News

Backed by a long and successful history as a tool to examine human anatomy such as the heart, breast, thyroid and prostate, sonography is now proving to be equally valuable in analyzing the skin.

National report - California pharmaceutical manufacturer Allergan is taking steps to reassure doctors and patients about the safety of Botox after four people became critically ill after they were treated with an unapproved raw botulinum toxin.

National report - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent approval for medical applications of VeriChip, the world's first implantable identification device for humans, could signal the beginning of a new state-of-the-art world of computerized data tracking previously seen only in science fiction movies.

Santa Barbara, Calif. - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Inamed Corp.'s Captique, a non-animal-based hyaluronic acid gel to combat facial wrinkles. It is the newest dermal filler to enter the U.S. market.

Cleveland - Facial transplantation, a controversialprocedure, has moved one step closer to clinical practice,following approval of a protocol late last year by the ClevelandClinic's internal review board. However, no one can say when thefirst facial transplant will take place.

While many dermatologists believe the options for treating and curing vitiligo are lacking, one doctor in Argentina is having good success using a combination of nutritional supplements and topical steroids.

Another treatment used in the case of a severe acne patient who did not respond to any oral antibiotics was infliximab (Remicade, Centocor).

Englewood Cliffs, N.J. - Instead of prescribing drugs, a chiropractor and best-selling author based here advocates a holistic regimen that emphasizes changing the diets of psoriasis and eczema patients while ridding their bodies of toxins.

National report - When typical approaches are not effective, some physicians turn to the atypical to treat acne. A few doctors have had good success with such unusual treatments as vitamin supplements, herbs, lasers and even acupuncture.

National report - When it comes to dermatologic treatments that fall outside the mainstream, patients have long found plenty of these on their own. What they don't always find is help in evaluating these treatments' effectiveness.

National report - When it comes to dermatologic treatments that fall outside the mainstream, patients have long found plenty of these on their own. What they don't always find is help in evaluating these treatments' effectiveness.

Philadelphia - Dermatologists who set aside a few hours per year to meet with a qualified advisor to discuss asset protection, income tax reduction and estate planning will reap many business and personal financial rewards, according to David B. Mandell, J.D., M.B.A. and Lawrence B. Keller, C.L.U., Ch.F.C., R.H.U., L.U.T.C.F.

What happens north of the border can have implications in the U.S. down the road.

Many reliable sources will be providing physicians and staff input regarding all the changes set forth by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for fiscal year 2005. Based on the display copy of the Nov. 2, 2004 Federal Register, the 2005 AMA CPT book, and the ICD-9-CM Book for 2005 published by the World Health Organization, pertinent changes for dermatology practices are summarized below:

I was able to make deletions, insertions and comments quickly and precisely, while leaving the original text and layout of the page proofs intact.

Have dermatologists lost their way in the pursuit of profit? A. Bernard Ackerman, M.D., director emeritus of the Ackerman Academy of Dermatopathology in New York City, believes many have.

San Francisco - Researchers are learning more than ever about oxygen's role in the healing of both acute and chronic wounds. But, generally, dermatologists aren' taking advantage of these advances, according to Harriet W. Hopf, M.D

Miami, Fla. - Dermatologists who see diabetic patients with skin infections that have not responded to typical antibiotic treatment should suspect atypical mycobacteria, according to a case study by University of Miami researchers.

When a woman has genital itching or pain, the dermatologist is the right physician to identify the cause and solution, says Libby Edwards, M.D., chief of dermatology at Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte,

National Report - With the rapid onset of new therapies available for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK), Stacy Smith, M.D. of Therapeutics Clinical Research in California, has demonstrated that efficacy, tolerability and cost play a combined role in the approach used to treat AK.

National Report - With the rapid onset of new therapies available for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK), Stacy Smith, M.D. of Therapeutics Clinical Research in California, has demonstrated that efficacy, tolerability and cost play a combined role in the approach used to treat AK.

San Diego-Artes Medical received an approvable letter for ArteFill from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 16, 2004.

Sophia Antipolis, France - Galderma's commitment to dermatology, and dermatology only, is nowhere more evident than in its sprawling, approximately 24,000-square-foot research and development facility in the south of France.

National report - The number of cases of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CAMRSA) among healthy American children has risen exponentially over the past few years, and resistant strains of S. aureus appear to be more virulent than non-resistant strains.

Zurich - Although data on the incidence and prevalence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) remain limited, Dr. Rolf-Markus Szeimies of the department of dermatology, University of Regensburg Hospital, Germany, has compiled epidemiologic data demonstrating an increased incidence of actinic keratosis (AK), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

New York - A recent study suggests Propionobacterium acnes plays a role in the development of rosacea.

New York - With an increased understanding of the inflammatory response in acne, Diane Thiboutot, M.D., Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, has reviewed data demonstrating the role of the toll-like 2 receptors in inflammatory acne as well as the effect of retinoids in targeting inflammatory mediators.

Acne phototherapy has a very favorable safety profile.

New York - A global group of acne experts says doctors should use treatments combining a topical retinoid and an antibiotic as a first-line measure for patients with mild-to-moderate acne rather than relying on antibiotics alone.

New York-Chronic persistent acne in adult women is a common problem that often has some underlying hormonal influence, said Diane S. Berson, M.D., at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy '04 here.