ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Dysplastic nevi are pigmented lesions that exhibit clinical and histological features of both common nevi and melanoma. In recent years, there has been an increase in publications on dysplastic nevi. Bibliometric analysis is a method of evaluating trends in large number of publications and identifying popular topics. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to provide an overview of the landscape of publications related to dysplastic nevi, visualize trends and identify popular topics in the literature. METHODS: Thomson Reuters' Web of Science database was searched with the following query in title, abstract or keywords: TS = ("dysplastic nevus" OR "clark nevus" OR "atypical nevus" OR "dysplastic nevi" OR "clark nevi" OR "atypical nevi"). Time span was set to 1992-2022. Document type was set to Article. Titles, authors, abstracts, institutions, countries, journals, references, and the citation information were recorded. RESULTS: Although the number of publications has declined over time, the USA remains the leading contributor to published articles. Key clusters of frequently used keywords were identified. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology had the highest number of published titles. Country and journal analysis were supplemented by co-citation and co-cited reference cluster analysis. Burst analyses revealed authors like Kittler, Argenziano, and Gandini as significant contributors, with their works receiving strong citation bursts extending until the end of the study period. CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric analysis revealed trends and interest pockets in the literature pertaining to dysplastic nevi and melanoma. This study aids in understanding the current research landscape and highlights potential future directions in this field.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of prophylactic tadalafil use on a steroid-induced femoral head avascular necrosis model in terms of microscopic, imaging, and molecular biological changes. METHODS: Twenty-four New Zealand rabbits were divided into 3 equal groups. Eight rabbits were designated as the control group and did not receive treatment. Rabbits in group 1 (G1) received 0.1 mg/kg Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intravenously and 40 mg/ kg methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MP) was administered intramuscularly for 3 days consecutively. Rabbits in group 2 (G2) were given 5 mg/kg tadalafil orally for 10 consecutive days. Starting on the eighth day, 0.1 mg/kg LPS was given, and following this 40 mg/kg MP injections were administered for 3 days. All animals were sacrificed 3 weeks after the final MP injection. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and bilateral femora were harvested. Half of the femoral head was stored for Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) examination with Western blot analysis. The other half was examined microscopically for the presence of osteonecrosis. RESULTS: In G1, 15 out of 16 hips (93%) of the 8 rabbits had osteonecrosis compared to 8 out of 12 hips (67%) of 6 rabbits in G2 (P > .05). The VEGF expression in G2 was significantly higher than in the control group and G1 (P < .05 and P < .001, respectively). There was no significant difference in VEGF expression between the control group and G1 (P > .05). CONCLUSION: This study has shown us that femoral head osteonecrosis can be reliably induced with LPS and corticosteroid, as described in the literature. Prophylactic tadalafil use did not decrease the occurrence of osteonecrosis significantly. However, it significantly increased VEGF expression in the femoral head independent of the effects of steroids and LPS.