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Diagnostics
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Dermatology and Venereology: Diagnosis and Management
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Dermatology and Venereology: Diagnosis and Management

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 2489

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Giulia Ciccarese

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Guest Editor
Dermatology and Venereology, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
Interests: skin and mucosal infections; sexually transmitted infections; infectious exanthems; human papillomaviruses; syphilis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Infections of the skin and mucous membranes, as well as sexually transmitted infections represent a widespread topic for dermatologists, general practitioners and other physicians such as infectious disease specialists, gynecologists, proctologists, otolaryngologists and urologists. Dermatology and venereology also intersect with oncology about tumors of the genital and anal region, that can be linked to infections (such as human papillomaviruses) or inflammatory skin diseases or not.

The present Special Issue aims to publish the most recent research and updates in the field of dermatology and venereology. Observational, retrospective and prospective studies that aim to improve and deepen the diagnostic procedures and management of skin and mucosal infections, inflammatory diseases and neoplasms are appropriate for this Special Issue.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: skin infections, sexually transmitted infections, skin and mucosal tumors, exanthems, enanthems and adverse skin reactions to drugs.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Giulia Ciccarese
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • skin infections
  • sexually transmitted infections
  • human papillomavirus
  • syphilis
  • pityriasis rosea
  • exanthem

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1369 KiB  
Article
Successful Retrieval of Human Papillomavirus DNA in Veil-Based Collected Female Genital Secretions After Long-Term Storage in Universal Transport Medium
by Jonathan Muwonga Tukisadila, Juval Avala Ntsigouaye, Serge Tonen-Wolyec, Ralph-Sydney Mboumba Bouassa, Jeremie Muwonga and Laurent Belec
Diagnostics 2025, 15(9), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15091079 - 24 Apr 2025
Viewed by 255
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The surveillance of viral strain evolution is needed during prophylactic HPV vaccination programs against cervical cancer and necessitates safely archiving and storing cervical samples while maintaining the long-term stability of HPV DNA to carry out molecular diagnosis. The present proof-of-concept study [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The surveillance of viral strain evolution is needed during prophylactic HPV vaccination programs against cervical cancer and necessitates safely archiving and storing cervical samples while maintaining the long-term stability of HPV DNA to carry out molecular diagnosis. The present proof-of-concept study aimed to assess DNA stability for HPV molecular detection from veils resuspended in a universal transport medium (UTM) and conserved at different temperatures after long-term storage. Methods: The detection and quantification of HPV DNA were evaluated in female genital secretions self-collected using veils and conserved in Cyt-All® UTM at −30 °C, +4 °C, and +25 °C after long-term 27-month storage. Results: A slight degradation of the ubiquitous single-copy cellular DNA TOP3 gene was assessed using multiplex real-time PCR (BMRT Human Papillomavirus Genotyping Real Time PCR Kit, Bioperfectus Technologies Co., Ltd., Taizhou, Jiangsu, China) at positive temperatures (+4 °C and +25 °C) but not at a frozen temperature (−30 °C) after 27 months of storage. Nevertheless, HPV DNA preservation was sufficient at the three storage temperatures to detect and quantify HPV DNA, with a similar rate of HPV detection, a similar level of cumulative HPV viral loads, high sensitivity and specificity, and perfect concordance in HPV genotype detection after the long period of 27 months of storage. Finally, the conservation of genital samples for a prolonged period in the Cyt-All® medium, even at room temperature, allows for the detection and quantification of any HPV and HR-HPV with high accuracy. Conclusions: The combination of veil-based self-sampling of female genital secretions and their elution and conservation in UTM may be used in the field to carry out longitudinal molecular epidemiology surveys of circulating HPV. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dermatology and Venereology: Diagnosis and Management)
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15 pages, 934 KiB  
Article
Prevalence, Incidence and Predictors of Anal HPV Infection and HPV-Related Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions in a Cohort of People Living with HIV
by Margherita Sambo, Alessandra Bailoni, Federico Mariani, Massimo Granai, Natale Calomino, Virginia Mancini, Anna D’Antiga, Francesca Montagnani, Mario Tumbarello, Stefano Lazzi, Franco Roviello and Massimiliano Fabbiani
Diagnostics 2025, 15(2), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15020198 - 16 Jan 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 771
Abstract
Background: Anal HPV infection can cause squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), which are precursors of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The early detection of HPV infections and improvement of effective screening programmes are, therefore, essential to prevent progression from pre-cancerous lesions to SCC, especially [...] Read more.
Background: Anal HPV infection can cause squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), which are precursors of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The early detection of HPV infections and improvement of effective screening programmes are, therefore, essential to prevent progression from pre-cancerous lesions to SCC, especially in people living with HIV (PLWH), who represent a population at higher risk of HPV infection and associated lesions. Among prevention strategies, HPV vaccination is relevant too, but its efficacy in persons already infected by HPV is still debated. Methods: This is a retrospective single-center study on a cohort of PLWH who performed longitudinal screening for anal dysplasia and HPV infection. The screening included cytological and molecular analyses. Results: A total of 110 PLWH performed at least one anal HPV screening, with an overall prevalence of HPV infection of 86.4% [23.6% low risk (LR)-HPV and 62.7% high risk (HR)-HPV genotypes]. Abnormal cytology was demonstrated in 39.1% of subjects, of whom ASCUS 6.4%, LSIL 30.9% and HSIL 1.8%. In total, 80 patients (72.7%) had an available longitudinal screening. No patient developed SCC during follow-up. However, a high incidence of new cytological abnormalities and new HPV infections was observed. On the other side, clearance of some HPV genotypes was also frequent, confirming that HPV infection is a dynamic process. A CD4 cell count > 500/mmc was an independent predictor of HPV clearance. HPV vaccination was performed on 30.9% of patients. A trend toward an increased clearance of HPV genotypes included in 9-valent vaccine was observed in vaccinated patients (40.6% versus 30.8% in unvaccinated, p = 0.079). Conclusions: A high prevalence of HPV infection and SILs was observed in our cohort of PLWH. A high incidence of new HPV infections and HPV-associated lesions was also observed in the longitudinal cohort, highlighting the need of strengthening immunization programs and continuous screening for anal HPV infection. Whether HPV vaccination may be efficacious in patients already infected by HPV remains to be determined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dermatology and Venereology: Diagnosis and Management)
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Review

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13 pages, 265 KiB  
Review
How to Effectively Communicate Dismal Diagnoses in Dermatology and Venereology: From Skin Cancers to Sexually Transmitted Infections
by Giulia Ciccarese, Francesco Drago, Astrid Herzum, Mario Mastrolonardo, Laura Atzori, Caterina Foti and Anna Graziella Burroni
Diagnostics 2025, 15(3), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15030236 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1062
Abstract
Background/Objectives: One of the problematic situations dermatologists face with their patients is communicating dismal diagnoses. Examples are the diagnosis and prognosis of skin cancers like melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma and the disclosure of the chronic nature of a disease that requires [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: One of the problematic situations dermatologists face with their patients is communicating dismal diagnoses. Examples are the diagnosis and prognosis of skin cancers like melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma and the disclosure of the chronic nature of a disease that requires long-term therapies or can lead to scarring or disfiguring conditions. Likewise, receiving a diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection can be a shocking event that can also put into question the patient’s relationship with his/her partner/partners. Some oncology and internal medicine protocols have been developed to support delivering distressing information. Regrettably, no consensus guidelines exist in dermatology, sexually transmitted infections, or other medical specialties. Methods: The protocols available in the literature to guide the disclosure of a dismal diagnosis have been reviewed in the present work. Results: The different protocols consist of several steps, from 5 to 13, and most of them are summarized by acronyms, such as “SPIKES”, “ABCDE”, and “BREAKS”. The frameworks are listened to and explained in the manuscript. Conclusions: These communication models are suggested to be adapted to dermatology and sexually transmitted infections. Indeed, several studies demonstrated that training in communication skills and techniques to facilitate breaking bad news may improve patient satisfaction and physician comfort. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dermatology and Venereology: Diagnosis and Management)
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