Comparison of COVID-19 and common cold chemosensory dysfunction.

Anosmia constitutes a prominent symptom of COVID-19. However, anosmia is also a common symptom of acute colds of various origins. In contrast to an acute cold, it appears from several questionnaire-based studies that in the context of COVID-19 infection, anosmia is the main rhinological symptom and is usually not associated with other rhinological symptoms such as rhinorrhoea or nasal obstruction. Until now, no study has directly compared smell and taste function between COVID-19 patients and patients with other causes of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) using valid and reliable psychophysical tests. In this study, we aimed to objectively assess and compare olfactory and gustatory functions in 10 COVID-19 patients (PCR diagnosed, assessed on average 2 weeks after infection), 10 acute cold (AC) patients (assessed before the COVID-19 outbreak) and 10 healthy controls, matched for age and sex. Smell performance was assessed using the extended "Sniffin' Sticks" test battery (4), while taste function was assessed using "taste strips" (5). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were built to probe olfactory and gustatory scores in terms of their discrimination between COVID-19 and AC patients. Our results suggest that mechanisms of COVID-19 related olfactory dysfunction are different from those seen in an AC and may reflect, at least to some extent, a specific involvement at the level of central nervous system in some COVID-19 patients. In the future, studies to assess the prevalence of persistent anosmia and neuroanatomical changes on MRI correlated to chemosensory function, will be useful to understand these mechanisms.

A rare case of Brooke-Spiegler syndrome: integrated surgical treatment of multiple giant eccrine spiradenomas of the head and neck in a young girl.

INTRODUCTION: The authors present a "four-step" integrated surgical protocol to treat a rare case of multiple giant eccrine spiradenoma (ES) of the head and neck in a young patient. PRESENTATION OF CASE: An 18-year-old female patient presented with multiple swellings in the head and neck regions. The patient had a severe psychological trauma with a negative impact on her social life. Physical examination revealed multiple papulo-nodular swellings measuring between 5 cm × 8 cm and up to 10 cm × 20 cm in size with cerebriform aspect and soft consistency. Major lesions were located in the scalp, frontal area, neck, occipitotemporal, and retroauricular regions. Tissue biopsy found a benign composite adnexal neoplasm consisted in ES, trichoepithelioma, and cylindroma, a typical feature of Brooke-Spiegler Syndrome. A staged excision was planned, and available reconstructive options were considered. Scalp reconstruction included tissue expansions, advancement flaps, skin grafts, and dermal regeneration template (Integra®). All treatments were successful, and no recurrence was observed. The patient returned to a normal social life, and a radical excision with satisfying aesthetic results was achieved. DISCUSSION: Although adnexal tumors are benign in most of the cases, these lesions are prone to arise in the craniofacial region, thereby causing aesthetic discomfort associated with pain, hemorrhage, and infection to the patient every day. Furthermore, there is a potential risk of malignant transformation. These concerns demonstrate the need to establish a surgical protocol for the treatment of adnexal tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Our integrated surgical approach showed excellent aesthetic and functional results with benefits to the patient's life and complete oncological excision.

The role of lipofilling in reconstructions with dermal regeneration template: clinical and histological assessment.

Skin and soft tissue reconstruction represents one of the most debated issues of plastic surgery. The advent of regenerative medicine has shown new pathways with the use of lipofilling and dermal regeneration templates. The aim of this study was to investigate the histological and clinical modifications occurring after lipofilling in the areas previously reconstructed with Integra® and an autologous thin dermal-epidermal graft. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed on nine patients to compare skin before and after lipofilling. Pre- and post-operative examinations (POSAS, VAS scale) were carried out as well as taking clinical photographs. The authors detected an overall clinical and histological improvement in all cases. Data obtained from POSAS and VAS scale showed a statistically significant (p less than 0.05) improvement concerning all variables investigated before surgery. The biopsies revealed qualitative modifications with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome stain. Immunohistochemistry with CD31 antibody also demonstrated quantitative changes with an increased number of vessels. The photographs enabled to compare the clinical situation before and after lipofilling with better aesthetic outcomes. Lipofilling gave good functional and aesthetic results in the areas treated with Integra® and autologous thin dermal-epidermal grafts.