John Jesitus

Washington, D.C. - With a handful of new options expected to receive FDA approval within a year, the field of tissue augmentation stands poised to undergo a seismic shift. "The bottom line is, tissue augmentation is about to change dramatically," said Mariano E. Busso, M.D. He is clinical professor in the University of Miami's department of dermatology, chief of dermatology at Mercy Hospital, also in Miami, Fla., and a private practitioner who is board-certified in dermatology.

Washington - Attempts to explain the aging process at the cellular level have identified two main culprits - intrinsic aging and photoaging. "When referring to the skin," said Mina Yaar, M.D., "it's important to differentiate between intrinsic or chronologic aging that comprises the clinical, histologic, and physiologic changes in sun-protected skin, and photoaging, defined as the clinical, histologic, and physiologic changes in habitually sun-exposed skin." She is professor of dermatology at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Yaar will speak on molecular mechanisms in aging and photoaging at the AAD meeting scheduled here February 6-11.

New York - If two heads are better than one, imagine what 40 can do. Such was the premise of the Consensus Net Meeting on Dermoscopy (CNMD), held over a four-month period in October 2000. It joined colleagues from 13 countries to evaluate 108 pigmented skin lesions and found that diagnostic sensitivity for melanoma improves when the diagnosis is made by a consensus of multiple examiners online.

Washington, D.C. - Responding to concerns over increased malignancies seen in animal studies, a pediatric subcommittee of the FDA's Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee said topical immunosuppressant labeling should include a warning against use in children under the age of two.

New Orleans - For J. Ramsey Mellette, M.D., avoiding pincushioning of nasal flaps taken from the nasolabial fold is difficult. "A certain degree of pincushioning in a flap that is taken from the cheek and put onto the nose is inherent in the flap because it's cheek-on-nose," said Dr. Mellette, professor of dermatology and dermatologic surgery, University of Colorado at Denver's health sciences center, department of dermatology.

Barcelona - The onset age of alopecia areata (AA) peaks in both the late teens and around 30 years, according to Andrew J. G. McDonagh, M.D., consultant dermatologist (U.K.-certified in dermatology), University of Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire Hospital.

San Francisco - Free fatty acids play a role in the development of dandruff-like conditions, said Joseph R. Kaczvinsky, Jr., Ph.D., principal scientist, beauty care technology division with Procter & Gamble. Based on a study he co-authored with Thomas L. Dawson, Jr., Ph.D., and James R. Schwartz, Ph.D., he presents an advance toward understanding the cause of dandruff.

Denver - Liposuction safety is no accident, according to Robert A. Shumway, M.D., F.A.C.S.. a La Jolla, Calif.-based cosmetic surgeon and founder of the Shumway Institute of Laser and Cosmetic Surgery.

Denver - Most cannula manufacturers seem to care more about doctors' well being than that of patients, Gerhard Sattler, M.D., said here at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's world congress on liposuction. A board-certified dermatologic surgeon based in Darmstadt, Germany, Dr. Sattler presented an analysis of six common cannulas that addressed how they perform from a patient's perspective.

Denver - While new surgical tools are always welcome, doctors must not forget about the old reliable ones, Pierre F. Fournier, M.D., an aesthetic plastic surgeon b based in Paris, said at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's world congress on liposuction.

Washington, D.C. - Because dermoscopy is only as reliable as the doctor using it, researchers are striving to develop diagnostic systems that eliminate the variable of physician experience altogether. Four of these systems will be discussed during a two-hour forum as part of the AAD annual gathering in February 2004. The same systems also will be demonstrated at the conference.

Denver - Tumescent liposuction pioneer Jeffrey A. Klein, M.D., strongly advised against being overly aggressive with the procedure.

Denver - Low-level lasers could provide a safe, effective option for surgeons performing tumescent liposuction, Kimberly J. Butterwick, M.D., said at the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery's World Congress on Liposuction.