The role of in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy for the management of acne: A systematic review.

Acne diagnosis, severity assessment and treatment follow-up rely primarily on clinical examination. In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) provides non-invasively, real-time images of skin lesions with a level of detail close to histopathology. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of RCM utility in acne and a summary of specific features with clinical application that may increase objectivity in evaluating this condition. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for reporting our results. We systematically searched three databases: PubMed, Clarivate and Google Scholar (January 2022). All included studies used RCM to investigate acne in human patients and reported the investigated skin area and type (acne lesions or clinically uninvolved skin), the substance used in the case of treatment. Our search identified 2184 records in the three databases investigated. After duplicate removal, 1608 records were screened, 35 were selected for full-text assessment, and 14 were included in this review. We used the QUADAS-2 tool to evaluate the risk of bias and applicability concerns. RCM was selected as the index test and clinical examination as the reference standard. The total number of patients from all studies was 291, with 216 acne patients and 60 healthy participants aged between 13 and 45 years. The 14 considered studies analysed 456 follicles from healthy participants, 1445 follicles from uninvolved skin in acne patients and 1472 acne lesions. Consistent RCM findings concerning follicles of acne patients reported across studies were increased follicular infundibulum size, thick, bright border, intrafollicular content and inflammation. Our analysis indicates that RCM is a promising tool for acne evaluation. Nevertheless, standardization, a unified terminology, consistent research methods and unitary reporting of RCM findings are necessary. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021266547.

The experience of a tertiary referral centre in Romania on basal cell carcinomas in outdoor workers: why to assess?

BACKGROUND: Published epidemiological literature indicates that outdoor workers are at significantly increased risk for developing basal cell carcinomas. OBJECTIVES: The main objective is to identify basal cell carcinoma features in patients with prolonged occupational exposure to UV radiation and compare them to basal cell carcinoma in patients with no occupational exposure to UV radiation. METHODS: Data regarding age, gender, living area, occupation, number of lesions, involved anatomic site and histologic subtype of tumor were collected from the charts of 321 patients diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma in our department between 01.01.2013-31.12.2014. We divided the patient population in which the occupation was accurately identified in two study groups: occupations with UV exposure (OW), and non-UV exposed occupations (IW) and we compared the clinical and histologic features of the lesions in the two groups. RESULTS: The most affected area in both groups was the facial "mask area". The cheek was second most affected area in exposed group whereas the scalp area was the second most affected in the non-exposed group. The nodular pattern is the most numerous in both groups (30 lesions in OW group and 15 lesions in the IW group with a mean number of lesions of 1.57±0.90 and 1.27±0.46, respectively) with the mixed type being the second most frequent type for both groups. However, for the OW group the mixed type with an aggressive component was the second most frequent one, while in the non-exposed group, the mixed type with non-aggressive components was the second most frequent, the difference being statistically significant. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict the presence of histopathologically aggressive lesions using gender, age, exposure and anatomical site out of which UV exposure and 3 main anatomical sites (mask zone, cheek and torso) were selected in the final analysis. The probability of the model chi-square (9.430), p = .05, supports a relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variables. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that in Romania patients diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, occupationally exposed to UV radiation, develop more frequently lesions on the "mask area" of the face; furthermore, prediction of the histo-pathologically aggressive lesions may be supported by the presence of occupational UV exposure and anatomical site (mask zone, cheek and torso) involved.Also, these patients may be at a higher risk to develop more aggressive histologic subtype BCCs. Although limited by a number of factors, especially the small number of subjects, these data suggest the necessity of conducting both retrospective and prospective studies on clinical and histological types of BCCs evolving in patients working outdoor along with identifying additional risk factors.

[The comparative results of the antibiograms for Mycobacterium tuberculosis performed in 2 different laboratories]. / Rezultatele comparative ale antibiogramelor pentru Mycobacterium tuberculosis efectuate în doua laboratoare diferite.

The aim of this study was to appreciate the accuracy of the technique for sensitivity test for M. tuberculosis. We have tested the same bacterial strains (101) using the same drugs concentrations, by absolute concentration method, and we have compared the results obtained in two different laboratories. The concordance of the obtained results (94.05% for SM, 97.03% for INH, 99.01% for RMP, 100% for EMB) is in the limits of reproducibility obtained by other authors. The obtained results show a good technique for sensitivity test in the two laboratories.