Treatment With Oxygen-Enriched Olive Oil Improves Healing Parameters Following Augmentation-Mastopexy.

BACKGROUND: Breast augmentation-mastopexy can yield an aesthetically attractive breast, but the 1-stage procedure is prone to unsatisfactory outcomes, including poor wound healing. OBJECTIVES: The authors evaluated whether postsurgical application of a polyurethane bra cup coated with oxygen-enriched olive oil (NovoX Cup; Moss SpA, Lesa, Novara, Italy) would decrease pain associated with augmentation-mastopexy and improve the quality of the surgical scar. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at a single center from January 2016 to June 2019. All patients underwent 1-stage augmentation-mastopexy with the inverted T incision. For 2 weeks postsurgically, wounds were dressed either with the oxygen-enriched olive oil bra or with Fitostimoline (Farmaceutici Damor SpA, Naples, Italy). Patients indicated their pain intensity on postoperative days 2, 3, and 10, and patients and independent observers scored scar quality on the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) 6 and 12 months after the procedure. RESULTS: A total of 240 women (120 per study arm) completed the study. All the patients had satisfactory aesthetic results, and there were no tolerability concerns with either postoperative dressing. Compared with patients in the Fitostimoline group, patients who received the oxygen-enriched olive oil bra cup had significantly lower pain levels, and their surgical scars were given better scores on the POSAS. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that maintenance of the surgical wound in a film of oxygen-enriched olive oil for 2 weeks is a safe, effective modality for suppressing pain and promoting healing following augmentation-mastopexy.

Positive ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) Modulator Engineered Device Support Skin Treatment in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer (LABC) Enhancing Patient Quality of Life.

The development of research in genetic and biochemical fields has made it possible to investigate certain metabolic aspects of the microenvironment of chronic skin lesions, including altered cell signalling, highlighting its importance in determining the blockage of repair processes. The purpose of this prospective observational study is to evaluate the efficacy of a medical device consisting of a polyester scaffold enriched with an oleic matrix with controlled release of ROS in the management of LABC skin lesions. During the period from October 2018 to March 2020, 20 patients with locally advanced breast cancer were enrolled and ten were treated with the devices abovementioned. After 30 days of treatment all patients treated reported a general improvement in local conditions with reduction in ulceration area, exudate and odour. The results suggest that the application of these devices even in particular conditions (healthy and neoplastic tissue) does not lead to the onset of negative effects due to the release of ROS, though their role in tissue repair requires further study to fully understand their potential and increase the fields of application of the device by exploiting its modulation capabilities.

An Italian Translation and Validation of the near Activity Visual Questionnaire (NAVQ).

PURPOSE: To validate the Near Activity Vision Questionnaire (NAVQ) in Italian to allow the assessment of presbyopia corrections in Italian-speaking patients. METHODS: An Italian version of the NAVQ was arranged through several steps: an initial forward translation (from English to Italian), a backward translation (from Italian to English), and finally a consensual version to check against the original NAVQ. This prospective study enrolled native Italian-speaking presbyopic patients with corrected distance visual acuity of 0.20 logMAR or better in each eye and free of ocular anomalies. Six different groups of patients were asked to complete the questionnaire: emerging presbyopic patients, reading spectacle users, multifocal spectacle users, multifocal contact lens (CL) wearers, monovision CL wearers, and monofocal intraocular lens patients. Subjects were asked to answer the questionnaire again 2 weeks after the first completion. RESULTS: A total of 207 subjects completed the questionnaire. Data analysis showed good internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.93) and factorial validity with only one factor explaining 62.0% of the variance. Test-retest reliability was extremely good (ICC = 0.92) as well as discriminatory power of the questionnaire's ability to discriminate between subjects with different forms of presbyopic correction. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of the NAVQ matches the properties of the original English version. It is a valid instrument to evaluate near activity visual quality of presbyopic Italian speakers.

Hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome: Long-term ophthalmic observations in an Italian family.

BACKGROUND: Hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome (HCS) is a rare Mendelian condition characterized by bilateral cataract and high levels of serum ferritin in the absence of iron overload. METHODS: HCS was diagnosed in three adult siblings. In two of them it was possible to assess lens changes initially in 1995 and again in 2013. Serum ferritin, iron, transferrin concentrations and transferrin saturation percentage were also measured, and the Iron Responsive Element (IRE) region of the L-ferritin gene (FTL) was studied. RESULTS: Serum ferritin concentrations were considerably elevated while serum iron, transferrin and transferrin saturation levels were within the normal range in each sibling. Cataract changes in our patients were consistent with those previously reported in the literature. Progression of the cataract, an aspect of few studies in this syndrome, appeared to be quite limited in extent. The heterozygous +32G to T (-168G>T) substitution in the IRE of the FTL gene was detected in this family. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmic and biochemical studies together with genetic testing confirmed HCS in three family members. Although the disorder has been extensively described in recent years, little is known regarding cataract evolution over time. In our cases, lens evaluations encompassed many years, identified bilateral cataract of typical morphology and supported the hypothesis that this unique clinical feature of the disease tends to be slowly progressive in nature, at least in adults.

Agreement and reliability in measuring central corneal thickness with a rotating Scheimpflug-Placido system and ultrasound pachymetry.

PURPOSE: We compare the agreement and the reliability in measuring central corneal thickness (CCT) using two different technologies. METHOD: The right eyes of 35 healthy individuals who had a negative history of ophthalmic disease, or ocular surgery were examined. The CCT was determined sequentially with a rotating Scheimpflug camera (Sirius; CSO), and an ultrasound pachymeter (P-1; Takagi). For statistical analysis, we used the methods suggested by Bland and Altman. RESULTS: The mean values of CCT obtained from Sirius, and ultrasound were 537±28µm, and 550±35µm, respectively. There was a high correlation between Sirius and ultrasound (r=0.92; p<0.001), but the difference between the two measurements was statistically significant (t=-5.7; p<0.00001). The precision of Sirius and ultrasound were 9.4 and 15.9µm; repeatability 13.3 and 22.4µm, and coefficient of variation 0.9% and 1.5%, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97 for Sirius and 0.95 for ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: The average difference between corneal thickness measured with Sirius and ultrasound pachymetry was small but clinically significant. This means that the two instruments cannot be used interchangeably. Sirius showed precision and repeatability almost twice as much as ultrasound pachymetry. Confidence interval of 13.3µm for Sirius can show variations in corneal thickness with an uncertainty value lower than 2.5% in 95% of cases. The simplicity of use, the possibility to obtain pachymetric maps, and less invasiveness make this instrument potentially useful in contact lens practice.