Among adults diagnosed with varicose veins, there was a significantly increased risk of incident DVT; the findings for PE and PAD are less clear due to the potential for confounding. Whether the association between varicose veins and DVT is causal or represents a common set of risk factors requires further research.

Superoleophobic surfaces possessing static contact angles greater than 140° with organic liquids are extremely rare. A simple approach has been developed to fabricate an extremely superamphiphobic coating material based on fluorinated silica nanoparticles resulting contact angles of water and diiodomethane at 167.5° and 158.6°, respectively. The contact angle of diiodomethane at 158.6° is substantially higher than the highest literature reported value we know of at 110°. In addition, this developed film also possesses extremely high contact angles with other organic liquids such as soybean oil (146.6°), decahysronaphthalene (142.5°), diesel fuel (140.4°), and xylene (140.5°). This developed superamphiphobic organic–inorganic hybrid film possesses unique liquid repellency for both water and organic liquids that can be used as functional coatings on numerous substrates by a simple coating process. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1984–1990, 2008

Pigmentation and vascular and structural components may play important roles in DEC. Detailed classification of DEC types will access physicians in the decision of appropriate therapeutic modalities.

Melasma is an acquired pigment disorder showing symmetrical hyperpigmentation of the face characterized by light to dark brown patches with indistinct borders on both cheeks. Melasma is prevalent in middle-aged women with harmless hormone imbalances. It is also known as the mask of pregnancy and is prevalent in most child-bearing women. It fluctuates month by month, and yet, there is no promising treatment. The Q-switched neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (QS-Nd:YAG) laser (1,064-nm wavelength) was introduced in Asia years ago for both skin toning and treatment of facial pigment. This low-fluence, 1,064-nm QS-Nd: YAG laser also reportedly improved melasma. Adjunctive treatments such as vitamin C iontophoresis or chemical peels were recommended in other reports. The technique using the 1,064-nm QS-Nd:YAG laser for toning and the enhancement of adjunctive treatments need further investigation and long-term follow-up before recommendations for the ideal protocol for melasma treatment can be made. The aim of this study is to evaluate the improvement of melasma using different parameters with the 1,064-nm QS-Nd:YAG laser with ultrasonic application of topical vitamin C. Eight patients, ranging in age from 32 to 45 years (mean 37 years), with long-term melasma were studied. Most of the melasma cases were dermal or mixed-type melasma. The patients had no cosmetic treatment (laser, intense pulsed light, or chemical peel) 1 year prior to the study. The entire face of each patient was treated with the 1,064-nm QS-Nd:YAG laser for four sessions at 1-month intervals. The laser treatment was divided into three parts with different parameters. First, each patient underwent whole face exposure for one pass with an 8-mm spot size at a power of 2.0 J/cm(2). Next, the spot size was shifted to 6 mm at a power of 3.5 J/cm(2) for one full-face pass, and then ended with a 4-mm spot size at 3.2 J/cm(2) for one full-face pass, with multiple passes for the main lesions. The end point was mild erythema and swelling, without petechiae. All patients applied ice packs for 5 min before the adjunctive treatment. We designed a split-face study with or without ultrasonic application of topical vitamin C. Only the right side of the face received ultrasonic melasma application of vitamin C for 15 min after ice packing. The left side of the face was covered with a moisturizing lotion. Objective evaluation was performed with visual analog score. All eight patients completed the 3-month follow-up after the four laser treatments. Statistics showed significant improvement with ultrasonic application of vitamin C compared to laser monotherapy. The improvement was more pronounced during second to fourth sessions. There was no rebound or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation detected during the 3-month follow-up period. The combination of 1,064-nm QS-Nd:YAG laser treatment with ultrasonic application of topical vitamin C exerted more prompt response of melasma. We recommended this protocol including mixed parameters of 1,064-nm QS-Nd:YAG laser toning ...

To evaluate efficacy and safety of picosecond 755 nm alexandrite laser as compared to 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG laser for melasma treatment in Asians. Twelve patients received 4 sessions of treatments at 1-month interval in a split-face manner. The right side of each patient's face received 755 nm picosecond laser, and the other side received 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG laser. Zoom handpiece of 755 nm picosecond laser at fluence of 0.88-1.18 J/cm was applied. The treatment protocol used for 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG laser was 8 mm spot size at fluence of 2.0 J/cm initially followed by 6 mm spot size at fluence of 3.5 J/cm, and finishing with 4 mm spot size at 3.2 J/cm. For both 755 nm picosecond laser and 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG laser, the endpoint was mild erythema and swelling without petechiae. Objective evaluation with visual analogue score was conducted by two independent physicians. Subject self-assessment for each patient was conducted as well. Statistical results showed that higher pigmentation clearance rate was achieved at the 755 nm picosecond laser side after the second treatment. At the 3 months follow-up, greater clearance was observed at the 755 nm picosecond laser side compared to the 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG side. 755 nm alexandrite picosecond laser has been observed to achieve a faster and better clearance rate for melasma compared to 1064 nm QS-Nd:YAG laser. We conclude that the 755 nm picosecond laser could be a safe and effective modality for melasma treatment in Asians.

Previous studies have shown that single or multiple treatments by focused ultrasound are effective and safe. However, most include focused ultrasound only and not radio-frequency treatment. There is paucity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements and pictures in the literature. This study aimed to assess the efficacy, safety, and pain and satisfaction levels of the combination therapy of focused ultrasound and radio-frequency for improving body contours. Thirty-two Asian patients received 3 sequential treatments every 2 weeks in the abdominal region. Safety parameters and adverse events were recorded. The subjects' pain and satisfaction levels were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale. Two patients underwent MRI study randomly. There was a mean reduction in circumference of 3.91 ± 1.8 cm (p ≤ 0.001). In MRI measurement, the average in fat thickness reduction was 21.4 and 25% on the upper and lower abdomen, respectively. There were three mild and self-limited localized adverse events. The satisfaction survey showed that 71.9% was satisfied with the results, while pain level evaluation showed that 90.5% felt no pain. Combination therapy of focused ultrasound and radio-frequency for noninvasive body contouring is an effective, safe, and painless procedure in Asians. Although the change is minor compared to traditional surgical procedure, it is real, definite, and effective.

The ablative fractional Er:YAG laser with coagulation mode is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe atrophic acne scars, with acceptable downtime and high satisfaction in Asian patients.

The QSNYL is a safe and effective rejuvenation modality in Asian patients. Topical carbon solution application did not enhance laser efficacy.