News

It's not unusual today for plastic surgeons and dermatologists to share a practice, nor is it uncommon for husbands and wives to practice together, but 30 years ago when Saida and Sherwood Baxt began their dermatology/plastic surgery practice they were a rare breed — virtually unique, in fact. Still, it was a move they found to be a wonderful experience for them and beneficial for their patients. It doesn't hurt when the team is a mutual admiration society, either.

Over the past few years, we have written many articles on potential strategies that a doctor can use to reduce income taxes, increase benefits or build retirement savings.

Cosmetic surgery practices know that starting on time is critical to managing a high volume of patients, but many practices are discovering the rewards of opening earlier in the day. A 6:30 a.m. starting time may seem ridiculous at first glance, but it can bring many benefits to patients, staff and your bottom line.

Sometimes it is handy to email the PDF of a Web page to someone, rather than directing them to a Web site

Palliative care is different from hospice care because it may be offered at any stage of an advanced illness. Hospice focuses on comfort care when a cure is no longer possible.

Vienna, Austria — Until recently, physicians had few nonsurgical options for treating nonmelanoma skin cancer. That could be changing, however, as researchers learn more about photodynamic therapy (PDT) and newer pharmaceuticals, as well as new uses for older drugs.

Boston University researchers are among those looking into the reciprocal relationship between aging and cancer, and how to tweak nature's response so that people can get the cancer prevention benefits without encouraging skin aging.

Vienna, Austria — A recent study suggests that the development of melanoma results in expression of retroviral genes and production of retroviral particles, neither of which are found in normal melanocytes or other tissues.

Up to 25 percent of patients with granular cell tumors have multiple lesions.

Providing quality medical care has always been the primary goal of most physicians, but in the past 15 years, they have faced unprecedented challenges in running their practices effectively and efficiently while keeping patients as their top priority.

If we don't learn about these new forms of treatment, we lose.

New Orleans — Mycosis fungoides (MF), the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, has been most commonly treated in its early stages with skin-directed therapies such as topical corticosteroids, nitrogen mustard, UVB, PUVA and total skin electron beam irradiation. More recently, dermatologists have begun using narrow-band UVB with a spectrum peak of 311 nm as an alternative treatment for early-stage MF.

Antipityrosporal 1 percent ciclopirox shampoo can be used weekly or once every two weeks to treat seborrheic dermatitis and prophylactically to prevent its recurrence, according to a study published in the Archives of Dermatology in January.

Dr. Jim Chow kicked off his informal medical career at age 6.

After fragrance, the next most common source of contact dermatitis, as a class, is preservatives, and the most common preservative is paraben.

San Diego — The lipid enhanced, emollient cream formulation of hydrocortisone butyrate 0.1 percent (Locoid, Ferndale) effectively treats moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in children and does so with excellent systemic safety, at least when used over a period of up to four weeks, said Lawrence F. Eichenfield, M.D., at the Pediatric Dermatology for the Practitioner Meeting here.

New Orleans — Xerostomia can complicate the diagnosis and management of various oral diseases and is an important condition to recognize and treat, said Susan L. Zunt, D.D.S., M.S., at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, here.

Orlando — Complications as serious as death are occurring because of improper use of lasers, light sources and radiofrequency devices, according to a study presented here at the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery meeting.

Orlando — A device to treat pseudofolliculitis barbae will permit users to avoid developing the condition as well as reduce their frequency of shaving, according to a small study presented here at the meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

If you have an iPod, perhaps you should consider whether it is a business expense.

We have never been as inundated with calls as we have in the last year regarding the malpractice insurance situation.

Botulinum toxin is a complex protein produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin type A injections can be used to treat various focal muscle spastic disorders and excessive muscle contractions such as dystonias and spasms.

New Orleans — By understanding the elements of a malpractice suit, a physician can guard against malpractice and also be better prepared in the event of a suit, according to Donald L. Levin, M.D., a private practitioner in Liverpool, N.Y., and assistant professor of dermatology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.

Vitamin C, having anti-oxidizing properties, stabilizes the collagen messengers and increases protection against free radicals.

New Orleans — Cosmetic procedures can be successfully added to a dermatologic practice if the process is done in smaller, incremental steps. Dermatologists should be pursuing cosmetic procedures and leading the way for patients to receive safe and esthetically pleasing cosmetic results, according to Sarah M. Boyce, M.D., assistant professor in the department of dermatology and director of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Ala.

New Orleans — Dermatologists practicing medicine in tropical regions frequently treat fungal infections such as sporotrichosis, mycetoma and chromoblastomycosis — ailments that practitioners in temperate regions rarely encounter, according to Oliverio Welsh, M.D., emeritus professor, department of dermatology, Universidad Aut?noma de Nuevo Le?n, Monterrey, Mexico. Superficial skin infections are the most common fungal infections, but subcutaneous infections, known as deep mycosis or, in rare cases, disseminated fungal disease, may also occur.

New Orleans — Lack of exposure to female pattern baldness, plus an array of differential diagnoses, causes dermatologists to squirm when confronted with a case, says Jeffrey Miller, M.D, associate professor of dermatology, Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa. He advises doctors to put themselves and patients at ease by developing an objective approach to diagnosis, treatment and management.

Rochester, Minn. — Contrary to recent evidence, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may not be as effective as previously thought for treating various skin diseases, according to a retrospective review reported by the departments of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Chicago — Genetically manipulated growth factors could hold the key to producing engineered tissue with vascular systems ready-made for transplantation.

National report — Skin infections caused by the current strain of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are on the rise. However, experts say the scope of the problem remains unclear.