News

Chicago - Acne, common in women of all ages, can be treated differently depending in part upon age, according to Julie C. Harper, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham.

London - Lichen myxedematosus (LM) is not a single disease, but represents two clinicopathologic subsets that are important to distinguish because they differ with respect to prognosis and treatment, said Franco Rongioletti, M.D., at the annual meeting of the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology.

San Diego - A multitude of fungi live in our ecosystem, and we can hope for peaceful coexistence with them - staying free from infection - but this is not always the rule. Sometimes when the immune system takes a turn for the worse fungi seize the opportunity to multiply and clinical presentation is the result.

San Francisco - A new study is providing additional support for the controversial hypothesis that exposure to solar ultraviolet B (UVB) protects against many forms of cancer through photosynthesis of vitamin D.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Muslims in Malaysia may have to learn to live with their wrinkles after the country's top Islamic xbody ruled against Botox (Allergan) injections.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been recognized as a health problem for more than 20 years.

Eckley M. Keach's article in the June 2006 issue of Dermatology Times ("Successful malpractice defense lies in body of evidence") provides tips for dermatologists to reduce the risk of malpractice liability from treating high-risk melanoma patients.

I recently moderated numerous advisory panels during which we spoke to 226 practicing specialists in the field of dermatology on the topic of rosacea management. The panels were conducted across the United States and included dermatologists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. We met in small groups, mixing didactic presentations with open-ended discussions. We discussed a wide array of topics, from the history of rosacea therapies in the United States to new frontiers for topical treatments.

My professional life has changed radically over the past several months. I have left academic medicine and have started a private practice. Living in the professional cocoon of the university, I had absolutely no idea of the complexities, pressures, anxieties and great joy associated with this enterprise. I never dreamed that I would be paying a practice management consultant, a phone installation consultant, an employee health insurance agent, a computer consultant, an office security consultant, a janitorial consultant and the credit card processing company sales associate to provide advice.

Schaumburg, Ill. -- The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) hopes results of its recent iPLEDGE survey will prompt changes in the federal isotretinoin registry, which doctors and patients say is cumbersome and frustrating and hampers the delivery of quality medical care.

Parkville, Victoria, Australia -- Researchers here report that patient-applied ointment comprising 0.1 percent diphencyprone and 15 percent salicylic acid in white soft paraffin is effective in treating palmoplantar warts.

Washington -- In a move considered by many to be long overdue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a sunscreen product that contains Mexoryl, an ingredient considered to be more effective than other filters in protecting the skin against the sun's potentially damaging UVA rays.

National report - While rosacea remains incurable for the estimated 14 million people who suffer from the condition, treatment options are evolving to provide dermatologists with a more effective armamentarium in helping to control the condition.

National report - Results of a phase 3B study comparing once daily treatment with the new 1 percent metronidazole gel (MetroGel, Galderma) and twice daily application of 15 percent azelaic acid gel (Finacea, Intendis) demonstrate that the two products have statistically similar efficacy, safety and tolerability in the treatment of moderate papulopustular acne, says John E. Wolf, Jr., M.D., professor and chairman, department of dermatology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston.

National report - Light-based treatment, in combination with topical treatment, is effective in relieving the symptoms of rosacea such as acne, flushing and redness, one dermatologist says.

Las Vegas - Rosacea treatment has taken a giant step forward with the Food and Drug Administration's recent approval of Oracea - doxycycline controlled-release capsules made by CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals. Oracea is the first FDA-approved, orally administered, systemically delivered drug to treat rosacea. It was approved for the treatment of inflammatory papules and pustules of rosacea in adult patients, and is currently available to dermatologists.

Part of the duty of dermatologists who want to be involved in emergency work is to educate themselves, says Boris Lushniak, M.D., M.P.H., assistant commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for counterterrorism policy, and assistant surgeon general in the U.S. Public Health Service

Atlanta - The federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced that it will begin investigating a mysterious disease for which no cause has been identified - and which most medical professionals, including dermatologists, believe isn't a disease at all, but a psychotic disorder.

Bonds deserve a niche in your investment portfolio; they provide a dependable flow of income and are less risky than stocks.

Dermatologists often talk about how important it is to manage the impact of no-shows: the patients who fail to show up for appointments. But are you giving enough attention to the patients who cancel appointments?

Baltimore - Treatment for persons with numerous actinic keratoses (AKs) in an area of severely sun-damaged skin should include field therapy that can clear both the clinically evident lesions and sub-clinical danger spots, according to Anthony A. Gaspari, M.D., speaking at the East Coast Dermatology Seminar, here.

Philadelphia - There are multiple steps and mechanisms necessary for carcinogenesis, including multiple genetic alterations that cause an initiation phase, as well as microenvironmental factors that contribute to a promotion phase and a progression phase of a skin cancer.

National report - When a patient suffers damages as a result of care administered by a physician extender and a malpractice suit arises, then the physician as well as the physician extender will likely be sued, says David J. Goldberg, M.D., J.D.

National report - Some of today's newest clinical syndromes highlight the fact that diseases of other organs, including the heart, often manifest on the skin, and these skin findings can offer clues to disease severity.

Las Vegas - A nonwoven hydrofiber dressing with silver (Aquacel Ag) requires fewer dressing changes and fewer procedural medications, says Daniel M. Caruso, M.D., speaking at the annual meeting of the American Burn Association, here.

Oral isotretinoin, hormonal agents and photodynamic therapy all are effective modalities for acne treatment that work through the sebaceous gland - yet caveats apply to each.

Noninvasive skin cancer treatment can be an attractive option for patients, especially in this age of new techniques and pharmaceutical discovery. But with new and exciting advancements often come new and complex questions. Dermatology Times asked Ronald Moy, M.D., a Los Angeles Mohs surgeon and former professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Marc D. Brown, M.D., a Mohs surgeon and professor of dermatology and otolaryngology at the University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, N.Y., to discuss noninvasive skin cancer treatments.

West Haven, Conn. - The kidney cancer drug Nexavar has been granted fast track designation by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of advanced melanoma, manufacturer Bayer Pharmaceuticals announced.

National report - Antimicrobial (poly)peptides (AMPs) are an important part of the innate immune response that protects skin from infection.

Scottsdale, Ariz. - For many dermatologists, the new iPLEDGE registry has brought hassles and headaches, but there are plenty of benefits to be considered that could ultimately make the initial ordeal worthwhile, said Hilary Baldwin, M.D., at a recent meeting of the Skin Disease Education Foundation.