News

San Francisco -- It might not be the first, second, or even third treatment modality that is the charm for a chronic wound, but once the appropriate therapy is identified, the patient should have noticeable improvement within three to four weeks, Marketa Limova, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Bal Harbour, Fla. - The excessive sweating of hyperhidrosis causes significant stress and has been shown to affect quality of life, especially in those who develop it at a young age. Of all the treatments available today, one of the safest and most effective for hyperhidrosis patients is botulinum toxin, according to Leslie Baumann, M.D.

Birmingham, England - Uncomplicated hemangiomas that clear well with a pulsed dye laser (PDL) are probably limited to superficial lesions that would have resolved without treatment, according to Kapila Batta, M.D.

La Jolla, Calif. - Physicians long have been pivotal in protecting children. But recognizing behavioral and social problems in addition to making medical diagnoses might be more important than ever. Juveniles ages 12-17 who were the victims of a serious violent crime in 1999 knew their offenders 64 percent of the time, and one-third of sexual assaults are committed against children younger than 12 years old, according to FBI data compiled by the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

Bal Harbour, Fla. - Genetic updates on neurofibromatosis and tuberous sclerosis and Langerhans cell histiocytosis presentation in the neonatal period were among the topics discussed by Lawrence F. Eichenfield, M.D., clinical professor of pediatrics and medicine (dermatology), University of California, San Diego, at the annual meeting of the Masters of Pediatrics, hosted by the University of Miami School of Medicine.

Maui, Hawaii - Preliminary results from an open-label study suggest PUVA-bexarotene is a safe and effective combination regimen for the treatment of early cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), Joan Guitart, M.D., said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar, sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation.

Bal Harbour, Fla. - The use of topically applied immune response modifier imiquimod (Aldara) goes beyond its FDA-approved application for the treatment of genital and perianal warts.

San Francisco - Based on the theory that rosacea shares the same inflammatory features of acne, a recent study showed that, just as the combination of benzoyl peroxide 1 percent and clindamycin 5 percent gel is a powerful treatment modality for reducing Propionibacterium acnes levels, it also significantly reduces the papules and pustules of rosacea, according to Debra L. Breneman, M.D.

Maui, Hawaii - A 12-week dose-finding study evaluating oral pimecrolimus for the treatment of chronic plaque-type psoriasis has yielded encouraging safety and efficacy results, Alice B. Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar, sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation.

San Francisco -- Results from Phase III clinical trials support the efficacy and safety of efalizumab (Raptiva), the humanized CD-11a monoclonal antibody, as a chronic treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, Kim A. Papp, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

San Francisco - The anti-CD40 ligand monoclonal antibody IDEC-131, manufactured by IDEC Pharmaceuticals, was developed to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as psoriasis. IDEC-131 targets the CD40 ligand on T cells and regulates the interaction between T cells and B cells.

Boston - Herpes zoster infection rates in individuals living with HIV-1 infection have not improved since the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), according to research presented here at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.

Maui, Hawaii - Is it less important to treat onychomycosis in older patients? Do they just not care to bother? Is it a lack of prescription coverage?

Galveston, Texas - A recent analysis of data from an ongoing open-label trial provides strong validation of an earlier finding that adjunctive treatment of acute herpes zoster using the anticonvulsant drug gabapentin (Neurontin) dramatically reduces the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, Mathijs H. Brentjens, M.D.

Washington - A spate of deaths and other significant risks prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a public-health advisory regarding the safety of topical formulations of Lindane shampoo and lotion products for the treatment of scabies and lice.

San Francisco - Inamed Corp. received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to compete against what it considers a formidable foe - its own ZyDerm and ZyPlast products.

Q My insurance agent is recommending that I purchase life insurance in order to pay for my estate taxes. Does this strategy make sense?

Most of you know by now that simply deleting material will not erase it from your hard disc. Until the space on your hard disc occupied by deleted files is used for some other purpose - or is deliberately erased - the "deleted" files will remain and easily can be recovered. Medical and personal files thus remain at risk for accidental or deliberate recovery and misuse until the physical space they occupied is deliberately overwritten or erased.

Q. Why do sunscreens cause "break outs" in adolescent patients?

San Francisco - When a dermatologist treats a patient with scleromyxedema, the therapy strategies are often limited and based on a review of the scant case reports in the literature.

Washington - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in late March approved a liquid decontamination lotion for soldiers exposed to chemical weapons. Called Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion (RSDL), the product is designed as a single-use sponge pad and is meant to be applied immediately after contamination.

Rancho Mirage, Calif. - Stem cells that exist in the skin and in hair follicles are important targets for delivering genes if physicians are to achieve longterm expression of a favorable genetic characteristic, Jonathan Vogel, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

There was nothing in his early years that could have predicted what life held for Marcus A. Conant, M.D. His father, who worked for the IRS when Marcus was born in Jacksonville, Fla., a few years before World War II, was called to serve in the war when Marcus was still very young.

Q. I am currently fully invested in a variety of individual stocks and equity mutual funds and am concerned about the market's volatility and recent drop, even though I don't plan on needing the money for another 10 to 15 years. Does it make sense to sell now and buy back at a later date, or should I remain fully invested?

Any medical practice can be embezzled, although several safeguards can help prevent it from occurring and allow you to be compensated if it does. One critical practice, according to Ken Gross, M.D., is to make sure you're not cooking the books yourself: no under-the-table payments, no draws off the top, no missing tax payments.

More than 500,000 troops are expected to receive the smallpox vaccination as America braces for war in Iraq. Many already have begun the process. They are not alone. From the Office of Homeland Security to city councils across the country, folks are revamping contingency plans to keep pace with possible threats against the country. For the first time in recent history, U.S. physicians have inherited the daunting task of recognizing and containing a biological attack on U.S. soil.

The U.S. Treasury Department is turning one of the most complex areas of our tax law on its head. Soon the government will no longer require all expenditures made to acquire, create, or enhance intangible assets to be automatically capitalized rather than deducted as a legitimate expense of the dermatology practice.

How much is too much to pay for a new dermatological drug? Your answer likely will depend on whether you're a developer or doctor, a patient or a third-party payer. Regardless of one's perspective, it doesn't take a medical degree to recognize the fact that prescription prices have risen precipitously in recent years, a trend which continued in 2002 and is expected to persist well beyond this year.

With one in four children at risk for becoming overweight and one in 10 children already overweight, childhood obesity is an epidemic fast becoming a national health problem.

Oklahoma City - Results of preclinical and initial clinical studies indicate the investigational compound CX-452 has promising activity as a highly safe and very effective topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory and anti-aging agent, Bryan B. Fuller, Ph.D., said.