Objective: Previous studies conclude that high-resolution ultrasound (HRUS) enables noninvasive and accurate measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness. The primary objective of this cross-sectional study was to better characterize subcutaneous fat thickness measurements in a diverse patient population using HRUS. Secondarily, we sought to correlate these measurements with patients' body image. Methods: A cross-sectional study to measure subcutaneous fat measurements at seven distinct anatomic sites, including upper and lower extremities, submental, and torso regions, in 40 men and women of different ages and races using HRUS. Independent t-tests and analysis of variance were performed to analyze findings. Results: In our patient population, on average, women had thicker subcutaneous fat than men at all anatomic sites. Asian patients had significantly reduced fat thickness at peripheral anatomic sites, such as arms when compared to patients who identified as Black and Other (p = 0.05 and p = 0.008, respectively). Lastly, women reported decreased total body satisfaction at all anatomic sites when compared to men. Conclusion:The information obtained and methods developed in this study may be utilized clinically during patient selection for fat reduction procedures, including for estimating the degree of likely benefit; for managing pathologies involving subcutaneous fat thickness alteration; and to monitor the progression of lipodystrophy secondary to disease or drugs.

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Background. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), half of the 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur annually in youth aged 15 to 24. It is critical for dermatologists to be able to provide young patients with accessible education about how to identify, prevent, and treat these conditions. Our pilot study sought to assess the impact of a live presentation about STIs in high school students and to evaluate students’ baseline and acquired knowledge about common STIs using a before and after survey. Methods. This survey study was conducted as part of the health education curriculum at a suburban high school. An interactive scenario-based presentation about STIs was given to participants. Identical, deidentified preintervention and postintervention surveys were completed by subjects to assess their baseline and acquired knowledge of STIs. Each question was worth 1 point, for a total of 8 points. Results. 74 high school students were surveyed. Overall, there was a mean improvement of 1.85 points in the posttest score in comparison to pretest score with a standard deviation of 1.58 ( p < 0.0001 ). Among all participants, the mean pretest score was 1.07 (SD = 0.75) and the mean posttest score was 2.92 (SD = 1.59). Conclusions. This study demonstrated that many young adults are unaware of the common types of STIs, symptoms, and potential complications. While our scenario-based presentation was effective at providing understandable content to help improve students’ knowledge regarding STIs, additional educational resources in varied formats could likely further these gains.

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