News

Aat the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, there was a coronation of sorts. The biologic agents officially ascended to the status of treatment of choice for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Several prominent dermatologists spoke on the subject and hailed these new agents as superior to old-fashioned remedies, which have now been dubbed "pre-biologics." Am I being too sensitive if I feel somewhat prehistoric when others label as pass? therapies that I use and upon which I routinely depend?

National report — Misuse of statistics is common in the dermatology literature, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Should the cuts take place as planned, 18 percent of physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association say they would stop accepting new Medicare patients; 57 percent would decrease time spent with patients; and 46 percent would reduce staffing levels.

New Orleans — Although laser cosmetic procedures have captured popular attention, chemical peels continue to be appropriate for many patients, according to Suzan Obagi, M.D., at the annual cosmetic surgery symposium of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Most physicians have significant AR balances that sit on the practice's balance sheet as an exposed asset.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of successful investors who never own more than a half dozen investments at one time, some even fewer.

My advice to most doctors is to use a domain name ending in .com or .net — these are recognized by almost all members of the public as being proper domain names.

Scottsdale, Ariz. — In many ways, running a clinical research center is just like running any other business — those without a plan are likely to flounder.

Combination therapy with botulinum toxin and fillers has another benefit: it produces much longer lasting results than either fillers or toxin used alone when used to treat folds and furrows of the glabella.

In order for laser surgery to be a successful component of a dermatology practice, Dr. Obagi encourages her colleagues to become more adept consumers.

New Orleans — Although laser cosmetic procedures have captured popular attention, chemical peels continue to be appropriate for many patients, according to Suzan Obagi, M.D., at the annual cosmetic surgery symposium of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

What is the cause of seborrheic dermatitis?

Boston — Radiation therapy effectively reduces recurrence and progressive disease in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), but conflicting opinions about optimal treatment have kept many patients from receiving this relatively benign therapy.

There is little intraoperative bleeding because of TLA's vasoconstriction effect.

Another feature of laser-induced ultrasound is its potential ability to detect the presence or absence of melanin.

National report — Ironically, the very properties of the Dead Sea that kill fish and other wildlife offer psoriasis suffers and people with other chronic health conditions significant healing powers.

New Orleans — It's no secret that psychosocial stressors can exacerbate many common skin disorders. So why aren't more dermatologists taking advantage of the mind-body link in their daily practices?

National report — West Nile Virus caused nearly 10,000 illnesses and more than 250 deaths nationally in 2003, and in 2004 people were looking for ways to protect themselves from the most common mosquito-borne disease in this country. One problem some face is that safety concerns still exist about some of the chemicals designed to deter mosquitoes.

Orlando, Fla. — Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle can cause changes to the reproductive system, yet little attention has been paid to how these variations may impact the body's largest organ, the skin.

Newport Beach, Calif. — The West Nile Virus outbreak in New York City in 1999 provided important lessons in prevention, abatement and repellent use. The New York area health departments quickly began public health programs, according to Tissa R. Hata, M.D., speaking at the Pacific Dermatology Meeting, here.

New Orleans — An emerging new class of organic, insoluble UV absorbers shows promise in providing improved broad-spectrum UVB and UVA sunscreen protection and meets the increasing demand of consumers and dermatologists, according to chemist Uli Osterwalder. He reports that the first representative of this UV absorber — bisoctrizole — has been used in sunscreens in European countries for five years and is now being submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval.

Tokyo — Growth factors offer seemingly endless potential to skin wound repair and regeneration, yet there are several questions surrounding those that are exogenously applied to acute or chronic skin wounds, according to Xiaobing Fu, M.D., professor, Wound Healing and Cell Biology Laboratory, Burns Institute, The General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.

PDT involves light-activated drugs, or photosensitizers, to treat cancer, ocular and dermatological conditions.

Nice, France — Results of a comparative, prospective, randomized study undertaken by French dermatologists indicate that topical tacrolimus ointment 0.1 percent (Protopic, Fujisawa) plus phototherapy with a 308-nm excimer laser can be a highly effective combination for the treatment of recalcitrant, localized vitiligo.

The fact that studies are frequently done at different locations, with different investigators and methodologies, further complicates matters.

New Orleans — Although some oral treatments for psoriasis have suffered setbacks, recent studies reveal encouraging news about biologic drugs' ability to battle this illness.

Making the appropriate choice ... requires having a clear understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of each drug.

New Orleans — Results of a multicenter phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a subantimicrobial-dose (SD) of doxycycline for the treatment of rosacea, said Diane M. Thiboutot, M.D., at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology here.

Efalizumab was probably best administered as chronic therapy to maintain control of this chronic inflammatory disease.

New Orleans — Scientific literature rarely portrays cutaneous manifestations of West Nile virus (WNV) because these manifestations are, by nature, transient. However, a recent case report contains what is only the second publication of these symptoms.