News

Should I continue to allow my male patients with seborrheic dermatitis to use bar soap for hair cleansing?

Toronto - Refinement of immature scars with dermasanding is a safe, simple and low-cost technique for improving final cosmetic outcome, according to the results of an investigator-blinded, controlled study undertaken by Elena Poulos, M.D., and colleagues from the division of dermatology, Sunnybrook and Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada.

Leeds, U.K. -- Pain associated with lower extremity ulcers appears to be an under-recognized and under-treated problem, according to studies conducted by Michelle Briggs, MSc, RGN.

Paris - The nail bed is capable of regeneration and that observation introduces new concepts for nail-bed surgery, Ken Ogo, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Chicago -- Off-label experience using injectable silicone (Silikon 1000) in an investigational protocol indicates it is a highly effective and, thus far, very safe modality for treating facial lipoatrophy in HIV-infected patients, Derek H. Jones, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago - Photomodulation of cellular activity induced by low-intensity illumination from light-emitting diodes (LED) appears to have promise for treating photoaging as well as a variety of other dermatologic problems, Robert A. Weiss, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

Chicago - Nonablative treatment with an intense pulsed light (IPL) source results in clinical and histological improvements in vascular, pigmentary and dermal elastotic alterations associated with photoaging, Neil S. Sadick, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

New York - Even as biologic therapies become available, there will still be a place for acitretin, methotrexate and cyclosporin-based treatment protocols, according to Mark Lebwohl, M.D.

New York - For severe forms of psoriasis, dermatologists should choose treatments based on efficacy and rapidity of response more so than potential for chronic toxicities, according to Kenneth B. Gordon, M.D.

New Orleans - Treating some types of psoriasis - severe, scalp, arthritic, "out of town," and others - can challenge the therapeutic acumen of dermatologists.

Paris - Certain clinical and laboratory features appear to be useful markers for determining the prognosis of leukocytoclastic vasculitis, and so their identification can be helpful for guiding patient evaluation and management, Jordi Peyri, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

New York - Evaluation and management of hair loss in African American women must take into account that this condition has a wide range of potential causes and can result in a significant psychosocial burden, said Amy J. McMichael, M.D., at the annual meeting of the Skin of Color Center, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York.

Paris - Treatment for dermatomyositis (DM) begins with sun avoidance and sun-protective measures, Jeffrey P. Callen, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology. "The first line of therapy is to recognize that the patient is photosensitive."

Paris - There are many alternatives to consider for treating chronic urticaria if antihistamines fail.

Not only did dermatologists not get relief from the Medicare payment cuts imposed in 2002 because of a fee schedule glitch, now more cuts are on the way unless the

Rochester, Minn. - The misdiagnosis of skin ulcers as pyoderma gangrenosum is not uncommon and can have serious consequences for patients, according to a recent report in The New England Journal of Medicine (2002;347:1412-1418).

Washington - Tighter restrictions on Accutane could have a reverse effect - increased black market activity - the FDA told a congressional investigative subcommittee on Dec. 11.

President George W. Bush's announcement of a tiered national vaccination program for smallpox drew a quick response from the American Academy of Dermatology and prompted a fundamental debate: Should dermatologists receive the vaccine?

Toronto - A group of Canadian physicians who use Artecoll, an injectable currently awaiting FDA approval, is calling for the development of formal clinical guidelines and further research to help avoid adverse patient reactions.

San Diego - Ominous episodes of furunculosis due to an unusual strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appeared suddenly among a classroom of third-grade students in a Swiss village. Some boils were so severe and painful the children had to be hospitalized for surgical drainage and IV antibiotics, a Swiss/French research team reported at the recent Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Paris - New technologies for evaluating physical and biochemical aspects of chronic wounds are being looked at for their potential to enhance assessment of tissue repair and the management needs of a given wound, Marco Romanelli, M.D., Ph.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Paris - Some drugs can play a role in the management of ulcers due to venous insufficiency, but surgical and physical interventions remain the mainstays for treating the chronic wounds, Mieke Flour, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

New York-The pharmacologic use of growth factors already FDA approved and useful in treating recalcitrant diabetic leg ulcers shows promise as an off-label therapy for other wounds that heal slowly, Chris Arpey, M.D., associate director of dermatologic surgery, University of Iowa, said.

Paris - Topical imiquimod offers safe and often effective treatment for basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) in immunosuppressed, solid organ transplantation patients, David Vidal, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

New York - Mixing surgery and air travel may be a recipe for increasing the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Until studies show definitively the link between air travel and blood clots, surgical patients need to be advised how to decrease their risk.

Paris - Imiquimod 5 percent cream (Aldara), like intralesional interferon, may prevent keloid recurrence. And although imiquimod use may necessitate longer treatment - up to eight weeks compared to two injections of interferon - the drug is without adverse systemic reactions, Ivonne Arellano, M.D., said at the World Congress of Dermatology.

Paris - Narrowband UVB is more effective in the treatment of generalized vitiligo than either PUVA in combination with calcipotriol or PUVA alone, according to a study performed by Salah Al Rubaie, M.D., Rashid Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Q. How can patients develop nail fungal infections when all the salon instruments are sterilized?

The first generic version of Accutane (isotretinoin), approved Nov. 11 by the FDA, reached market in late November at a price approximately 5.5 percent lower than the brand name.

Boston - Although officials are mum on details, product quality appears to be one factor in the transfer of worldwide marketing of Apligraf from Novartis Inc. back to Organogenesis, which develops the engineered skin and is solely responsible for its manufacture.