"Functional Rhinofiller": Improvement of Nasal Airflow with Rhinofiller-A Retrospective Review.

INTRODUCTION: Rhinofiller is an aesthetic medical technique that can significantly enhance facial aesthetics by employing hyaluronic acid infiltration. The aim of this study is to review the impact of aesthetic rhinofiller on nasal airflow. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of 63 consecutive patients. The evaluation of the change in nasal respiratory flow was performed subjectively using a Likert questionnaire and objectively using a rhinomanometer, which enabled active anterior rhinomanometry (AAR). Data were collected at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Among the 63 patients, the questionnaire responses resulted statistically significant both after the treatment and at the 6-month follow-up (p=0.00001). A statistically significant improvement was also observed at the rhinomanometric evaluation between pre-intervention and post-intervention (p=0.006 at 74 Pa, p=0.002 at 100 Pa, and p=0.001 at 150 Pa) and at the 6-month follow-up (p=0.008 at 74 Pa, p=0.003 at 100 Pa, and p=0.002 at 150 Pa). Differences between results were established with a Student's t-test. All p-values were two-tailed, and a value < 0.05 was considered significant. CONCLUSIONS: Rhinofiller can be a valuable aid in enhancing both nasal airflow and facial aesthetics. Based on our experience, it resulted in an immediate post-operative improvement in nasal airflow that remains stable in the subsequent 6 months. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 . IV: Non-Surgical Procedures.

Development of a Short Questionnaire for the Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency in Italian Adults: The EVIDENCe-Q Project.

Background: To develop and validate a questionnaire for the screening of Vitamin D in Italian adults (Evaluation Vitamin D dEficieNCy Questionnaire, EVIDENCe-Q). Methods: 150 participants, attending the 11Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics Operative Unit, Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, of Pavia were enrolled. Demographic variables and serum levels of vitamin D were recorded. The EVIDENCe-Q included information regarding factors affecting the production, intake, absorption and metabolism of Vitamin D. The EVIDENCe-Q score ranged from 0 (the best status) to 36 (the worst status). Results: Participants showed an inadequate status of Vitamin D, according to the current Italian reference values. A significant difference (p < 0.0001) in the EVIDENCe-Q score was found among the three classes of vitamin D status (severe deficiency, deficiency and adequate), being the mean score higher in severe deficiency and lower in the adequate one. A threshold value for EVIDENCe-Q score of 23 for severe deficiency, a threshold value of 21 for deficiency and a threshold value of 20 for insufficiency were identified. According to these thresholds, the prevalence of severe deficiency, deficiency and insufficiency was 22%, 35.3% and 43.3% of the study population, respectively. Finally, participants with EVIDENCe-Q scores <20 had adequate levels of vitamin D. Conclusions: EVIDENCe-Q can be a useful and easy screening tool for clinicians in their daily practice at a reasonable cost, to identify subjects potentially at risk of vitamin D deficiency and to avoid unwarranted supplementation and/or costly blood testing.

Consensus report on the use of PN-HPT™ (polynucleotides highly purified technology) in aesthetic medicine.

BACKGROUND: Injective procedures using polynucleotides-based products to promote dermal rejuvenation and revitalization are steadily evolving, yet no structured protocols are available that discuss and provide guidance in aesthetic treatments with highly purified polynucleotides. The goal of this document was to provide consensus-based recommendations for the safe and effective use of Polynucleotides Highly Purified Technology™ (PN-HPT™) devices for skin rejuvenation. PATIENTS/METHODS: A team of eight experts with extensive experience in treatments for skin rejuvenation and revitalization integrated the best available evidence and clinical judgment and devised a series of practical guidance to support dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and aesthetic physician in the use of PN-HPT™ products, alone and in combination, in aesthetic medicine. RESULTS: For most items, the expert group achieved a majority consensus. "Recommendations" (consensus >80%) were reached for the face, periocular area, décolleté and neck, hands, scalp, and stretch marks. Recommendations include details of techniques, information on dosage, volumes to be injected, and the ideal number of required treatment sessions, as well as time intervals between them for different areas of face and body. A lower agreement level of 60% was reached on but one item related to the initial treatment cycle for the face, leading to a "Consensus statement" for that area instead of a full "Recommendation." CONCLUSION: The expert consensus illustrates the value of natural-origin, highly purified polynucleotides (PN-HPT™) as biostimulatory booster strategy for skin priming and revitalization of face and body and provides a detailed guide for the use.

Personal Technique of Microinfiltration With Botulin Toxin: The SINB Technique (Superficial Injection Needling Botulinum).

The superficial injection needling botulinum (SINB) technique is the dermal injection of microdoses of botulin toxin, not by traditional syringe but with needling technique that consists in multiple microdroplets by electrical device. The intention is to decrease sweat and sebaceous gland activity to improve skin texture and sheen and to target the superficial layer of muscles that find attachment to the undersurface of the dermis causing visible rhytides. The technique is for treatment of face and neck by the injection of the botulin toxin into the dermis or in subdermal plane to improve skin texture, smoothen horizontal creases, and decrease vertical banding of the neck as well as to achieve better apposition of the platysma to the jawline and neck, improving contouring of the cervicomental angle. The botox solution is hyperconcentrated when compared to traditional dilution or compared to microbotox or mesobotox. Furthermore, the injection technique is different because spreading superficial microdroplets are not performed, but small, homogeneous, and controlled amounts of solution are injected. Each 0.8-mL syringe contains 50 units of onabotulinumtoxinA. The solution is delivered intradermally, using an electrical needling pen and setting the depth penetration of the needles at 3 to 3.5 mm. The 2 conjugated techniques play a 2-fold action on the skin. The technique was applied to a group of 63 patients dealing with face, forehead, cheekbones, and neck.

La technique d'injection superficielle de botuline à l'aiguille (SINB d'après l'acronyme anglais) consiste à procéder à l'injection dermique de microdoses de toxine botulique, non pas à l'aide de la seringue habituelle, mais d'une technique à l'aiguille constituée de multiples microgouttes injectées par un dispositif électrique. On vise ainsi à réduire l'activité sudoripare et sébacée pour améliorer la texture et la brillance de la peau et cibler la couche superficielle des muscles attachés à la face inférieure du derme, responsables de rhytides visibles. La technique vise le traitement de la face et du cou par l'injection de toxine botulique dans le derme ou le plan sous-cutané pour améliorer la texture de la peau, lisser les plis horizontaux, réduire les bandes verticales du cou, obtenir une meilleure apposition du muscle peaucier sur les maxillaires et le cou et ainsi améliorer le contour de l'angle cervicomentonnier. La solution de botox est hyperconcentrée par rapport à la dilution habituelle ou à la dilution au microbotox ou au mésobotox. De plus, la technique d'injection est différente puisqu'on n'étend pas de microgouttes superficielles, mais qu'on injecte de petites quantités de solutions homogènes et contrôlées. Chaque seringue de 0,8 mL contient 50 unités d'onabotulinum toxine A. La solution est administrée par voie intradermique au moyen d'un stylo injecteur électrique dont la profondeur d'insertion se situe entre 3,0 et 3,5 mm. Les deux techniques conjuguées ont une double action sur la peau. La technique a été utilisée dans un groupe de 63 patients, sur le visage, le front, les pommettes et le cou.

Intradermal therapy (mesotherapy) with lymdiaral in chronic venous insufficiency and associated fibrosclerotic edema damage: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) induces alterations that cause fibrosclerotic edema of the subcutaneous tissue. This study examined the effects of a complex naturopathic compound with vasoactive and antiedema activities (Lymdiaral®) administered intradermally. PATIENTS: 40 patients with signs and symptoms of CVI and associated fibrosclerotic edema of the subcutaneous tissue. OUTCOME MEASURES: Efficacy was assessed by using clinical investigation, subjective and objective measures, and ultrasonography performed at baseline and after treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients completed the study; 6 of the original 40 (15%) had stopped for reasons unrelated to study treatment. The treatment was well tolerated. Fifteen adverse reactions were reported among a total of 378 doses administered (3.97%). None of these reactions were severe or required discontinuation of treatment. Subjective symptoms and objective measures improved, and ultrasonography showed statistically significant changes in hypodermal thickness of the medial aspect of the knees. CONCLUSIONS: Its open-label design and small sample size notwithstanding, this study indicates that intradermal therapy, according to the recommendation of the Italian Society of Mesotherapy, may provide a valuable contribution to the treatment of CVI and related fibrosclerotic edema of the subcutaneous tissue by prolonging the local effect of the pharmacologically active compounds. Comparative studies are needed to identify the broader clinical and economic benefits of local therapy compared with other systemic therapies.