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This article presents the findings of a 24-week retrospective study that aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of bimekizumab (BKZ) in elderly patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The study involved 15 elderly patients who were treated with BKZ, and the results showed a significant decrease in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores over the course of the study. The treatment was well tolerated, with only two patients discontinuing due to minor adverse events. The study suggests that BKZ is an effective treatment option for elderly patients with plaque psoriasis. However, further research with larger cohorts and longer follow-up periods is needed to validate these findings. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the efficacy of bimekizumab (BKZ) in treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients who have not responded to previous biological treatments. The study included seven patients with active and biologics-refractory PsA. Results showed that BKZ led to significant joint improvement and disease activity reduction in the majority of patients, including those who had previously failed other IL-17A inhibitors. The treatment also showed potential for reducing pain and improving the patients' perception of their disease. However, the study had limitations in terms of sample size and follow-up duration, so further research is needed to confirm these findings. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Dermatophytosis is a prevalent superficial infection caused by filamentous fungi, primarily affecting the skin and/or its appendages. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in mycotic strains resistant to standard antifungal therapies, including Trichophyton indotineae, a dermatophyte of the Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the treatment options for T. indotineae, elucidating their effectiveness in managing this challenging mycotic infection. Methods: For this review, a search was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar databases, encompassing all published data until March 2024. English-language articles detailing therapy outcomes for patients confirmed to be affected by T. indotineae, identified through molecular analysis, were included. Results: Itraconazole was shown to be a good therapeutic choice, particularly when administered at a dosage of 200 mg/day for 1–12 weeks. Voriconazole was also demonstrated to be effective, while terbinafine exhibited a reduced response rate. Griseofulvin and fluconazole, on the other hand, were found to be ineffective. Although topical treatments were mostly ineffective when used alone, they showed promising results when used in combination with systemic therapy. Mutational status was associated with different profiles of treatment response, suggesting the need for a more tailored approach. Conclusions: When managing T. indotineae infections, it is necessary to optimize therapy to mitigate resistances and relapse. Combining in vitro antifungal susceptibility testing with mutational analysis could be a promising strategy in refining treatment selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comprehensive review offers a detailed look at atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment in Italy, focusing primarily on the use of biologics and small molecules. In response to advancing knowledge of AD's causes and treatments, there's a global need for updated guidelines to provide physicians with a more comprehensive clinical perspective, facilitating personalized treatment strategies. Dupilumab, a groundbreaking biologic, gained approval as a significant milestone. Clinical trials demonstrated its ability to significantly reduce AD severity scores, with an impressive 37% of patients achieving clear or nearly clear skin within just 16 weeks of treatment. Real-world studies further support its efficacy across various age groups, including the elderly, with a safety profile akin to that of younger adults. Tralokinumab, a more recent approval, shows promise in clinical trials, particularly among younger populations. However, its real-world application, especially in older individuals, lacks comprehensive data. Janus Kinases inhibitors like Upadacitinib, Baricitinib, and Abrocitinib hold substantial potential for AD treatment. Nevertheless, data remains limited for patients over 75, with older adults perceived to carry a higher risk profile. Integrated safety analyses revealed individuals aged 60 and above experiencing major adverse cardiovascular events and malignancies, underscoring the need for cautious consideration. While these therapies offer promise, especially among younger patients, further research is essential to determine their safety and efficacy in various populations, including pediatric, geriatric, and those with comorbidities. Biologics and small molecules are improving AD treatment, as shown in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Localized Cutaneous Nodular Amyloidosis (PLCNA) is a rare skin condition characterized by the deposition of amyloid proteins in the skin. It typically presents as asymptomatic nodules and can progress to systemic disease in some cases. Dermoscopy, a non-invasive imaging technique, can aid in the diagnosis of PLCNA by highlighting specific features such as orange structureless areas, linear-curved vessels, and purple (hemorrhagic) globules. This article presents a case of PLCNA and reviews existing literature on the topic, providing a standardized terminology for dermoscopic criteria. The findings suggest that dermoscopy can be a valuable tool in distinguishing PLCNA from other skin conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: SUPREME, a phase IIIb study conducted in Italy, demonstrated safety and high efficacy of secukinumab for up to 72 weeks in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. SUPREME 2.0 study aimed to provide real-world data on the long-term drug survival and effectiveness of secukinumab beyond 72 weeks.Patients and Methods: SUPREME 2.0 is a retrospective observational chart review study conducted in patients previously enrolled in SUPREME study. After the end of the SUPREME study, eligible patients continued treatment as per clinical practice, and their effectiveness and drug survival data were retrieved from medical charts.Results: Of the 415 patients enrolled in the SUPREME study, 297 were included in SUPREME 2.0; of which, 210 (70.7%) continued secukinumab treatment throughout the 42-month observation period. Patients in the biologic-naïve cohort had higher drug survival than those in the biologic-experienced cohort (74.9% vs 61.7%), while HLA-Cw6–positive and HLA-Cw6–negative patients showed similar drug survival (69.3% and 71.9%). After 42 months, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 90 was achieved by 79.6% of patients overall; with a similar proportion of biologic-naïve and biologic-experienced patients achieving PASI90 (79.8% and 79.1%). The mean absolute PASI score reduced from 21.94 to 1.38 in the overall population, 21.90 to 1.24 in biologic-naïve and 22.03 to 1.77 in biologic-experienced patients after 42 months. The decrease in the absolute PASI score was comparable between HLA-Cw6–positive and HLA–Cw6-negative patients. The baseline Dermatology Life Quality Index scores also decreased in the overall patients (10.5 to 2.32) and across all study sub-groups after 42 months. Safety was consistent with the known profile of secukinumab, with no new findings.Conclusion: In this real-world cohort study, secukinumab showed consistently high long-term drug survival and effectiveness with a favourable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cutaneous melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer. It has become an increasingly common neoplasm in the most developed countries, especially among individuals of European origin.

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector-borne zoonotic inflammatory disease in the Northern Hemisphere. In Italy, the first case was diagnosed in 1985 in a woman in Liguria, while the second, in 1986 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, documenting the infection in northern Italy. Both diagnoses were confirmed by serological assessment by an indirect immunofluorescence (IFI) technique. Borrelia cultivation from both Ixodes ricinus ticks and human lesions in Trieste (Friuli-Venezia Giulia) identified Borrelia afzelii as the prevalent genospecies; nevertheless, Borrelia garinii, Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu stricto), and Borrelia valaisiana (VS116 Group) were also detected, although less frequently. LB was also documented in other Italian regions: in Tuscany (1991), Trentino-Alto Adige (1995-1996), Emilia-Romagna (1998), Abruzzo (1998), and more recently, Lombardy. Nevertheless, data on LB in other Italian regions, especially in southern Italy and islands, are poor. The aim of this study is to document the spread of LB in Italy through the collection of data from LB patients in eight Italian hospitals located in different Italian regions. Diagnostic criteria for LB diagnosis are as follows: i) the presence of erythema migrans (EM) or ii) a clinical picture suggestive of LB, confirmed by serological tests and/or PCR positivity for Borrelia detection. In addition, data also included the place of residence (town and region) and the place where patients became infected. During the observation period, 1,260 cases were gathered from the participating centers. Although different in extent from northern Italy to central/southern Italy, this study shows that LB is widespread throughout Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GLO:3NZ/01jan23:jdv18585-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): 1 Nodular scabietic lesions of the penis (arrow: target lesions) (a); dermoscopy shows only red background with no specific clue for scabies (b). It is possible that the above-mentioned differences are due to diverse methods for lesions selection as in our study nodules were chosen randomly, thus not focusing only on nodules with dermoscopic findings typical of scabies. Nodular scabies (NS) is a variant of scabies resulting from a hypersensitivity reaction to I Sarcoptes scabiei i mites and other infestation products.[1] Although its clinical diagnosis is usually straightforward, differentiation from similar pruritic nodular dermatoses may sometimes be challenging.[1] In this regard, dermoscopy has been showed to facilitate the recognition of scabies by highlighting a brown triangle followed by a serpiginous grey tract corresponding to the anterior part of the mite and its burrow, respectively.[2] However, data on dermoscopy of nodular subtype are still limited.[[3], [5], [7]] In this retrospective observational study, we systematically investigated dermoscopic features of NS for a better characterization. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: Enzo. Errichetti, Giuseppe. Stinco, Enrico. Pegolo, Pasquale. Patrone Sir Generalized granuloma annulare (GGA) is an uncommon variant of granuloma annulare (GA) presenting with multiple asymptomatic or slightly pruritic, skin-colored, [...]

Byline: Nicola. di Meo, Giuseppe. Stinco, Katiuscia. Nan, Ferruccio. Degrassi, Maria. Cova, Giusto. Trevisan Sir, Verrucous carcinoma is a rarely occurring, low-grade variant of squamous cell carcinoma, slow-growing verrucous and [...]

Byline: Enzo. Errichetti, Enrico. Pegolo, Giuseppe. Stinco Sir, Linear and whorled nevoid hypermelanosis is a rare pigmentary disorder presenting with brownish macules in a streaky configuration along the lines of [...]

Byline: Serena. Bonin, Giuseppe. Stinco, Maria. Patriarca, Sara. Trevisini, Nicola. di Meo, Giusto. Trevisan Sir, Borrelia burgdorferi , the causative agent of Lyme disease, infects humans through Ixodes tick bites. [...]