Platelet rich plasma application by dermapen microneedling and intradermal point-by-point injection methods, and their comparison with clinical findings and trichoscan in patients with androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a progressive hair loss disease that occurs with the effect of androgens and genetic predisposition. Hair thinning and hair loss affect people's self-confidence and self-image more than is thought. In these patients, platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment is used in addition to the limited medical treatments available. However, there is a lack of standardization for the application method of PRP treatment in the literature. The number of studies in which objective data and hair analysis parameters were revealed to demonstrate the effectiveness of PRP treatment is also very limited. In this study, it was aimed to show the efficacy of PRP treatment with trichoscan data in AGA patients and to compare dermapen-mediated microneedling and point-by-point technique injection application methods. The study was conducted with 62 male AGA patients, aged between 18 and 55 years, who applied to the University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, and ranged from Norwood-Hamilton Stage II-V. The patients were randomly divided into two groups and one group was given microneedling with a dermapen, an electrical device that makes automatic needling, and the other group was given manual injection with point-by-point technique with a 30-gauge needle. Before the first treatment, each patient underwent a trichoscan hair analysis evaluation. A total of four sessions of PRP treatment were performed, as three sessions at 2-week intervals and the fourth session 1 month after the last session. The mean age of the cases was 33.13 ± 6.36. According to Norwood-Hamilton staging, stage III was detected with the highest rate of 46% (29). Hair pulling test became significantly negative after treatment (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in trichoscan analysis parameters for hair count, hair density, terminal hair count, and terminal hair density in both groups compared to pretreatment (p < 0.05). Between the groups, a statistically significant difference was found between the averages of anagen hair, telogen hair, and hair length in the dermapen treated group compared to the group treated with the point-by-point technique. In our study, the efficacy of PRP treatment for AGA patients was demonstrated by trichoscan parameters. Among the PRP application methods, dermapen-mediated application was found to be superior to the point-by-point technique in terms of anagen, telogen, and average hair length parameters.

Dermatological signs in liver transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the number of liver transplantations for advanced-stage liver diseases has considerably increased and the patients have a wide range of dermatologic manifestations. AIM: This study aims to reveal cutaneous, mucosal, and nail lesions in liver transplant recipients in quite large patient series. PATIENTS/METHODS: The study included 520 patients in the Inonu University Liver Transplantation Institute. New and followed-up patients attended to the study between May and October 2019. The patients were examined by a dermatologist, and their data were recorded. RESULTS: The study included 163 female and 357 male patients with the main age of 44.20 ± 18.18 (range: 1-83 years), and 465 livers (89.4%) were taken from live donors, while 54 livers (10.4%) were taken from cadavers. A total of 314 (60.4%) patients had dermatophyte infections, 174 (33.4%) patients had pathological nail changes, and 427 (82.1%) patients had oral mucosal lesions. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed in 9 (1.73%) patients after the transplantation, and 5 patients died of GVHD. Four patients had cutaneous malignancies. CONCLUSIONS: Tumoral and nontumoral dermatological diseases may be encountered following the transplantation depending on underlying liver disease, immunosuppressive treatment, the graft itself, or any primary cutaneous disease. Liver transplantation recipients require a multidisciplinary clinical approach, and dermatological care must be an integral part of this approach.

Increased frequency of Demodex blepharitis in rosacea and facial demodicosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Rosacea is an inflammatory disease with 50% of ocular involvement rate. Primary demodicosis is an eruption caused by Demodex mites, and there is no data about the rate of ocular involvement in primary demodicosis. AIMS: In this cross-sectional study, it is aimed to reveal the frequency of Demodex blepharitis in rosacea and primary demodicosis patients. METHODS: In total, 58 rosacea, 33 primary demodicosis patients, and 31 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Four samples were obtained from eyelashes with a forceps and from facial skin by standardized skin surface biopsy. A positive result is described as detecting at least one Demodex mite on an eyelash or at five mites in the face. The patients were also examined by an ophthalmologist in terms of ocular involvement. RESULTS: Both rosacea and primary demodicosis patients had significantly more complaints like burning and stinging in the eyes compared to the control patients (P = .001). Primary demodicosis and papulopustular rosacea patients had the highest numbers of eyelash mites, respectively, and significantly a higher rate of blepharitis than the control group. CONCLUSION: As a result, the Demodex count was significantly higher in the primary demodicosis and rosacea patients than the control group. We think that every Demodex-positive patients should be evaluated for also eyelash mites to prevent a possible chronic blepharitis.