About Bianca Maria Piraccini

Prof. Piraccini has concentrated a good part of the personal scientific activity, and of the people of the research group she coordinates, on the study of the physiology and pathology of the Cutaneous Annexes and on Mycology. Her research interests are the biology of nails and hair and the development of innovative diagnostic techniques, deepening both the knowledge of the basic pathogenetic mechanisms of diseases and the clinical appearance and the development of new therapies Part of the research activity concerns skin mycology.

She has dedicated herself to research activities related to:

– nail tumors, with particular regard to the diagnosis of pigmented lesions and melanoma, identifying genetic factors, risk factors and clinical and dermoscopic characteristics;

– side effects of drugs on nails and hair, with particular regard to chemotherapyinduced alopecia, nail effects induced by taxanes, and the possible ways of prevention and treatment;

– fungal nail infections, with particular regard to the recognition of pathogens and the standardisation of care;

– non-invasive diagnosis of adnexal diseases, first defining the diagnostic dermoscopic signs of different pathologies of the nails and hair;

– quality of life of patients with hair diseases, in relation to gender, age and severity and type of alopecia;

– development of guidelines for the therapy of some forms of alopecia, including androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and frontal fibrosing alopecia;

– clinical and histopathological definition of some specific adnexal diseases, such as nail lichen planus, melanoma of the nail, pigmented nail bands of children, frontal fibrosing alopecia, erosive pustulosis of the scalp.

– Italian and global prevalence of various hair diseases, such as frontal fibrosing alopecia and alopecia areata

The scientific activity has led to the production of 240 original articles in national and international journals, of which 333 present in PuBMed (updated to 9/1/2022).