Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), the fat layer surrounding blood vessels, is increasingly recognized as an active regulator of vascular function rather than a passive structural cushion. Yet whether PVAT contains functionally important sympathetic nerves has remained debated, largely because conventional two-dimensional imaging can miss sparse, spatially complex neural structures.

A new study led by the University of Plymouth has used more than six decades of data to show that plankton abundance is declining across vast swathes of the North East Atlantic – a region covering the Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to Norway, and the entirety of the North Sea.

This clinical case report highlights that generalized skin hyperpigmentation, particularly at friction and pressure sites, may be the initial and most prominent sign of Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency). Early recognition of this dermatological manifestation enables timely diagnosis and life-saving treatment, preventing potentially fatal adrenal crisis.

A retrospective ultrasound study of 76 psoriasis patients shows that six weeks of secukinumab treatment significantly reduces subclinical enthesitis—early inflammation at tendon attachment sites—suggesting early IL-17A blockade may help prevent progression to psoriatic arthritis, a disabling complication affecting up to 5.8% of Chinese psoriasis patients.

Researchers clarify a long-standing diagnostic confusion by distinguishing two distinct steroid-induced facial skin conditions: steroid-induced rosacea (SIR) and steroid-induced rosacea-like dermatitis (SIRD). This new classification provides clear clinical guidance, prevents ineffective or harmful treatments, and improves outcomes for millions of patients affected by topical steroid side effects.

A rare case of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) on the right middle finger in a 63-year-old man underscores that this common skin cancer can occur in unusual digital locations. The report emphasizes that biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis, and clinicians should include BCC in the differential diagnosis of atypical finger lesions to ensure timely treatment.

A landmark research review confirms the scientific basis for a major update to China’s 2025 clinical guidelines, which redefine postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)—the debilitating chronic pain that follows herpes zoster—as pain persisting 1 month after lesion healing, down from the previous 3-month standard. This paradigm shift will allow millions of patients to receive timely intervention before pain becomes permanent, significantly reducing the risk of lifelong suffering.