In aesthetic medicine, there has been an ongoing search for an ideal dermal filler to offer zero complication rate. Polycaprolactone-based dermal filler (PCL) has been available since 2009. The purpose of the paper was to present a case of granuloma as a complication of PCL injection, which has not been reported so far by other researchers. A 68-year-old female was injected with PCL. One year later, nodules accompanied by bluish skin discoloration developed within the injection site. Ultrasound and histopathology studies were performed. The examinations confirmed the presence of foreign body granuloma after PCL, which makes it the first reported case worldwide. The published data analyses showed general lack of studies and case reports to address this issue. The PCL, like an injection of any soft tissue filler, may lead to serious complications, such as granuloma formation. This makes further research legitimate and necessary.

Introduction: In recent years, ultrasonography has been used in an increasing number of fields, such as dermatology, aesthetic medicine and cosmetology. For skin imaging, research has shown the usefulness of both classic scanners equipped with linear transducers, and high-frequency scanners with mechanical transducers. An increasing number of reports indicating high usefulness of Doppler sonography have been published recently. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of high-frequency Doppler imaging in the diagnosis of vascular complications after aesthetic procedures using tissue fillers. Materials and methods: A total of 12 women aged 19–48 years (mean age 36.08 years) who had undergone hyaluronic acid treatment were included in the study group. Ultrasound scans were performed using standard ultrasound scanners, i.e. Philips Epiq 5 with a linear transducer and Samsung RS85 with linear transducers and Doppler Microflow Imaging option. Ultrasound scans were performed to assess the presence of blood flow using Color Power Doppler (CPA). Pulsed- Wave Doppler was used only for arteries. If no blood flow was recorded with Color Power Doppler, Microflow Imaging was used. Results: Doppler ultrasound showed normal blood flow despite reported symptoms in 3 cases. Vascular stenosis was found in 2 patients. In the other 7 patients, Doppler ultrasound showed no blood flow at the sites where complications developed. Conclusions: Skin ultrasound with Doppler options is a useful tool in the diagnosis of aesthetic medicine complications.

High-frequency ultrasound imaging enables distinguishing between granulomas and nodules-dermal filler deposits, which form after dermal filler injections.

No abstract

In the paper we present a novel method of extended depth-of-field limited-angle optical diffraction tomography, in which the change of a focal plane position is performed with a liquid focus-tunable lens. One sinogram is acquired for each state of a focus-tunable lens. After acquisition process is complete, all sinograms are independently reconstructed and stitched to form the final tomographic reconstruction. The presented solution effectively extends the applicability of the Rytov approximation to relatively thick samples and provides uniform resolution of 3D tomographic reconstructions. The method is also combined with Generalized Total Variation Iterative Constraint algorithm, which minimizes distortion of the results due to the limited angular range of acquired projections. The combined solution is dedicated to investigation of transparent and semi-transparent biological micro-structures, like cells and tissue slices.

Background Echocardiography in the setting of resuscitation can provide information as to the cause of the cardiac arrest, as well as indicators of futility. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to determine the value of point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) in the assessment of survival for adult patients with cardiac arrest. Methods This meta-analysis was performed in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane have been searched from databases inception until March 2 nd 2021. The search was limited to adult patients with cardiac arrest and without publication dates or country restrictions. Papers were chosen if they met the required criteria relating to the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of this diagnostic technique concerning resuscitation outcomes. Results This systematic review identified 20 studies. Overall, for survival to hospital discharge, PoCUS was 6.2% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.7–8.0%) and 2.1% specific (95% CI 0.8–4.2%). PoCUS sensitivity and specificity for return of spontaneous circulation were 23.8% (95% CI 21.4–26.4%) and 50.7% (95% CI 45.8–55.7%) respectively, and for survival to admission 13.8% (95% CI 12.2–15.5%) and 20.1% (95% CI 16.2–24.3%), respectively. Conclusions The results do not allow unambiguous recommendation of PoCUS as a predictor of resuscitation outcomes and further studies based on a large number of patients with full standardization of operators, their training and procedures performed were necessary.

Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to evaluate the utility of high-frequency ultrasound in the assessment of the nature and differentiation of lumps occurring in the labial mucosa after lip filling procedures. Material and methods: The study sample included 5 women aged from 28 to 43 years (mean age: 37.4 years) who previously underwent a lip augmentation or rejuvenation procedure. Photographic documentation was taken and high-frequency ultrasound assessment was performed in all the patients. The presence of deposits, foreign body granulomas, fibrosis and labial glands was mainly investigated taking into account the shape of the abnormalities, their margins, surface area, location and echogenicity. In order to confirm the diagnosis, histopathological examination was performed. Results: The examinations performed made it possible to differentiate between granulomas and persistent deposit nodules and to demonstrate the presence of massive fibrosis and of labial glands pushed out by these abnormalities with the glands presenting as hypoechoic oval areas. Histopathological examination confirmed the morphology of labial glands reported by the patients as uncomfortable lumps felt from the side of the mucosa, which clinically simulate persistent deposit nodules or granulomas. Conclusions: High-frequency ultrasound is a method that is essential for the correct differentiation between complications of tissue filler procedures. This, in turn, makes it possible to apply the right treatment. In this study, it was demonstrated for the first time that the lumps reported by patients who have had a lip filling procedure may be the result of labial glands being pushed out by deposits, granulomas or massive fibrosis, which are complications of such procedures.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) exerts direct cytotoxic effects on tumor cells, destroys tumor blood and lymphatic vessels and induces local inflammation. Although PDT triggers the release of immunogenic antigens from tumor cells, the degree of immune stimulation is regimen-dependent. The highest immunogenicity is achieved at sub-lethal doses, which at the same time trigger cytoprotective responses, that include increased expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78). To mitigate the cytoprotective effects of GRP78 and preserve the immunoregulatory activity of PDT, we investigated the in vivo efficacy of PDT in combination with EGF-SubA cytotoxin that was shown to potentiate in vitro PDT cytotoxicity by inactivating GRP78. Treatment of immunocompetent BALB/c mice with EGF-SubA improved the efficacy of PDT but only when mice were treated with a dose of EGF-SubA that exerted less pronounced effects on the number of T and B lymphocytes as well as dendritic cells in mouse spleens. The observed antitumor effects were critically dependent on CD8+ T cells and were completely abrogated in immunodeficient SCID mice. All these results suggest that GRP78 targeting improves in vivo PDT efficacy provided intact T-cell immune system.