Mid-long term effect of non-ablative high radiofrequency therapy on the rabbit dermal extracellular matrix.

This study quantitatively investigated the postoperative effects of radiofrequency (RF) application on the normal dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) of in vivo rabbits. Postoperative effects were evaluated by histology and atomic force microscopy analysis of dermal tissues treated using three RF energy levels (10 ~ 30 W) and either a single- or multiple-pass procedure. Progressive changes in the morphology of rabbit dermal ECMs were investigated over a 30-day postoperartive period. All RF-treated groups, except for the low energy group (10 W), displayed more prominent inflammatory responses compared to the control. This inflammatory reaction was more prominent a day after application. Dermal tissues 30 days after RF application exhibited prominent myofibroblast activity associated with ECM contractile activity during wound healing in addition to chronic inflammation. A decrease in the morphology of dermal ECMs after RF application continued until seven days postoperatively. The ECM diameter increased to near baseline at 30 days postoperatively. Low energy and multi-pass applications resulted in greater collagen fibril contraction and recovery at the ultra-structural level at 30 days postoperatively than did a single high energy application.

Telomerase activity in pterygeal and normal conjunctival epithelium.

All pterygia have similar histologic features of solar degeneration seen in the skin such as acanthosis, keratosis, or hyperkeratosis. Although the pathogenesis of pterygia is still unclear, an association with solar exposure, in particular with UV radiation, has been reported. Telomerase activity has been found to be higher in some degenerative, precancerous, and cancerous skin lesions. We investigated telomerase activity in the epithelium and the stromal tissues of the pterygium. Pterygeal tissues were obtained from 30 patients. Telomerase activity was measured with TRAPeze-ELISA kit. Three of the 28 (10.7%) pterygeal stromal tissues demonstrated positive telomerase activity. Fourteen of the 27 (51.9%) epithelial tissues were positive in telomerase activity, whereas telomerase activity was positive in only 3 of 9 normal epithelia (33.3%). Telomerase activity in the pterygium-covered epithelium was increased as compared with that seen in the normal epithelium, but the increase was not statistically significant. In conclusion, telomerase activity was somewhat increased in pterygeal tissues. Telomerase activity may be involved in the pathogenesis of pterygium.

Non-traumatic middle meningeal aneurysm and angioma in a child.

A 9-year-old boy having bronchial asthma showed fluctuation of his mental state for 14 days. EEG showed multiple spikes or irregular spike and wave complex bursts, the focus being in the left occipital region, and he was diagnosed as prolonged partial complex status epilepticus. Skull radiograms revealed the presence of radiolucent areas in the left parietal region and cerebral angiography showed a pear-shaped aneurysm and angioma in the distal part of the middle meningeal artery. Nontraumatic aneurysm of the middle meningeal artery has been rarely reported; only the reports on 2 old women with Paget disease are available now. The authors' case is the first child case.