Background:Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is defined as an autologous concentration of plasma with a greater count of platelets than that of whole blood. Its action depends on the released growth factors from platelets. It has been investigated and used in numerous fields of medicine. Recently, PRP has received growing attention as a potential therapeutic tool for hair loss.Aims:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PRP injections in the scalp of patients with androgenetic alopecia.Settings and Design:Prospective cohort study.Materials and Methods:20 patients, 18 males and 2 females, with androgenetic alopecia were enrolled in the study. PRP was prepared using a single spin method (Regenlab SA). Upon activation, it was injected in the androgen-related areas of scalp. Three treatment sessions were performed with an interval of 21 days and a booster session at 6 months following the onset of therapy.Statistical Analysis:Statistical analysis of the data was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 19.0 (IBM, NY, USA).Results:Hair loss reduced and at 3 months it reached normal levels. Hair density reached a peak at 3 months (170.70 ± 37.81, P < 0.001). At 6 months and at 1 year, it was significantly increased, 156.25 ± 37.75 (P < 0.001) and 153.70 ± 39.92 (P < 0.001) respectively, comparing to baseline. Patients were satisfied with a mean result rating of 7.1 on a scale of 1-10. No remarkable adverse effects were noted.Conclusions:Our data suggest that PRP injections may have a positive therapeutic effect on male and female pattern hair loss without remarkable major side effects. Further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy.

The QOD proved to be a valid, reliable, and easy-to-use method of assessment of olfaction-related QoL with high specificity and sensitivity.

The predictive value of olfaction for quality of life (QoL) recovery after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is still underestimated. The aim of this study was to explore the proportion of patients suffering from CRS who experience clinically significant QoL improvement after ESS and identify pre-operative clinical phenotypes that best predict surgical outcomes for QoL, focusing mainly on the role of patients' olfaction. One hundred eleven patients following ESS for CRS and 48 healthy subjects were studied. Olfactory function was expressed by the combined "Threshold Discrimination Identification" score using "Sniffin' sticks" test pre-treatment and 12 months after treatment. All subjects completed validated, widely used QoL questionnaires, specific for olfaction (Questionnaire of Olfactory Deficits: QOD), for assessing psychology (Beck Depression Inventory: BDI) and for general health (Short Form-36: SF-36). Statistically significant improvement of olfactory function by 41.8% and of all QoL questionnaires scores (all p < 0.001) was observed on the 12-month follow-up examination. Clinically significant improvement for QoL was measured in a proportion of 56.8% of patients on QOD, 64.9% on SF-36 and 49.5% on BDI scales results. Although olfactory dysfunction, nasal polyps, female gender, high socio-economic status and non-smoking habits were significantly associated with better QoL results, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that only olfactory dysfunction and nasal polyps were independent predictors significantly associated with higher likelihood of clinically significant improvement in all QoL questionnaire results. Olfactory dysfunction and nasal polyps were independent pre-operative predictors for surgical outcomes with regard to QoL results.

Olfactory dysfunction was found to decrease QoL among patients. Anosmia, CRS disease, and asthma as clinical predictors were proved to be independently correlated with QoL, anxiety, and depression levels.

QoL and mental health of patients suffering from chronic sinonasal diseases are totally recovered after treatment, presenting a direct positive relationship with smell improvement. An increase of olfactory function by 3.50 points for AR and 4.75 points for CRS might be considered the cutoff point for patients' QoL significant recovery.

A significant progressive improvement of olfaction for at least 6 months was observed after ESS. The statistical models developed may be useful for consultation of ESS candidates in clinical practice.

Our aim was to evaluate the association between VDR polymorphisms and calcaneal Stiffness Index (SI) with stress fractures in a case control study including male military personnel. Thirty- two patients with stress fractures were matched with 32 uninjured healthy volunteers (controls), by gender, age, height, body weight, and level of physical activity. The two groups were genotyped for the FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI polymorphisms of the VDR gene with PCR-RFLP method. In addition, calcaneal SI was measured by heel quantitative ultrasound in both groups. Data were analyzed by chi-squared test and logistic regression analysis. The f allele was significantly more frequent in patients than in controls (p=0.013), while the B allele showed such a tendency without reaching statistical significance (p=0.052). Among the entire cohort, a 2.7-fold and a 2.0-fold increase in risk of stress fractures was associated with the f and B alleles (OR, 2.7, 95% CI, 1.2–5.9; p=0.014 and OR, 2.0, 95% CI, 1.0–4.1; p=0.053, respectively). No statistically significant association was found between the incidence of stress fractures and t or a alleles. Decreased T-scores were also associated with the presence of f and B alleles. Mean values of T-scores of SI were statistically significantly lower in patients than in controls (p=0.018). These results suggest that the FokI and BsmI polymorphisms of the VDR gene could be associated with increased risk of stress fractures among military personnel. Moreover, a low calcaneal SI could represent a measurable index of this increased risk.

Background A surgical operation in pediatric patients is a rather stressful experience for both children and their parents. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of specific demographic characteristics in parent's and children's preoperative anxiety. Methods The sample was composed of 128 Greek-speaking children (1–14 years of age) who had to undergo minor surgery in a University General Hospital. Before surgical operation, the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaire and a questionnaire for the social-demographic characteristics were completed by the parents. Children's preoperative anxiety was evaluated using the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale (m-YPAS). Results The independent predictors of increased anxiety levels in parents are child's age (p=0.024) and gender (girls: p=0.008), living in rural areas (parents: p < 0.001; children: p=0.009), being a mother (p=0.046), high or low education level (p=0.031), a no premedicated child (p=0.007), and high baseline parental anxiety (p=0.003). Previous hospitalization (p=0.019), high situational parental anxiety (p < 0.001), no premedication (p=0.014), and being the only child in the family (p=0.045) are found to be the main determinants of preoperative anxiety control in children. Conclusions This study identifies possible risk factors of preoperative anxiety in parents and their children, which are high parental anxiety, child's age, no premedication, being the only child in the family, living in rural areas, education level, and previous hospitalization.