News

Deer Valley, Utah -- Patients seeking long-lasting cosmetic improvement without a facelift have a new treatment modality - non-ablative radiofrequency (RF) - in which improvement continues for up to six months after a single treatment.

Washington - Extensive skin cancer can be a life-ruining or even lethal event for organ transplant recipients. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Clark C. Otley, M.D., reviewed for his colleagues five lessons he learned, some times the hard way, to address this challenging problem.

Miami, Fla. - Pediatric dermatologists and pediatricians often see children with purpura, which presents cutaneously but can be a sign of systemic abnormalities.

Washington -- New therapies continue to emerge in pediatric dermatology, and recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of such therapies. Ilona J. Frieden, M.D., highlighted studies in some areas of common concern in a presentation at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington - Timely diagnosis of juvenile dermatomyositis is critical, because early aggressive management with immunosuppressive agents - even for patients with amyopathic disease - is the best method for preventing calcinosis that is a source of significant morbidity for these children, said Amy S. Paller, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Washington - Dermatologists should be aware that a number of the treatments they prescribe are associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, said Mark Lebwohl, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Boston -- Skin lesions often provide significant clues for diagnosing infections seen among international travelers. A new review of dermatologic infectious diseases in international travelers describes some of the more common conditions, and looks at changes in treatment.

Washington D.C. -- Testing conducted at the Dermatology Center at the University of Manchester's (U.K.) Hope Hospital shows magnetic resonance (MR) scanning can help dermatologists get a better subcutaneous look at patients' port wine stains. However, it fell short of providing the predictability doctors desired with respect to estimating how patients would respond to pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatments.

Washington - According to a poster study presented at the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting, oral tazarotene (Tazorac; Allergan Inc., Irvine, Calif.) gives patients with plaque psoriasis significant improvements that continue after treatment stops. The blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter study of approximately 700 patients shows that oral tazarotene delivers several advantages over existing alternatives for treating plaque psoriasis.

Wailea, Hawaii - The dermatologist should maintain a high index of suspicion and a willingness to biopsy when assessing unusual lesions of the nails, according to Richard K. Scher, M.D., who presented here in January at the 46th annual meeting of the Noah Worcester Dermatological Society.

Washington - Topical application of anti-tumor necrosis factor-? (TNF-?) monoclonal antibody (infliximab) produced dramatic improvement with wound closure in chronic, non-healing leg ulcers, said Markus Streit, M.D., department of dermatology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland.

Washington - Biological treatments for psoriasis have largely unraveled the once-secret mechanisms behind this disease. "The biologics including Amevive [alefacept], Raptiva [efalizumab], Embrel [etanercept], and Remicade [infliximab] are scientifically revolutionary and exciting," said John Y. M. Koo, M.D., who spoke about these treatments at the American Academy of Dermatology meeting. Board-certified in dermatology and psychiatry, he is professor and vice chairman of the University of California at San Francisco's department of dermatology.

Washington D.C. - By remaining aware of female patients' non-dermatologic medical issues, dermatologists can offer a suitable acne medication that will address oral contraception, as well, according to Moneera Haque.

Washington - The recently concluded American Academy of Dermatology conference witnessed the first published report documenting the safety and efficacy of the Smoothbeam laser treatment for inflammatory facial acne. Building on previous research that showed the 1,450-nm diode laser to be effective for treating inflammatory acne on the back, a team of researchers led by Paul M. Friedman, M.D., showed the same type of laser to be safe and effective for treating facial acne vulgaris.

Washington - The optimum doses of biologic treatments for psoriasis may be higher than previously believed, according to Mark Lebwohl, M.D., professor and chairman, department of dermatology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Smarts wants to start performing clinical research studies in his office. He assumes that such research will bring him the press notoriety that will boost his lagging dermatology practice. Dr. Smarts begins to evaluate a new substance for the treatment of psoriasis not approved by the FDA. He verbally tells his patients they are research "guinea pigs"; he lets them know he is able to obtain the as-of-now unobtainable material from a local compounding pharmacy.

About 15 years ago, while riding on a shuttle bus at the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting, I overheard two elderly dermatologists discussing the state of dermatology, as they perceived it. One gentleman commented that he had not seen a single advance to rival the advent of tetracycline for acne, and that most of the new treatments did not work very well. At the time, I remember thinking that these practitioners were out of touch with all of the hot new therapies for skin disorders. Since that time, as I have been bombarded by myriad new and supposedly revolutionary "advances," I, too, am beginning to question whether we should equate the concept of "newness"

Maui, Hawaii - Most research on the power of intercessory prayer indicates that it has no affect on healing. But there have been some studies suggesting otherwise; many of these were later vivisected on methodological grounds.

None of us likes to do it, but every practitioner must eventually face up to the unpleasant task of terminating an employee. "Firing people is one of the toughest, most unpleasant things you do as an employer," says James Walsh in his book, "Rightful Termination."

Wailea, Hawaii - An oral nutritional supplement can resolve both cellulite and striae on the thighs and abdomen and improve skin firmness, according to Howard Murad, M.D., who spoke here at the Noah Worcester Dermatological Society meeting. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, he and other researchers found that this supplement produced superior results over placebo. The supplement consisted of a combination of amino acids, B-vitamins, essential fatty acids and trace minerals.

Welcome to a new department in Dermatology Times. Beginning with this month's Special Report, DT will present a monthly panel review of specific cases in pediatric dermatology, an effort coordinated by editorial adviser Lawrence Schachner, M.D. In this installment, a panel of pediatric masters discusses treatment options for the unusual case of a 12-year-old Hispanic girl who was brought in by her parents for treatment of a white spot that had developed after she was out playing in the sun.

Maui, Hawaii - Some time in the not-too-distant future, people will ingest tablets for sun protection instead of slathering lotion over their bodies, according to Howard Murad, M.D. A dermatologist, pharmacist, and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA, Dr. Murad's personal quest is to develop that pill. He believes it may well contain pomegranate extract.

Waikoloa, Hawaii - Rexinoids such as bexarotene have promise as an adjunct to other immune response modifiers in the treatment of patients with progressive cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), according to Jacqueline M. Junkins-Hopkins, M.D. Such therapies are typically used in combination with interferon-alpha as well as with psoralen ultraviolet-A (PUVA) and extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP).

Washington - Today, one can hardly envision the practice of dermatology without Mohs micrographic surgery. But at one time, the technique was untested, mistrusted, and misunderstood.

Washington - In the first study of its kind, three siblings with congenital yellow nail syndrome were treated with topical vitamin E for 12 months. Upon completion of the placebo-controlled study, researchers at Yale University found that vitamin E was not statistically significant compared to placebo in meeting two clinical endpoints: nail growth and appearance.

Washington, D.C. - For patients with mild acne vulgaris and few inflammatory lesions, an over-the-counter 2 percent salicylic acid plus naturals complex is a viable and effective treatment to use over a short period of time, according to Richard S. Berger, M.D.

Washington D.C. ?? Patients with severe nodulocystic acne treated with oral tazarotene experience a substantial improvement in acne-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL), according to the results of a Phase II dose-ranging study presented by Patricia S. Walker, M.D., Ph.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Boca Raton, Fla. - Contact dermatitis from topical medications is the most common type of adverse drug reaction, and allergic contact dermatitis is the most common and most important form of contact dermatitis induced by topical drugs, according to James S. Taylor, M.D., head of the industrial dermatology section of the department of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. "Patients with medicament contact dermatitis usually have a good prognosis, but with a propensity for relapse," Dr. Taylor said.

Washington - Systemic metronidazole can be an effective treatment for erythema annulare centrifugum (EAC), according to Lucio Andreassi, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Siena, Italy. At the annual AAD meeting, Dr. Andreassi presented a case report of a patient with a two-year history of EAC who was successfully treated with a six-week course of oral metronidazole, followed by a four-week course of topical metronidazole 1 percent gel.

Maui, Hawaii - For thousands of years, people have flocked to the Dead Sea searching for relief for their itchy skin. Now, Chicago-area psoriasis and atopic dermatitis sufferers are bathing in reconstituted Dead Sea water at a suburban clinic.