup analyses unveiled that the effectiveness of bimekizumab remained unaffected by prior exposure to other biologics or by obesity. Conclusions: Our initial findings suggest that bimekizumab may serve as a valuable treatment option for genital psoriasis. Nevertheless, further research with larger sample sizes and longer-term follow-up is imperative to conclusively validate these results.

This case series highlights the complexity of sarcoidosis-like reactions (SLRs) during cancer treatment, specifically in patients receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapies for melanoma. SLRs can either mimic disease progression or present as part of the clinical manifestation, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. Our study reviewed the medical records of 31 patients who were candidates for postoperative treatment between June 2022 and June 2024. Out of these, three patients developed SLRs during their treatment. A 55-year-old woman with Stage IIIb cutaneous melanoma, receiving adjuvant therapy with anti-PD-1, after seven cycles of pembrolizumab, developed mediastinal node enlargement and skin hypodermic nodes. A biopsy of the hypodermic node revealed granulomatous infiltrates with sparse lymphocytes, consistent with sarcoidosis. A low dose of steroids was administered, resulting in a dramatic improvement. A 48-year-old woman with Stage IIIb BRAF wild-type melanoma, receiving nivolumab every 4 weeks, developed systemic sarcoidosis after seven cycles, primarily affecting extrapulmonary sites. Despite the immune-induced sarcoidosis, her treatment was not stopped, as decided by the multidisciplinary team (MDT). A 65-year-old man with Stage IIIb BRAF-mutant melanoma, receiving dabrafenib and trametinib, developed lung and cutaneous sarcoidosis, presenting with symptoms that led to emergency department admission. In all cases, the MDT played a crucial role in determining the course of treatment and balancing the risks of continuing or suspending cancer therapies while managing SLRs. National and international guidelines were consulted, but tailored decisions by the MDT were essential for optimizing patient care.

IntroductionThe development of several effective biological drugs for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis has dramatically changed the lives of patients. Despite the wide use of interleukin (IL) inhibitors, limited data are available to date regarding long-term treatment persistence.MethodThis multicenter retrospective real-world study evaluated 5932 treatment courses across 5300 patients, all treated with interleukin inhibitors. Drug survival was expressed by using the Kaplan-Meier estimator for each biological drug at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months. We also stratified by discontinuation associated with primary or secondary ineffectiveness.ResultsIn our study, the most prescribed drugs were secukinumab (1412), ixekizumab (1183), and risankizumab (977). After four years of follow-up, risankizumab emerged as the treatment with the highest drug survival overall, as 91.6% of patients were still on treatment. The overall probability of drug survival at four years was comparable for tildrakizumab (83.5%), ixekizumab (82.6%), guselkumab (82.4%) and brodalumab (81.8%). When evaluating only patients who discontinued the treatment because of ineffectiveness, once again risankizumab was the molecule with the highest drug survival at 4 years (93.4%), this time followed by ixekizumab (87%). Our study, in which all IL inhibitors were adequately represented, confirmed a slightly better treatment persistence for IL-23 inhibitors, consistent with other real-world studies.ConclusionOur experience showed that IL-23 inhibitors, and risankizumab in particular, had a higher probability of drug survival overall during a 4-year follow-up. Risankizumab and ixekizumab were less likely to be discontinued because of ineffectiveness after four years.

IntroductionBimekizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets Interleukin-17 A and F, approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. While bimekizumab has been evaluated in several phase-III clinical trials, real-world evidence is still very limited.MethodThis multicenter retrospective study included patients affected by plaque psoriasis treated with bimekizumab from May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023, at 19 Italian referral hospitals. Patients affected by moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis eligible for systemic treatments were included. The effectiveness of bimekizumab was evaluated in terms of reduction in psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) compared with baseline at weeks 4 and 16. The main outcomes were the percentages of patients achieving an improvement of at least 75% (PASI75), 90% (PASI90) and 100% (PASI100) in PASI score.ResultsThe study included 237 patients who received at least one injection of bimekizumab. One hundred and seventy-one patients and 114 reached four and 16 weeks of follow-up, respectively. Complete skin clearance was achieved by 43.3% and 75.4% of patients at weeks 4 and 16, respectively. At week 16, 86.8% of patients reported no impact on their quality of life. At week 16, there were no significant differences between bio-naïve and bio-experienced patients in terms of PASI75, PASI90 and PASI100. The most commonly reported adverse events (AEs) were oral candidiasis (10.1%). No severe AEs or AEs leading to discontinuation were observed throughout the study.ConclusionOur experience supports the effectiveness and tolerability of bimekizumab in a real-world setting with similar results compared with phase-III clinical trials.

Lateral ankle instability is one of the most common problems seen in the orthopaedic setting. Proper diagnosis is essential in order to provide the ideal treatment for these patients. All patients are subjected to nonoperative management in the form of functional rehabilitation. For those, however, who did not respond well to therapy, surgical treatment is then recommended. There are several surgical techniques available which have been meticulously studied and discussed in previous articles. The focus of this paper is on the author’s perspective on choosing the surgical technique based on the quality of the anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament remnants. All patients are subjected to a diagnostic arthroscopy, where the remnant is assessed. The procedure then of doing an all-arthroscopic, open Modified Brostrom or anatomic reconstruction is then chosen based on this initial assessment

Abstract Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a recurrent inflammatory skin disease with a complex etiopathogenesis whose treatment poses a challenge in the clinical practice. Here, we present a novel integrated pipeline produced by the European consortium BATMAN (Biomolecular Analysis for Tailored Medicine in Acne iNversa) aimed at investigating the molecular pathways involved in HS by developing new diagnosis algorithms and building cellular models to pave the way for personalized treatments. The objectives of our european Consortium are the following: (1) identify genetic variants and alterations in biological pathways associated with HS susceptibility, severity and response to treatment; (2) design in vitro two-dimensional epithelial cell and tri-dimensional skin models to unravel the HS molecular mechanisms; and (3) produce holistic health records HHR to complement medical observations by developing a smartphone application to monitor patients remotely. Dermatologists, geneticists, immunologists, molecular cell biologists, and computer science experts constitute the BATMAN consortium. Using a highly integrated approach, the BATMAN international team will identify novel biomarkers for HS diagnosis and generate new biological and technological tools to be used by the clinical community to assess HS severity, choose the most suitable therapy and follow the outcome.

Background: Primary cutaneous lymphomas are neoplasms of the immune system with a distinct tropism for the skin and an absence of extracutaneous manifestations at the time of diagnosis. Studies focusing on cutaneous lymphomas in children and adolescents remain scarce and often do not encompass the rare subtypes. Objectives: To address this knowledge gap by describing the clinical, histological and molecular characteristics of a large group of paediatric patients affected by primary cutaneous lymphoma. We also provided the Paediatric Primary Cutaneous Lymphoma Atlas that illustrates the clinicopathological spectrum of observed presentations, in the hope of supporting other physicians in the diagnostic process. Methods: Retrospective chart review of paediatric patients diagnosed with primary cutaneous lymphomas between 1980 and 2022 at the Paediatric Dermatology Unit of Fondazione IRCCS Ca′ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan. Results: A total of 101 patients (58 males, 43 females) met the inclusion criteria. The most common subtypes were lymphomatoid papulosis (n = 48) and mycosis fungoides (n = 31). These were followed by primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium T‐cell lymphoproliferative disorders (n = 7), primary cutaneous anaplastic large‐cell lymphomas (n = 5), primary cutaneous marginal zone B‐cell lymphomas (n = 3), primary cutaneous follicle centre lymphomas (n = 2), subcutaneous panniculitis‐like T‐cell lymphomas (n = 2), primary cutaneous peripheral T‐cell lymphoma not otherwise specified (n = 1), primary cutaneous precursor B‐lymphoblastic lymphoma (n = 1) and Sézary syndrome (n = 1). Clinical follow‐up data covering a median of 70.8 months (range 1–324) were available for 74 patients, of whom three died due to cutaneous lymphoma. Conclusions: Our findings shed light on the peculiar aspects and long‐term outcomes of paediatric cutaneous lymphomas, particularly emphasizing their distinctive features in comparison to their adult counterparts and exploring the less common subtypes. Further larger‐scale studies are warranted to better characterize these entities and to achieve a more rapid and accurate diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) clinical response (HiSCR) has come under scrutiny as several HS clinical trials failed to meet primary endpoints with high placebo responses. This may be due to limitations of the tool and raters' ability to accurately characterize and count lesions, rather than lack of efficacy of the studied drug. Due to HS lesion complexity and potential differences in rater training, it was hypothesized that there would be discrepancies in how providers characterize and count lesions for HS clinical trials. Objective: To evaluate how HS providers and patients name and count HS lesions and to identify discrepancies among providers to initiate the development of consensus‐driven guidance for HS rater training. Methods: An online survey was distributed to the members of HIdradenitis SuppuraTiva cORe outcomes set International Collaboration (HISTORIC). Respondents were asked to classify lesion images composed of multiple and different morphology types and answer questions regarding inclusion of associated dermatological conditions. Results: Forty‐seven HISTORIC members responded (29 providers; 18 patients). There was variability in how respondents classified HS lesions. Of 12 questions containing images, four had ≥50% of respondents choosing the same answer. With an image of a lesion composed of different morphologies, 45% of providers counted it as a single lesion and 45% counted it as multiple distinct lesions. With an image of multiple interconnected draining tunnels, 7% of providers classified it as a single draining tunnel while 79% categorized it as multiple draining tunnels with the number estimated by visual inspection. There was also variability in deciding whether lesions occurring in associated conditions should be considered separately or included in HS lesion counts. Patient responses were also variable. Conclusions: The result of the current study reaffirms the gap in how providers characterize and count HS lesions for clinical trials and the need to develop consensus‐driven rater training related to HS outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case series highlights the complexity of sarcoidosis‐like reactions (SLRs) during cancer treatment, specifically in patients receiving immunotherapy or targeted therapies for melanoma. SLRs can either mimic disease progression or present as part of the clinical manifestation, making diagnosis and treatment challenging. Our study reviewed the medical records of 31 patients who were candidates for postoperative treatment between June 2022 and June 2024. Out of these, three patients developed SLRs during their treatment. A 55‐year‐old woman with Stage IIIb cutaneous melanoma, receiving adjuvant therapy with anti‐PD‐1, after seven cycles of pembrolizumab, developed mediastinal node enlargement and skin hypodermic nodes. A biopsy of the hypodermic node revealed granulomatous infiltrates with sparse lymphocytes, consistent with sarcoidosis. A low dose of steroids was administered, resulting in a dramatic improvement. A 48‐year‐old woman with Stage IIIb BRAF wild‐type melanoma, receiving nivolumab every 4 weeks, developed systemic sarcoidosis after seven cycles, primarily affecting extrapulmonary sites. Despite the immune‐induced sarcoidosis, her treatment was not stopped, as decided by the multidisciplinary team (MDT). A 65‐year‐old man with Stage IIIb BRAF‐mutant melanoma, receiving dabrafenib and trametinib, developed lung and cutaneous sarcoidosis, presenting with symptoms that led to emergency department admission. In all cases, the MDT played a crucial role in determining the course of treatment and balancing the risks of continuing or suspending cancer therapies while managing SLRs. National and international guidelines were consulted, but tailored decisions by the MDT were essential for optimizing patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) are rare autoimmune blistering disorders characterized by autoantibodies (autoAbs) targeting dermo-epidermal junction components such as BP180 and BP230. The differential diagnosis, based on both the time of appearance and the extension of cutaneous and/or mucosal lesions, is crucial to distinguish these diseases for improving therapy outcomes and delineating the correct prognosis; however, in some cases, it can be challenging. In addition, negative results obtained by commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with BP and MMP sera, especially from patients with ocular involvement, often delay diagnosis and treatment, leading to a greater risk of poor outcomes. Objectives: Our aim was to find potentially different reactivity profiles in BP and MMP and improve available approaches for diagnosis with focus on ocular MMP. Methods: Two cohorts of 90 BP and 90 MMP, recruited from different Italian clinical centers, were characterized also employing a novel ELISA based on the BP180 extracellular domain (ECD-BP180). Results: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) reactivity to BP180 and BP230 in MMP sera was significantly reduced in comparison with BP, mostly affecting BP230 and E-1080 (53% and 36% in BP vs. 11% and 3% in MMP, respectively, p < 0.0001). The combined sensitivity of BP180-NC16A and ECD-BP180 ELISAs was greater compared to BP180-NC16A and BP230 ELISAs both in BP (97% and 92%, respectively) and in MMP (42% and 31%, respectively). The present study shows that MMP patients with ocular involvement rarely reacted to BP180 by IgG in contrast with patients with oral and/or cutaneous involvement (p = 0.0245 and p = 0.0377, respectively), suggesting that an oral and/or cutaneous MMP positive to BP180 hardly evolves to ocular MMP. Of note, one-third of ocular MMP showed immunoglobulin A (IgA) reactivity to ECD-BP180 by immunoblotting. Conclusions: The present study provides several hints to perform a correct and timely diagnosis in BP and MMP, which is crucial for improving therapy outcomes and delineating the correct prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet syndrome (SS), originally described as acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis, is a rare inflammatory skin condition, considered the prototype of neutrophilic dermatoses. It is characterised by the sudden onset of well‐defined tender papules, plaques and nodules often accompanied by fever, neutrophilia and elevated markers of inflammation. Several variants have been described both clinically and histopathologically. Classifications include idiopathic, malignancy‐associated, and drug‐induced SS. The exact pathogenesis of SS is still unclear; however, recent findings have shed light on the role of dermal infiltrating neutrophils—in the context of innate immunity, and signalling pathways related to adaptive immunity. To critically analyse the current molecular landscape of SS and discuss the recent evidence supporting novel potential immune mediators and biological signalling pathways involved in SS pathogenesis. The methodology followed PRISMA guidelines and included two bibliographical databases, searching articles published until 17 December 2023. Titles, abstracts and full text were reviewed independently by two assessors, while other two investigators resolved any opinion differences. Of 3303 records identified through database search, 22 articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion. We considered experimental studies that performed molecular analysis, in terms of cytokines quantification, gene expression and/or immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry. As for the latter, only studies aimed at characterising the nature of the inflammatory infiltrate and potential mechanisms leading to distinct forms of cutaneous inflammatory cell influx were included. Overall, we described research on 202 SS patients (177 skin biopsies and 25 blood specimens) revealing the predominant role of neutrophil activation and abnormal proliferation as unifying mechanisms in different SS subtypes. Interestingly, we found that hyperactivation of the IL‐1 pathway might occur only in a subset of SS patients and adaptive immunity could also play a role in the pathogenic scenario of SS, with a potential significant role of IL‐17 axis. This systematic review provides a wealth of evidence on the molecular landscape of SS, although further research is needed to a deeper understanding of the patho‐mechanisms of this rare disease and hopefully lead to targeted therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) profoundly impacts patients' lives, necessitating long-term systemic treatments. Methods: This retrospective study involved 709 severe AD patients receiving dupilumab. Drug survival (DS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, evaluating reasons for discontinuation. The log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were applied to assess differences in drug survival across baseline clinical characteristic groups. Results: Dupilumab showcased remarkable overall drug survival, reaching 74.1% at 65 months. Survival rates remained robust even when considering discontinuation solely due to primary or secondary inefficacy (86.4% at 65 months). For overall DS, the log-rank test did not reveal a statistically significant difference among the groups. Cox regression analysis showed that patients with nummular eczema-like as a phenotype have an increased risk of discontinuing dupilumab due to the development of psoriasis (p <.001, hazard ratio = 26.15, confidence interval [CI] 6.903–99.016). The multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed these results (p <.001, OD = 18.956, CI 4.205–85.458), even when considering other clinical and epidemiological characteristics. Conclusion: This investigation establishes dupilumab's enduring efficacy and safety in severe AD, emphasizing its potential as a sustained therapeutic option over 5+ years. Baseline characteristics did not seem to influence DS, with the exception of the nummular eczema-like phenotype, which emerged as a significant predictor of psoriasis occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Lateral elbow pain is quite common in everyday life. Lateral epicondylitis and radial tunnel syndrome are the most common causes of lateral elbow pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of neuromuscular ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis versus radial tunnel syndrome. Methods: This was a prospective double‐blinded pilot study of 68 elbows in 34 patients with lateral elbow pain. Patients underwent clinical examination and standardized neuromuscular ultrasound evaluation in the first 15 days after the initiation of symptoms. Statistical significance was set at p <.001. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Results: Sixty‐eight radial nerves were examined in 34 healthy controls (16 males; mean age 48.1 ± 8.2 years). Pain with palpation over the radial tunnel was found in 25 of 48 elbows (52.1%) compared to the pain over the lateral epicondyle found in 10 of 48 elbows (20.8%). Τhe sensitivity of palpation in differentiating radial tunnel syndrome from lateral epicondylitis was 75.7%, while the specificity was 50% (PPV 71.4%, NPV 51.5%). The sensitivity of neuromuscular ultrasound in differentiating radial tunnel syndrome from lateral epicondylitis was 92.6%, while the specificity was 80% (PPV 92.6%, NPV 80.0%). In most of the patients (25/31), fibrous bands anterior to the radio‐capitellar joint were responsible for the nerve entrapment. Conclusions: The present study highlights the importance of the neuromuscular ultrasound's diagnostic role in differentiating radial tunnel syndrome from lateral epicondylitis in the clinical scenario of lateral elbow pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There have been controversial studies on the impact of prior knee arthroscopy (KA) on outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this comparative study is to investigate the impact of prior KA of medial meniscus on patients undergoing TKA by evaluating the International Knee Society Score (IKS), the complications, and revisions. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 84 patients with TKA who had undergone prior KA of the medial meniscus and compared them to 84 cases, without a history of prior KA as a control group. Outcomes were assessed with the original IKS scores and complications. The mean follow-up was 8 years. Results: There was no significant difference between groups with respect to demographics, or pre-operative IKS. The mean pre and postoperative IKS was not different between groups. The all-cause reoperation, revision, and complication rates of the KA group were not significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: The present study seems to reveal that previous KA of the medial meniscus does not negatively affect a subsequent TKA. Nevertheless, larger studies may be necessary to confirm this observation.

Background: The main objective was to analyze patient-reported outcomes (PRO) trends over a four-year period in severe atopic dermatitis (AD) patients treated with dupilumab. Methods: data from 126 severe patients receiving dupilumab for at least 48 months were collected. The clinical scores assessed included the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), Sleep NRS, Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool (ADCT). Results: the study compellingly demonstrates dupilumab’s effectiveness in reducing EASI and improving PROs, with sustained enhancements observed beyond the initial twelve months of treatment. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses show that baseline factors do not significantly increase the risk of adverse outcomes related to Pruritus NRS, POEM, or ADCT at T48. The robust correlation between ADCT and other PROs suggests closely aligned changes. Conclusion: Dupilumab’s benefits endure beyond the first year, emphasizing its long-term efficacy, and consistently improves AD outcomes regardless of individual characteristics or clinical variables. ADCT appears to be a practical and versatile tool for the streamlined assessment of AD treatment outcomes.

Background: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is popular for the treatment of degenerative glenohumeral joint disease. Bone remodeling around the humeral stem related to stress shielding (SS) has been described. This review focuses on the specific radiological characteristics, risk factors, and clinical consequences of SS in RSA. Methods: A meticulous review was conducted of articles published between 2013 and 2023. Data on the definition, risk factors, and clinical impact of stress shielding were recorded. Results: Twenty-eight studies describing 2691 patients who had undergone RSA were included. The mean age of patients ranged from 63 to 80 years with mean follow-up periods of 12 months to 9.6 years. The prevalence of SS reached up to 39% at a 2-year follow-up. Females and elderly are typically at higher risk due to osteopenia. SS was more frequent with the use of long stems(>100 mm) compared to short stems(

Finite element analysis (FEA) is a fundamental tool that can be used in the orthopaedic world to simulate and analyze the behaviour of different surgical procedures. It is important to be aware that removing more than 20% of the meniscus could increase the shear stress in the cartilage and enlarge the risk of knee joint degeneration. In this fact, the maximal shear stress value in the medial cartilage increased up to 225% from 0.15 MPa to 0.5 MPa after medial meniscectomy. Also, meniscal root repair can improve meniscal biomechanics and potentially reduce the risk of osteoarthritis, even in cases of a loose repair. FEA has been used to better understand the biomechanical role of cruciate ligaments in the knee joint. ACLr with bone-patellar tendon-bone graft at 60 N of pretension and double-bundle PCLr were closer to that of a native knee in terms of biomechanics. The addition of a lateral extra-articular augmentation technique can reduce 50% of tibial translation and internal rotation, protecting the graft and minimizing the risk of re-rupture. Interestingly, anatomic and non-anatomic medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction increased the pressure applied to the patellofemoral joint by increasing patellar contact pressure to 0.14 MPa at 30° of knee flexion using the semitendinosus as a graft. After all the advances in medical imaging technologies, future studies should take into consideration patient-specific data on both anatomy and mechanics, in order to better personalize the experimental model.