News

Even dermatologists who have left academia value the camaraderie, challenges and flexibility to be found there.

The use of fractional ablation and photodynamic therapy (PDT) effectively treats precancerous lesions and is well-tolerated by many patients, according to an associate professor and chief of division of dermatologic and cosmetic surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

Although no large-scale studies support the utility of melanoma screening, an expert advises dermatologists to target high-risk patients to maximize the efficiency of screening efforts.

Recently, Dr. EMR spent a significant amount of money to add a comprehensive electronic health records system to his office. He has been told such a system will lessen his medical legal liability. Some of his physician friends suggest EHR systems will increase, rather than decrease, liability. Who is right?

Combining botanical products with prescription medications may provide patients with the best chance to slow down and reverse signs of aging skin. Not all botanical products are created equal, however. Formulation of the products can be as important as the ingredients themselves, according to a Miami cosmetic dermatologist.

Nanotechnology is putting a new spin on the age-old notion of gold as a skin-aging treatment, as researchers with the University of Missouri pursue a new emollient and dermal filler product that boasts gold as a key ingredient.

The importance of the role that diet, lifestyle and stress management plays in maintaining our general health and skin health has increasingly become a part of our conversation. As dermatologists, we can often read the internal health of the body, which is mirrored by the largest organ of the body - namely, the skin. In searching for a simple approach to inside/outside beauty, the concept of pH balance comes to mind.

Dermatologists who earn online continuing medical education (CME) credits playing Terra Derma, an interactive video game about malignant melanoma, may have to remind themselves that they’re not playing Super Mario Brothers.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) says it will continue to recommend that the public obtain vitamin D either from dietary supplements or foods naturally rich in or fortified with the vitamin.

Genentech, maker of an investigational oral drug targeting a mutated BRAF kinase protein, says the drug boosted overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma, though the extent to which this occurred was not disclosed, MedPage Today reports.

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel has voted unanimously to recommend approval of a new contrast agent for MRI scans, despite concerns that the agent might increase the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients, MedPage Today reports.

A government study estimates that 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that would put them at risk of being rejected by health insurance companies or having to pay more for coverage, Reuters reports.

Eighty-one percent of U.S. hospitals and 41 percent of office-based physicians say they intend to register for federal incentive payments for adoption and “meaningful use” of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology, InformationWeek.com reports.

New guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergy, released in December, will be examined by four panelists during a two-hour forum Feb. 5 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in New Orleans, the academy announced.

According to a researcher here, ultraviolet dryers used in fingernail manicuring can increase the risk of skin cancer, CBC News reports.

Researchers are studying whether an anti-malaria drug can block a cellular process that acts as a survival method for malignant cells in melanoma.

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A; onabotulinumtoxinA, Botox, Allergan) reduces responses to an inflammation-related pain stimulus when injected into the spinal canal in mice, according to a new study reported by Newswise.com.

The vast majority of parents who tested positive for a genetic mutation that increases the risk of melanoma support genetic testing of their children and grandchildren, Newswise.com reports.

PharmaDerm, based here, has announced that its Veregen Ointment (sinecatechins, 15 percent), a topical medication for the treatment of external genital and perianal warts, has been added as a new therapeutic option in the 2010 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines, PRNewswire reports.

An inability of scalp stem cells to develop into the type of cells that make hair follicles may be an underlying cause of male-pattern baldness, msnbc.com reports.

Only 25 percent of Australian adults over 40 were able to identify the skin as an organ without prompting, Australia’s HeraldSun.com.au reports.

Drugmaker Allergan is recruiting volunteers for clinical trials of a hair-growth treatment based on the active ingredient in Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, 0.03 percent), the company’s eyelash-growth treatment.

Recently released survey results suggest that a significant portion of young women who regularly use tanning beds were introduced to them by their mothers, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reports.

Swiss pharmaceutical company Galderma is close to acquiring Q-Med, the Sweden-based maker of Botox rival Restylane (hyaluronic acid), for about $970 million, Reuters reports.

Results of a new study suggest that patients - especially women - with psoriasis may be at increased risk for metabolic syndrome, MedPage Today reports.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Gardasil (human papillomavirus [HPV] quadrivalent vaccine, recombinant; Merck) for the prevention of anal cancer and associated precancerous lesions due to HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18 in people ages 9 through 26 years, PRNewswire-USNewswire reports.

Scrambling for Residents : Dermatology training programs seek altruistic students, alternate funding Decision on 'D' : IOM recommends minor boost in intakes for ‘sunshine vitamin,’ calcium Special Report : Dermatitis

The 2011 Medicare physician fee schedule published Nov. 29 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) offers valuable insight into reimbursement for 2011. The final rule adjusts work relative value units downward for many services, but dermatology emerges as one of winners, getting a 4 percent increase overall.

If the cause of a patient's dermatitis can't be completely avoided, then topical steroids are a first line of treatment in efforts to alleviate the condition. If the dermatitis is weeping, oozing or crusted, the topical steroid can be deferred a few days to allow to dermatitis to dry out somewhat.

New analyses from premarketing clinical trials show that ustekinumab (Stelara, Centocor Ortho Biotech) for moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis offers sustained efficacy and has a favorable safety and tolerability profile out to three years.