Pediatric Dermatology

The use of propranolol and pulsed dye laser (PDL) led to more rapid clearing of infantile hemangiomas than propranolol alone, according to a retrospective chart review presented at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

A just-published Swedish study states that a majority of children have one or more allergy-related conditions, including eczema, asthma and rhinitis.

Dermatologists’ evolving understanding of inflammatory skin diseases in children is changing the way these diseases are managed, according to Lawrence F. Eichenfield, M.D.

Biologic drugs have proven to be of benefit for diseases where there is no indicated treatment, such as for immunobullous diseases. "Pemphigus vulgaris with rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech) has been a major advance, although this is not a formally approved indication for the drug," says Alan Menter, M.D., chief, dermatology, and chairman, residency program, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas.

The unique needs of infants with severe atopic dermatitis require special attention. As such, says Mary Wu Chang, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology and pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, "This is not something you can handle in a 15-minute visit."

The Cancer Council of New South Wales says baseball caps should be banned from schools because they place children at an unacceptable risk of developing skin cancers later in life, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Teenage girls who are obese or overweight are significantly more likely to develop acne than their normal-weight peers, a new Norwegian survey suggests.

Young Australians may have the highest incidence of melanoma in the world - and may be the hardest to persuade to take steps to protect themselves from the sun’s damaging rays, the West Australian reports.

Minors in California will no longer be permitted to use tanning beds, under a bill Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Oct. 9, Reuters reports.

Although patterned pigmentation in children can include a variety of clinical findings involving neurologic, musculoskeletal and cardiac abnormalities, most localized pigmentary disorders are not associated with systemic manifestations, according to pediatric dermatologist James Treat, M.D., University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia.

Recent publications in pediatric literature are driving practice changes relative to conditions ranging from Kawasaki disease to child abuse to hemangiomas. Perhaps the most important recent pediatric publication many dermatologists may have missed addresses evaluating abuse versus accidental trauma in infants and young children, says Robert Sidbury, M.D., M.P.H., chief of pediatric dermatology and associate professor of pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital.

The number of children hospitalized for skin and soft-tissue infections, mainly due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has more than doubled over the past decade, Medical News Today reports.

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of food sensitization in children with certain single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), HealthDay News reports.

Results of a new study affirm that the beta-blocker propranolol shrinks potentially disfiguring infantile hemangiomas in young children, MedPage Today reports.

Results of a study in adolescents showing a correlation between the severity of sun damage in ultraviolet (UV) photographs and phenotypic risk factors for malignant melanoma provides further support for using UV photography in sun-protection interventions, according to Ryan G. Gamble, M.D., who spoke at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

A Danish study suggests that signs of atopy may be present long before symptoms begin, even in month-old babies, Medical News Today reports.

Lotus Tissue Repair, a start-up company created to develop a treatment for the rare genetic disease dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), has secured $26 million in financing, Xconomy.com reports.

Dermatologists welcome a recently updated policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that adds new information about sunscreen ingredients, vitamin D and the dangers of tanning for teens.

Pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment for infants with port wine stains (PWS) should be performed early and often, according to research conducted by dermatologic surgeons from the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York.

Dermatitis in children can be challenging to treat, particularly when commonly used treatment regimens fail. According to one expert, a multi-pronged treatment strategy is the best approach to help clear symptoms and control disease.

Results of a new study suggest that the beta-blocker propranolol is effective in treating infantile hemangiomas of the head and neck, MedPageToday reports.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in American children and, moreover, linked with obesity and different types of fat distribution in white and black youngsters, HealthDay News reports.

Despite recent advances, topical and systemic treatments for infantile hemangiomas need more randomized, controlled trials to help guide treatment decisions. Topical medications generally work best for localized, superficial hemangiomas, says Maria Garzon, M.D., professor of clinical dermatology and clinical pediatrics, Columbia University, New York.

Childhood eczema can have a detrimental effect not only on children who suffer from the disorder, but also for their families, Medical New Today reports.

Physicians immersed in the world of continuing medical education (CME) say big changes are happening. And doctors of all specialties, including dermatology, will be affected by the emerging CME focus: individual outcomes improvement.

Determining the proper course of treatment of hemangiomas in pediatric patients can be difficult, as clinical data are sparse. Propranolol has become increasingly popular for off-label treatment, but it comes with significant risks, says Beth A. Drolet, M.D., professor of pediatrics and dermatology, vice chairwoman of dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Parents may be unnecessarily urging their children to avoid certain foods under the mistaken belief that allergies may be triggering kids' atopic dermatitis, according to a physician.

A novel potential treatment is on the horizon for hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED), according to the director of research at a patient advocacy foundation.

After more than 20 years of widespread use, pulsed-dye lasers remain the therapy of choice in treating port wine stains in children and infants. Still, there have been no significant developments in recent years, and there is some disagreement regarding when treatment of port wine stains should begin.

Pediatric melanomas are uncommon, but because melanoma is not always as easily diagnosed in children as in adults, it is critical to perform biopsies for pediatric patients just as one would for adults, an expert says.