News

New Orleans - The cosmetically engaged dermatologist has to pay attention to trends in botulinum use, according to Jean Carruthers, M.D. Dr. Carruthers and her husband, Alistair, introduced the neurotoxin for treatment of frown lines at the 1991 meeting of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons. The society embraced the born-again toxin and now, peering into 2004, predicts that it will prick through new frontiers. These include: enhancing upper lip fullness, treating enlarged masseter muscles, contouring the mandible area of the lower face, and eliminating multiple benign cystic lesions of the face.

Q. What is the best way to treat cracked skin over the heels?

Las Vegas ?? New options for the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs) allow dermatologists to tailor therapy according to patient needs and the lesion characteristics, said Roger I. Ceilley, M.D., at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Leuven, Belgium - Recent tests using liquid chromatography (LC) show that gels containing both erythromycin and benzoyl peroxide (Benzamycin) appear to be stable when stored as directed. "This study cannot conclude that these gels work better than others for patients, as only a chemical analysis by LC was carried out," stated Pieter Dehouck, a pharmacist and Ph.D. student in the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Drug Analysis, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, who oversaw the study.

Barcelona, Spain - A systematic approach is best when investigating patients who report itch but have no rash, according to Joanna Wallengren, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the department of dermatology, University Hospital in Lund, Sweden. Dr. Wallengren described her approach to this at the 12th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology here.

New York -- Now that hair transplant technology has advanced to the point where women with female-pattern baldness can expect as good results as men, one would think dermatologists would be quick to embrace the procedure for their many female patients who are devastated by hair loss.

New Orleans - Treatment with an ultraviolet laser system for hypopigmentation is more effective and protective against possible toxicity than standard photodynamic therapy, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons and the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology here last month.

Las Vegas -- Dermatologists must avoid the shotgun approach to antibiotics and pay more attention to potential drug interactions, said James Q. Del Rosso, D.O., F.A.O.C.D. This way, they can avoid contributing to two alarming trends in pharmacologic therapy: antibiotic resistance and potentially significant dangerous drug reactions.

New Orleans - When performing surgery, doctors concern themselves foremost with their patients' safety and comfort. But what about physicians' comfort?

A study by Michael W. Ellis, M.D. and colleagues from Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas, suggests a five-day course of antibiotic therapy is as effective as a standard 10-day course in patients with uncomplicated cellulitis.

Las Vegas - Biologics, an emerging class of drugs derived from human and animal proteins, are providing effective, long-term relief to patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, says Mark Lebwohl, M.D., Soi and Clara Kest professor and chairman, department of dermatology, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Las Vegas - According to Guy Webster, M.D., the best topical treatment for rosacea is metronidazole. Oral rosacea therapies he has found to be effective are tetra-, doxy- and minocycline, Cipro (ciprofloxacin hydrochloride), Bactrim (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole), and isotretinoin.

As editor-in-chief of Dermatology Times and its sister publication, Cosmetic Surgery Times, I have had the opportunity to watch myriad types of surgeons perform dermatologic surgery and cosmetic-surgery settings. Idon't need to tell you about the turf battles -- who should perform what types of surgeries and in what settings. It's the stuff of not only competition, but of intense study and eventual government regulation. What I would like to comment on, from what may perceived as a humble viewpoint, is the American Academy of Dermatology's recent study calling for mandatory reporting of all adverse events happening in in-office settings.

Minneapolis - To prevent outbreaks of herpes gladiatorum in high school athletes, closer scrutiny must be paid to prevention, diagnosis, and management of herpesvirus infections in this patient demographic, according to B. J. Anderson, M.D., Boynton Health Service, University of Minnesota, and team physician for the Augsburg College and University of Minnesota wrestling teams.

Schaumburg, Ill. - A study from the American Academy of Dermatology published by the American Academy of Dermatologic Surgery calls for nationwide mandatory reporting of adverse incidents of office-based surgery -- a leveling of the playing field for all specialties operating in a cosmetic surgical setting.

Boston - Cancer researchers have developed an experimental vaccine that showed promising results in early stage testing for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The vaccine, which is made by transferring a gene into a patient's own melanoma cells, caused an immune system attack against melanoma tumors, with nearly one-third of 35 patients alive after three years, and four of them with no signs of the disease.

Chicago - Results from an observational study of 23 patients presented at this year's L'Oreal Ethnic Skin and Hair Conference held here Sept. 19-21 is shedding new light on a group of scalp disorders and offers new insight into the treatment of those disorders.

Dallas - With one biologic therapy approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis and three in various stages of the approval process, new treatment options are adding a new level to psoriasis care.

Much to my annoyance, I awoke earlier than usual this morning. Once I'm awake, there's nothing worse to me than lying in bed hoping to be able to go back to sleep and yet knowing full well that I won't, since now I've begun remembering all the things I have to do but put off for a variety of reasons.

New Orleans -- With the increasing use of vitamin and herbal supplements, case reports are popping up indicating that patients' use of these supplements - particularly vitamin E -- increases intraoperative bleeding. But no studies have looked at whether this increase actually affects outcomes after cutaneous surgery.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Methotrexate and cyclosporine do not differ significantly in efficacy as systemic therapies for moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, according to Menno de Rie, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of dermatology at the University of Amsterdam. Dr. de Rie and colleagues compared the two therapies in a randomized study of 88 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Boston - Just as the trend in psoriasis treatment veers toward more systemic modalities with the biologic revolution, a new topical treatment with low toxicity may provide solutions for patients who have not responded to conventional therapy.

New York - California researchers have challenged the widespread belief among dermatologists that a "triple-dose" methotrexate regimen - in which three small doses of the potent drug are administered in 12-hour intervals -causes less liver toxicity than one large dose given once weekly.

New Orleans - Jean and Alistair Carruthers, M.D.s, who , in 1991, introduced botulinum for treatment of frown lines second American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS) predictions of the neurotoxin's widening role in 2004. These include: enhancing upper lip fullness, treating enlarged masseter muscles, contouring the mandible area of the lower face, and eliminating multiple benign cystic lesions of the face. Dr. Jean Carruthers confirmed the society's predictions and appended her own.

New Orleans - Calcium hydroxylapatite is similar to other dermal fillers in terms of efficacy and ease of administration, but less of it is necessary to get the job done, according to a Stanford University-based retrospective, prospective study. The study was performed by Hayes B. Gladstone, M.D., director, dermatologic surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., in conjunction with Mountain View, Calif., private practice dermatologic surgeon Greg S. Morganroth, M.D.

Kent, Ohio - A new study from Kent State University has found that trichotillomania, morbid hair pulling, which can lead to baldness, may be related to anxiety or habit disorder conditions in African-American women.

New Orleans - Combination therapy has proven effective in treating vitiligo in a small number of patients, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons, held here last month.

San Francisco ?? Sources familiar with Raptiva (efalizumab) hail its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month as nothing but an enhancement to patient compliance and successful treatment of chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

A few months ago in Vancouver, while I was listening to the problems some physicians were having with a certain class of product, I realized how that product could be changed in a way that would make it more user-friendly for both physicians and patients.

Q. My broker is suggesting that I invest in bonds, specifically bond mutual funds. After reviewing the literature, I'm confused by the differences among the mutual fund choices. What are the real differences?