Over the last decades, the incidence of anal cancer has increased worldwide. The discovery of the HPV virus as its primary cause and the natural progression of the disease, involving precancerous lesions, have resulted in significant interest in screening for anal cancer. The use of cytology testing, high-risk HPV DNA research, high-resolution anoscopy, and their combination has been adopted with variable success in detecting anal HPV precancerous lesions. Various studies have been carried out to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these techniques in different populations. High-risk populations for developing anal cancer have been identified through study of incidence and prevalence. Therefore, different scientific societies and experts worldwide have provided different recommendations for screening, but a universal approach has not yet been established. The inhomogeneity of different risk groups, the variable accessibility to specifical techniques, and the lack of data regarding the cost–benefit ratio of screening are the main problems to address in order to define a consensus guideline acceptable worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the literature on HPV precancerous lesions and its screening, particularly after the release of recent recommendations.

Syphilis has resurged globally, especially in urban areas of developed countries. This study analyses syphilis cases over a decade at an STD centre in Bologna, Italy, examining new diagnoses, reinfections, and impacts on high-risk subgroups, compared with national and European data. Data from 2009–2019 were retrospectively reviewed, including primary, secondary, early latent, late latent, and indeterminate syphilis cases, as per WHO guidelines. Cases of tertiary syphilis and serological-only diagnoses were excluded. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 26 with logistic regression and chi-square tests. A total of 1086 syphilis cases were identified, rising from 43 cases in 2009 to 157 in 2019—a 265% increase over the decade. In 2019, reinfections accounted for 23.7% of cases, primarily among men who have sex with men (MSM, 82.1%), with an HIV co-infection rate of 37.6%. The most affected age group was over 45 years. Bologna’s syphilis rates consistently exceeded European averages, with a higher median age, indicating unique transmission patterns and public health challenges. The high reinfection rate among MSM and older individuals emphasises the need for targeted public health initiatives. The sharp rise in cases highlights potential influences such as Bologna’s population dynamics and the increased use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). Focused public health efforts, particularly on high-risk groups, are critical to address this challenge effectively.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) stands as the prevailing chronic relapsing inflammatory dermatosis within the general population. Scalp involvement is a minor but frequent feature of AD, nevertheless it was relatively understudied up to now. This research aims to better describe the clinical and trichoscopic aspects of scalp involvement in moderate-to-severe AD, focusing on the vascular pattern of the vessels and scalp desquamation. A single-center retrospective and prospective study was conducted on 20 patients, collecting clinical and trichoscopic images at the Dermatology Unit of the University of Bologna, Italy. Scalp lesions exhibited distinct morphological characteristics in both vascular and desquamation patterns. Three main trichoscopic patterns with a different grade of involvement were identified: erythematous pattern, erythematous desquamative pattern and exudative with crusts pattern. As for the limitations, the sample size was relatively small, and, being a single-centre study, the results may not be applicable to other populations or settings. In addition, no standardized criteria for trichoscopic analysis are available. This is the first study with the purpose to delineate the trichoscopic characteristics observed in patients with moderate-to-severe AD not in systemic therapy, thereby highlighting three distinct patterns of trichoscopy manifestations that define three distinct populations.