Skin cancer (SC) is one of the most common cancers in the world and is a leading cause of death in humans. Melanoma (M) is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and has an increasing incidence rate. Early and accurate diagnosis of M is critical to increase patient survival rates; however, its clinical evaluation is limited by the long timelines, variety of interpretations, and difficulty in distinguishing it from nevi (N) because of striking similarities. To overcome these problems and to support dermatologists, several machine-learning (ML) and deep-learning (DL) approaches have been developed. In the proposed work, melanoma detection, understood as an anomaly detection task with respect to the normal condition consisting of nevi, is performed with the help of a convolutional neural network (CNN) along with the handcrafted texture features of the dermoscopic images as additional input in the training phase. The aim is to evaluate whether the preprocessing and segmentation steps of dermoscopic images can be bypassed while maintaining high classification performance. Network training is performed on the ISIC2018 and ISIC2019 datasets, from which only melanomas and nevi are considered. The proposed network is compared with the most widely used pre-trained networks in the field of dermatology and shows better results in terms of classification and computational cost. It is also tested on the ISIC2016 dataset to provide a comparison with the literature: it achieves high performance in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity.
Background and Objectives: Cellulite, or edemato-fibro-sclerotic panniculopathy (EFP), is characterized by dermal and hypodermal changes leading to adipose tissue accumulation and compromised venous circulation. This study investigates the efficacy of a hypertonic cream containing concentrated sodium chloride (Jovita Osmocell®) in addressing water retention and structural alterations in adipose tissue, aiming to interrupt the cellulite formation process. Materials and Methods: A 12-week, prospective, monocentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 30 female subjects with grade II or III cellulite. Patients were randomized to receive hypertonic cream or a placebo. Thigh circumference, ultrasound evaluations, and standardized photographs were collected at baseline, intermediate, and endpoint visits. Adverse events were monitored. Results: After 84 days, the hypertonic cream group exhibited a significant reduction in thigh circumference compared to the placebo group (p = 0.0037). B-mode ultrasound examinations revealed significant changes in the parameters studied, such as the thickness of the subcutaneous tissue. No statistically significant changes were noticed in the placebo group. Volunteers reported the investigational product’s pleasantness and good anti-cellulite activity, with no reported adverse events. Conclusions: The hypertonic cream demonstrated efficacy in reducing thigh circumference, addressing water retention and structural alterations in adipose tissue. The proposed mechanism involves osmosis, releasing accumulated fluids between fat cells, supporting drainage, and reducing inflammation. This study supports the efficacy and safety of hypertonic sodium chloride emulsions in cellulite treatment and confirms safety and user satisfaction.
Background/Objectives: Hypertrophic and atrophic skin aging represent two distinct phenotypes: hypertrophic aging is marked by deep wrinkles and a leathery texture, whereas atrophic aging is characterized by overall skin thinning, increased vascularity, and a higher risk of non-melanoma skin cancers. This study aims to elucidate the characteristics and differences between hypertrophic and atrophic facial aging subtypes using two non-invasive imaging devices: VISIA® and dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who had presented to the outpatient dermatological clinic at Policlinico Umberto I hospital in Rome, Italy for a non-invasive facial imaging check-up. We included 40 patients aged 60–75 who were imaged with VISIA® and dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT). Based on the number of UV spots and amount of red found on VISIA®, subjects were grouped into four subgroups (PIGM, RED, CONTROL, PIGM + RED), and trends among them were analyzed. Results: We found a strong correlation between VISIA® red area scores and D-OCT vascular density at 300 µm depth, confirming VISIA®’s effectiveness for assessing facial vascularity. Wrinkle count was highest in areas with UV spots, particularly in the PIGM and PIGM + RED groups. Conversely, low attenuation coefficients and dermal density were observed in regions with low UV spots but high red areas. Intermediate subgroups (CONTROL and PIGM + RED) displayed varying parameters. Conclusions: Non-invasive imaging devices are effective in evaluating facial aging and distinguishing between aging subtypes. This study identified two intermediate aging types in addition to the hypertrophic and atrophic subtypes.
Background: Dermal fillers have emerged as a popular non‐surgical solution for facial rejuvenation and enhancement. Apart from botulinum toxin injections, they are the most common non‐surgical procedure performed in the US. Line‐field optical coherence tomography (LC‐OCT; deepLive system Damae Medical, France) represents one of the most recent developments in non‐invasive skin imaging technologies. Materials and methods: We performed LC‐OCT image acquisition on six patients that were treated with hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers in various locations on the face. The images were acquired before the application of the fillers (T0), immediately after (T1), and at a 6‐ to 8‐week (T2) follow‐up visit. Results: At T0, we were able to appreciate a normal‐appearing epidermis, dermoepithelial junction, and dermis. At T1, the intradermal filler deposits appeared as homogeneously hyporeflective areas, clearly discernible from surrounding vessels and other structures. At T2, the deposits were distinguishable as hyporeflective areas, although they were diminished in size compared to T1. On enface view, collagen fibers had increased thickness and were more homogeneously organized and hyperreflective. Conclusions: We established the usefulness of LC‐OCT in the non‐invasive evaluation of dermal HA fillers to visualize both short‐term and medium‐term effects. LC‐OCT may be a valuable tool in evaluating the precise location of filler placement and follow‐up of resulting in vivo changes.
In the era of artificial intelligence and machine learning, computer-aided diagnostic frameworks are data-hungry and require large amounts of annotated data to automate the disease diagnosis procedure. Moreover, to enhance the performance and accuracy of disease diagnosis, procedures need to be automated to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis. We are providing a whole slide image repository comprising unstained skin biopsy images acquired using a brightfield microscope, along with Hematoxylin and Eosin chemically and virtually stained image samples, to virtualize the staining procedure and enhance the efficiency of the disease diagnosis pipeline. The dataset was utilized to train a Dual Contrastive GAN to generate virtually stained image samples. The trained model achieved an FID score of 80.47 between virtually stained and chemically stained image samples, indicating a high correlation of content between synthesized and original images. In contrast, FID scores of 342.01 and 320.40 were observed between unstained images and virtually stained slides, and between unstained images and chemically stained images, respectively, indicating less similarity in content.
Background: Skin aging represents a para‐physiological process related to metabolic imbalances, inflammation, proliferative responses, and oxidative stress. Ending the cycle of inflammation, and oxidative stress represents a way to slow the effects of aging.Study Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the benefits of supplements with an herbal mixture based on Venerinase and B‐group vitamins, Zinc, and Magnesium in preventing/reducing photoaging by means of objective quantitative analysis of visual skin features obtained by VISIA 2D and stroma and vascular characteristics measured by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT).Methods: A prospective clinical study was conducted in 40 participants. They were randomized 1:1 to receive the supplement (Giovina) or placebo. Assessments were conducted at Baseline (T0), after 2 months (T1), and after 4 months (T2). The primary endpoint was to obtain a significant improvement in facial photo/chrono‐aging in the treatment arm, as assessed through the evaluation of the Griffith scale. Secondary endpoints were to assess significant changes in skin aging objective features (VISIA) and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) parameters.Results: The treated group showed a significant reduction in the mean Griffith scale score from 4.5 at baseline to 3.76 at T2 (4 months) (p = 0.001). A significant decrease in red areas and a borderline significant reduction in the number of wrinkles have been shown by skin aging objective feature calculation on VISIA 2D photographs. OCT analysis showed a borderline significant reduction in collagen density.Conclusions: The decrease in vascular pattern and collagen density suggests an anti‐inflammatory effect with a potential stromal remodeling in the treated group. This seems to be correlated to the reduction in wrinkles and facial redness.