Involvement of dermal microvascular basement membrane in senile purpura: quantitative immunohistochemical study

Efficacy of microneedle radiofrequency therapy in the treatment of senile purpura: A prospective study

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency (RF) devices have been used for skin rejuvenation and treating skin laxity. It may also be effective for senile purpura (SP) based on its action of promoting neocollagenesis with minimal epidermal damage. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of microneedle RF for treating SP of the forearms in elderly.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this prospective study, 23 patients who underwent a single session of microneedle RF device (GENIUS, Lutronic Co., Korea) therapy for SP were enrolled. Histopathological features were assessed 1 week before and 8 weeks after therapy. The total amount of collagen and elastic fibers were measured using the computer vision method, and epidermal thickness and the number of blood vessels were analyzed using ImageJ. The clinical improvements were evaluated by blinded evaluators and the patients using investigator global assessment (IGA) and patient global assessment (PGA), respectively. Data regarding the number of purpuric lesions and the size of the largest lesion were collected via a telephone survey.

RESULTS

The total amount of collagen and elastic fibers, and mean epidermal thickness tended to improve after RF treatments, although they did not reach statistical significance. The locally estimated scatterplot smoothing curve showed decreasing tendency in both size and number of purpuras as weeks progressed. PGA showed very satisfied in 65% of patients and IGA showed 39% near-total improvement and 43% marked improvement. There were no serious adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

Microneedle RF therapy induces remodeling of dermal circumstances with minimal epidermal impairment. It may be a promising therapeutic option for SP.

Risk scoring tool for forearm skin tears in Japanese older adults: A prospective cohort study

[Aim] Because painful skin tears frequently occur in older patients, the prevention of skin tears is fundamental to improve their quality of life. However, a risk assessment tool for skin tears has not been established yet in Japan. Therefore, we aimed to propose a risk scoring tool for skin tears in Japanese older adult. [Methods] We conducted a prospective cohort study with 6-month follow-up in two long-term care hospitals in Japan. A total of 257 inpatients were recruited. Patient and skin characteristics were collected at baseline, and the occurrence of forearm skin tears were examined during follow-up. To develop a risk scoring tool, we identified risk factors, and converted their coefficients estimated in the multiple logistic regression analysis into simplified scores. The predictive accuracy of the total score was evaluated. [Results] Of 244 participants, 29 developed forearm skin tears during the follow-up period, a cumulative incidence of 13.5%. Senile purpura, pseudoscar, contracture, and dry skin were identified as risk factors for skin tears. Their weighted scores were 6, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the total score was 0.806. At a cut-off score of 12, the sensitivity was 0.86, and the specificity was 0.67. [Conclusion] Our forearm skin tear risk scoring tool showed high accuracy, whereas specificity was low. This tool can contribute to prevent forearm skin tears in Japanese older adults.

Diabetic vasculopathy: macro and microvascular injury

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Diabetes is a common and prevalent medical condition as it affects many lives around the globe. Specifically, type-2 Diabetes (T2D) is characterized by chronic systemic inflammation alongside hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in the body, which can result in atherosclerotic legion formation in the arteries and thus progression of related conditions called diabetic vasculopathies. T2D patients are especially at risk for vascular injury; adjunct in many of these patients heir cholesterol and triglyceride levels reach dangerously high levels and accumulate in the lumen of their vascular system.

RECENT FINDINGS

Microvascular and macrovascular vasculopathies as complications of diabetes can accentuate the onset of organ illnesses, thus it is imperative that research efforts help identify more effective methods for prevention and diagnosis of early vascular injuries. Current research into vasculopathy identification/treatment will aid in the amelioration of diabetes-related symptoms and thus reduce the large number of deaths that this disease accounts annually.

SUMMARY

This review aims to showcase the evolution and effects of diabetic vasculopathy from development to clinical disease as macrovascular and microvascular complications with a concerted reference to sex-specific disease progression as well.

Skin tears and risk factors assessment: a systematic review on evidence-based medicine

Skin tears represent a common condition of traumatic wounds, which may be encountered in some categories of individuals at the extremes of age, such as infants and the elderly. Despite the high prevalence and cost of these lesions, there has been little investigation into the risk factors that lead to this condition. The aim of this review was to systematically evaluate the main risk factors involved in development of skin tears. We planned to include all the studies dealing with risk factors related to skin tears. Only publications in English were considered. We excluded all the studies that did not properly fit our research question and those with insufficient data. Of the 166 records found, 24 matched our inclusion criteria. After reading the full-text articles, we decided to exclude seven articles because of the following reasons: (1) not responding properly to our research questions and (2) insufficient data; the final set included 17 articles. From a literature search, we found the following main issues related to risk factors, which have been described in detail in this section: age-related skin changes, dehydration, malnutrition, sensory changes, mobility impairment, pharmacological therapies and mechanical factors related to skin care practices. Our findings clearly show that in frail populations (especially infant and elderly), the stratification risk, as a primary prevention strategy, is an effective tool in avoiding the development of chronic wounds. The development and the implementation of prevention strategies based on appropriate knowledge of the risk factors involved and the adoption of correct techniques during skin care practices could reduce or even avoid the onset of skin tears.