News

London - Twin boys have been born with different skin color, a rare genetic occurrence, experts say.

Boston - A combination of Rituxan (rituximab, Genentech) and intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) can be effective in patients with severe refractory pemphigus vulgaris, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine reports.

National report - A pilot study has identified gadolinium within the soft tissues of patients with nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), formerly known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy.

San Diego - ArteFill (Artes Medical), the latest federally approved facial filler, offers dermatologists a long lasting alternative, and, although it has come late to the party, it is the only product now approved that has a potential to remain in the face for years, experts say.

Bridgewater, N.J. - Sculptra (Dermik) demonstrated significantly longer-lasting effects than CosmoPlast (Allergan Medical) in a randomized, evaluator-blinded, parallel group, multicenter study of 233 patients who sought treatment of nasolabial folds.

It's doubtful the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) could have picked a better spokeswoman for its recently launched PSA campaign to educate teens about the risks of indoor tanning.

And, says the AAD, a 2005 study shows that regular exposure to tanning beds significantly elevates a person's risk for developing melanoma.

Perhaps the patients will all sue the laser company and not Dr. Laser. After all they sent a "beginner" laser representative to guide the "beginner" physician.

It is noble that Mr. Eckley Keach (June 2006) wishes to alleviate the morbidity and mortality from melanoma, but is he on target in stating that the best way to accomplish this is by utilizing photography as a substitute for patient education, careful serial skin exams and biopsies?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Leon Kircik is replying to a clarification from Chester Valley Pharmaceuticals that ran in our November issue on an article in the October issue, "Vehicles often drive treatment of difficult ailments." Atopiclair is Chester Valley Pharmaceutical's product. While Dr. Kircik was not the author of the article (he was interviewed by Senior Staff Correspondent John Jesitus) he did see the article before it went to press for his approval, as is Dermatology Times' standard practice with clinical articles.

Cincinnati-Procter & Gamble, based here, will resume sales of its Japanese-made SK-II cosmetics in China following the Chinese government's finding that the products are not harmful to consumers, according to the People's Daily Online.

Washington-The federal government's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended that Americans aged 60 and above get anti-shingles vaccinations.

Washington-The Food and Drug Administration has approved ArteFill for use in correcting nasolabial folds.

Philadelphia - As the human body ages, its ability to muster a robust and effective immune response diminishes, a fact reflected in cutaneous immunity.

Toronto - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may cause necrotizing fasciitis, especially in areas where community acquired MRSA is prevalent, researchers say.

John E. Niederhuber, M.D., named this summer by President Bush to become the 13th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), faces the difficult task of balancing pressures to reduce costs with the need to expand the nation's investment in cancer research.

Patients with rosacea had a 4.8-fold increased risk for depression. No association was found between alcohol abuse/dependence and rosacea.

Hormonal therapy may play an important role in the management of acne, but even in patients with indications for use of an anti-androgen agent, combination therapy should continue as the mainstay, Diane M. Thiboutot, M.D., says.

As heightened regulations put greater limitations than ever on prescribing isotretinoin, photodynamic light therapy is gaining more attention as an effective alternative for acne treatment, says Arielle Kauvar, M.D., associate director at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York, and clinical associate professor of dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York.

In general, a fluoroquinolone should not be used empirically as first-line treatment in order to preserve the efficacy of that class of antibiotic when needed to treat gram-negative infections.

The topical retinoid was significantly superior to vehicle control for maintaining disease improvement.

Available evidence from basic science and clinical research support the conclusion that when an antibiotic is not an antibiotic, it may still be a safe and effective agent for the treatment of rosacea, says James Q. Del Rosso, D.O., clinical associate professor of dermatology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas.

Homeopathic physicians used calendula during the Civil War as an antiseptic or antibiotic to effectively treat war wounds and gangrene.

National report - Myths in medicine persist, and dermatology is no exception, says James Spencer, M.D., M.S., a dermatologist who has a private practice in St. Petersburg, Fla. and professor of clinical dermatology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

RCM has shown promise in clinical studies evaluating its potential in melanoma diagnosis.

Miami - Charles Stiefel, CEO of Stiefel Laboratories, has endowed a chair in the department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine.

Gurnee, Ill. - Alan H. Gold, M.D., F.A.C.S., has been named president of the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities.

Tucson, Ariz. - Norman Levine, M.D., has been named vice president of the newly formed Tucson Dermatology Society. He is an editorial adviser to Dermatology Times.

Washington - A proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that would ban over-the-counter sales of skin bleaching creams containing hydroquinone has many dermatologists wondering why the FDA has taken the step - and taking steps themselves to urge the agency to reconsider.

Cash is looking more attractive to many investors and savers, at least on a temporary basis.