Background: Acne often results in permanent, badly tolerated, difficult to treat scars. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a 0.1% retinaldehyde/6% glycolic acid (RALGA) cream at preventing and treating acne scarring in patients previously treated for moderate acne. Methods: A double-blind vehicle-controlled study was conducted in 145 patients randomized to apply RALGAor vehicle cream every evening for 3 months. Global scarring score and patient’s assessment of global efficacy, then residual acne lesions, quality of life and tolerance were evaluated at inclusion and each month until study completion. Results: Global scarring score, number of inflammatory lesions and comedones significantly improved in each group from day 28 (p < 0.0001). Number of inflammatory lesions were significantly decreased only in the RALGA group. RALGA cream was more efficient than vehicle on scarring after 3 months in compliant patients (p = 0.007) due to erythema and hyperpigmentation improvement. Conclusion: RALGA cream is efficient at preventing and treating acne scarring in patients with moderate acne.

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We have studied psoriatic subjects with normal weight and with overweight without inherited diabetic familiarity. The results seem to indicate the existence in psoriasis of an endogenous insulin-resistence. In this prospective the hypothesis that psoriasis carries a diabetogen risk is suggested.

These findings suggest that patients with moderate-severe psoriasis might benefit from treatment with etretinate plus calcipotriol, with the aim of achieving a faster response and an overall smaller total dose of etretinate.

We have employed morphometric computerized analysis to quantify changes in atrophic skin. Atrophy was induced on volunteers by means of the Duhring chamber assay, using two commercial corticosteroids with a steroid-free base as control. After 20 days, atrophy was assessed by subjective examination and rated on a five-point scale. After 10 and 20 days, positive replicas of the areas under test were obtained. Photographic reproductions of these replicas were stored in the image memory of an interactive automatic computerized image analysis system, Kontron Zeiss Ibas 2, and processed with a suitable program. After selection of the measurement area by means of a circular measurement window, the ‘continuous tone’ image was converted to a ‘binary’ one by means of a dynamic discrimination function, in order to perform an automatic evaluation of the percentage area corresponding to the shadows cast by the surface markings. Morphometric computerized analysis proved to be a sensitive method for quantifying skin atrophy. A high degree of correspondence with subjective examination was shown. The method allows an objective differentiation between a mid-potency and a high-potency topical corticosteroid.