News

National report - The precarious U.S. economy has slashed patient spending on Aesthetic treatments, and some dermatologists say medical bookings also have declined since the stock market plummeted in the closing months of 2008.

Washington - Dermatologists and manufacturers say dermal fillers are safe and effective, despite a recent recommendation by a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel that labeling be revised to include stronger warnings about possible complications.

"The silver lining of the financial crisis of 2008, could be a united shift back to sound financial management, forcing business owners and consumers to make important financial decisions. "

Choosing the form and structure of one's medical practice is an important decision. Most advisers to medical practices believe that the avoidance of potential double taxation makes the S corporation the logical choice. This "conventional wisdom" overlooks the potential benefits a C corporation can offer.

"In July 2008, we were elated to learn that Congress had reversed the 10.6 percent cut in the Medicare conversion factor scheduled for the second half of that year. Even better, Congress added a 1.1 percent increase - in lieu of the mandated 15.1 percent cut - for 2009 in the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA). "

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a very rare soft tissue tumor; however, if the diagnosis is missed, repercussions can be grave, reflected in a poor prognosis. Clinicians should be aware of the cutaneous variant and, although LMS is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of obscure and ambiguous presenting tumors.

Experts agree that necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is challenging to treat. According to one expert, doctors should be suspicious of squamous cell carcinoma in nonhealing ulcers within NL lesions.

Psoriasis patients treated for many years with PUVA therapy may be more susceptible to develop cutaneous carcinomas, such as basal cell carcinoma, especially when combined with short regimens of cyclosporine A. Physicians who must turn to this combination regimen in therapy-resistant psoriasis patients should be aware of the possible increased risk for the development of skin cancers in these patients.

Resveratrol shows promise as a chemoprotective and photoprotective agent in human skin cells, authors of a recent study say.

Rosacea patients comprise the biggest group of individuals with sensitive skin. This sensitive skin is thought to be due, in part, to a defective barrier and vasomotor instability. Thus, any topically applied substance that causes noxious sensory stimuli, vasodilation or irritation can result in a rosacea flare.

Rosacea is a common skin disorder that affects 14 million Americans. Though the condition is sometimes mild in nature, many patients with rosacea have lower self-esteem and tend to avoid public contact or cancel social engagements.

Patients' enduring interest in tumescent liposuction and noninvasive procedures indicates there's a fertile market for manufacturers to explore, an expert says.

Today, many consumers are choosing to fight aging from the inside by using nutricosmetics, such as drinks, supplements and foods that claim to slow the visible signs of aging. But some precautions are in order, according to one expert.

Both ablative and nonablative technologies can rejuvenate the skin. They can also be used to treat acne scarring. Nonablative technologies like intense pulsed light can treat brown spots and control redness associated with rosacea.

A cadaveric study highlighting the link between solar elastosis and adenoid (reticulated) seborrheic keratosis suggests minute superficial shave biopsies of adenoid seborrheic keratoses could miss peripheral pigmented actinic keratosis and solar lentigines, a study co-author says.

Finding a consensus on the classification of cicatricial alopecia can help physicians better communicate with each other. Quicker recognition of disease will allow patients to be treated earlier and improve treatment outcomes.

Physicians will soon have an expanded array of injectables, as manufacturers fine-tune fillers and bring new neurotoxins to the market.

Unusual and rare presentations of tinea capitis can sometimes mimic cicatricial alopecia. According to one expert, it is important to consider all possible diagnoses and especially rule out a fungal scalp disease, no matter how suspicious the clinical presentation may be.

Arlington, Va. - Little is known about the obscure disease group of alopecias known as cicatricial alopecia, or scarring alopecia, and to date, an effective therapy for this hair loss disease group largely remains elusive. According to one expert in the field, diagnosing the disease early is key to halting or slowing the progression of the hair loss.

Schaumburg, Ill. - Dermatology Times has won five 2009 Gold Triangle awards from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

At any given time, thousands of dermatologic studies are ongoing, and hundreds are reaching the publishing stage.

The outline of plans to reform healthcare that may be developed under the Obama presidency is beginning to take shape, and while there no doubt will be positive developments for dermatologists, there are also some areas that could cause concern.

Dr. Records has a large dermatology practice in the Sunbelt. He is known as an expert skin cancer doctor and does thousands of body exams every year.

During the Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, the European Society for Micrographic Surgery discussed the growing problem of skin cancer. We would like to share our thoughts about the increasing number of skin cancer patients and how to deal with this problem.

My friend and colleague, Ted Miller, recently related a story about one of his patients, who was 92 years old and had consulted with another dermatologist about several growths on his face.

New York - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has held off making a decision on the psoriasis drug ustekinumab (Johnson & Johnson), until they receive certain risk-mitigation information, but will not require new studies, Reuters reports.

Taipei, Taiwan - Researchers have found that psoriasis patients show high levels of leptin, increasing the chances of other inflammatory diseases associated with this metabolic hormone, Medpage Today reports.

Like many doctors, I’ve been considering getting a "smart phone," such as an iPhone or Blackberry, which can surf the Internet and handle e-mail with ease. Why wait?

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Ness Ziona, Israel - Sol-Gel Technologies unveiled a new plant with state-of-the-art facilities for the development of topical dermatology drugs, according to a press release.