Background. Over time, the striae rubra develop into striae alba that appear white, flat, and depressed. It is very important to\r\ndetermine the optimum striae management. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these therapies, objective measurement tools\r\nare necessary. Objective. The aim of this study is to evaluate if ultrasonography and PRIMOS can be used to obtain an objective\r\nassessment of stretch marks type and stage; furthermore, we aim to apply these techniques to evaluate the efficacy of a topical\r\ntreatment.Methods. 20 volunteers were enrolled with a two-month study. A marketed cosmetic product was used as the active over\r\none body area. The controlateral area with stretch marks was treated with a ââ?¬Å?placeboââ?¬Â formulation without active, as a control.\r\nThe instrumental evaluation was carried out at the beginning of the trial (baseline values or t0), after 1 month (t1), and at the\r\nend of the study (t2). Results. PRIMOS was able to measure and document striae distensae maturation; furthermore, ultrasound\r\nimaging permitted to visualize and diagnose the striae. Statistical analysis of skin roughness demonstrated a statistically significant\r\nreduction of Rp value only in a treated group. In fact, the Rp value represented a maximum peak height in the area selected. These\r\nresults demonstrated that after two months of treatment only the striae rubra can be treated successfully. Conclusions. This work\r\ndemonstrated that the 22MHz ultrasound can diagnose stretch marks; PRIMOS device can detect and measure striae distensae type\r\nand maturation. Furthermore, the high-frequency ultrasound and the 3D image device, described in this work, can be successfully\r\nemployed in order to evaluate the efficacy of a topical treatment.
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