The present study was designed to evaluate the clinical outcome of cell-based therapy with cultured adiposederived stromal cells (ASCs) for the treatment of cutaneous manifestations in patients affected by systemic sclerosis (SSc). ASCs have an extraordinary developmental plasticity, including the ability to undergo multilineage differentiation and self-renewal. Moreover, ASCs can be easily harvested from small volumes of liposuction aspirate, showing great in vitro viability and proliferation rate. Here we isolated, characterized, and expanded ASCs, assessing both their mesenchymal origin and their capability to differentiate towards the adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic lineage. We developed an effective method for ASCs transplantation into sclerodermic patients by means of a hyaluronic acid (HA) solution, which allowed us to achieve precise structural modifications. ASCs were isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue of six sclerodermic patients and cultured in a chemical-defined medium before autologous transplantation to restore skin sequelae. The results indicated that transplantation of a combination of ASCs in HA solution determined a significant improvement in tightening of the skin without complications such as anechoic areas, fat necrosis, or infections, thus suggesting that ASCs are a potentially valuable source of cells for skin therapy in rare diseases such as SSc and generally in skin disorders.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy is a feasible and cost-effective treatment in the management of postburn pathologic scars.
Carbon dioxide therapy results as an effective noninvasive modality for the rejuvenation of the periorbital area.
Capsular contracture after breast augmentation is a distressing, troublesome event both for the patient and the surgeon. Fibrosis transforms the prosthesis into a hardened sphere, turning the initially satisfactory cosmetic result into a deformed mass. Treatment for capsular contracture can be either surgical, consisting of capsulotomy or capsulectomy with implant replacement, or pharmacologic, consisting of intracapsular instillation of steroids and antibiotics. The success rates for both types of treatment vary. Although capsular contracture is a multifactorial process, one common denominator in the successful treatment of this complication is believed to be the abatement of inflammation. Leukotriene antagonists have emerged recently as effective prophylactic agents for reactive airway diseases. Anecdotal reports have indicated that zafirlukast and montelukast effectively reverse capsular contracture. The authors investigated whether capsular contracture varies significantly over time after zafirlukast therapy by studying 20 women who had breast prostheses implanted and then experienced the development of capsular contracture. The results suggest that capsular contracture responds favorably to treatment with zafirlukast. The findings indicate that zafirlukast may reduce pain and breast capsule distortion for patients with long-standing contracture who either are not surgical candidates or do not wish to undergo surgery.
Background. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem disease characterized by cutaneous and visceral fibrosis. Face and mouth changes include telangiectasia, sicca syndrome, and thinning and reduction of mouth width (microcheilia) and opening (microstomia). We applied autologous fat transplantation compared with autologous adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) injection to evaluate the clinical improvement of mouth opening. Methods. From February to May 2013 ten consecutive SSc patients were enrolled from the outpatient clinic of Plastic Surgery Department of Sapienza University of Rome. Patients were divided into two groups as follows: 5 patients were treated with fat transplantation and 5 patients received infiltration of ADSCs produced by cell factory of our institution. To value mouth opening, we use the Italian version of Mouth Handicap in Systemic Sclerosis Scale (IvMHISS). Mouth opening was assessed in centimetres (Maximal Mouth Opening, MMO). In order to evaluate compliance and physician and patient satisfaction, we employed a Questionnaire of Satisfaction and the Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) performed before starting study and 1 year after the last treatment. Results and Conclusion. We noticed that both procedures obtained significant results but neither one emerged as a first-choice technique. The present clinical experimentation should be regarded as a starting point for further experimental research and clinical trials.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment of chronic ulcers with unfocused shock waves. Between March 2009 and February 2012 we studied a group of 124 patients, aged between 28 and 80 years, with serious wounds arisen over three months and who met the inclusion criteria for treatment. The patients were randomly divided into groups A and B, both treated with unfocused ESWT but with an average energy density for each impulse equal to 0.10 m.l/mm' in group A (total energy equal to 1.7 mJ for each shot) and an average energy density for each impulse equal to 0.04 m.I/mm-in group B (total energy equal to 3.3 mJ for each shot). The pulses were administered at a frequency of 4 Hz in both groups. Wounds were classified according to: location, width, length, percentage of granulation tissue, necrotic tissue, fibrous tissue, presence of bacterial exudation and pain (assessed by VAS). Their evolution was monitored by photo capture. The patients were treated with a frequency of 1 session every 7 days for 7 weeks. During the treatment period, the possible occurrence of side effects was monitored. Before treatment the wounds in group A had an average area equal to 3.85 em-and the average value of the VAS pain scale was equal to 5.8 (range 2-9); the wounds in group B had an average area equal to 3.4 ern" and the average value ofthe VAS pain scale was equal to 5.7 (range 3-9). At the end of the treatment protocol the mean area in group A decreased by 80% (final mean area 0.93 em"), and the average pain on VAS scale dropped by 79%; the mean area in group B decreased by 67% (final mean area 1.2 ern") and the average score on VAS scale dropped by 48%. None of the treated patients experienced adverse reactions to treatment. None of the treated wounds developed infection during treatment. In conclusion, shock waves can act on difficult wounds, stimulating the reparative physiological process; therefore it represents an effective and safe procedure to accelerate the healing process, reducing the operating costs and avoiding more complex interventions.Chronic ulcers are complex wounds that do not heal spontaneously and are usually associated with local and systemic predisposing factors (1).Wound healing is a dynamic process influenced by homeostatic balance, inflammatory and matrixsynthesis process, and by an appropriate process
Chemotherapy extravasation may result in serious damage to patients, with irreversible local injures and disability. Evidence-based standardization on extravasation management is lacking and many institutions do not practice adequate procedures to prevent the severer damages. Our aim was to explore the prevention and treatment of extravasation injuries, proposing a standard therapeutic protocol together with a review of the literature. From January 1994 to December 2015, 545 cases were reviewed (age range, 5-87 years; 282 men and 263 women). Our therapeutic protocol consisted of local infiltration of saline solution and topical occlusive applications of corticosteroids. The infiltrations were administrated 3 to 6 times a week depending on damage severity. Our protocol allowed us to prevent ulceration in 373 cases. Only 27 patients required surgery (escarectomy, skin graft, regional, and free flap). Numerous treatments have been proposed in literature. The antidotes have been discussed controversially and are not considered standard methods for treatment, especially when polychemotherapy is administrated and the identification of the responsible drug is not possible. We proposed the use of saline solution injection to dilute rapidly the drug, thus reducing its local toxic effects. This method is easy to use and always reproducible even when the drug is not known or when it is administrated in combination with other drugs. It is possible to perform it in ambulatory regimen, and, overall, it represents a standard method.
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