News

New York - California researchers have challenged the widespread belief among dermatologists that a "triple-dose" methotrexate regimen - in which three small doses of the potent drug are administered in 12-hour intervals -causes less liver toxicity than one large dose given once weekly.

New Orleans - Jean and Alistair Carruthers, M.D.s, who , in 1991, introduced botulinum for treatment of frown lines second American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS) predictions of the neurotoxin's widening role in 2004. These include: enhancing upper lip fullness, treating enlarged masseter muscles, contouring the mandible area of the lower face, and eliminating multiple benign cystic lesions of the face. Dr. Jean Carruthers confirmed the society's predictions and appended her own.

New Orleans - Calcium hydroxylapatite is similar to other dermal fillers in terms of efficacy and ease of administration, but less of it is necessary to get the job done, according to a Stanford University-based retrospective, prospective study. The study was performed by Hayes B. Gladstone, M.D., director, dermatologic surgery, Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., in conjunction with Mountain View, Calif., private practice dermatologic surgeon Greg S. Morganroth, M.D.

Kent, Ohio - A new study from Kent State University has found that trichotillomania, morbid hair pulling, which can lead to baldness, may be related to anxiety or habit disorder conditions in African-American women.

New Orleans - Combination therapy has proven effective in treating vitiligo in a small number of patients, according to research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgeons, held here last month.

San Francisco ?? Sources familiar with Raptiva (efalizumab) hail its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month as nothing but an enhancement to patient compliance and successful treatment of chronic moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

A few months ago in Vancouver, while I was listening to the problems some physicians were having with a certain class of product, I realized how that product could be changed in a way that would make it more user-friendly for both physicians and patients.

Q. My broker is suggesting that I invest in bonds, specifically bond mutual funds. After reviewing the literature, I'm confused by the differences among the mutual fund choices. What are the real differences?

Employee theft is more common than most of us want to admit. Many of us are trusting, and assume that our employees are honest and caring and wouldn't ever consider taking something from the practice that doesn't belong to them.

New Orleans - Phosphatidylcholine has proven effective in removing excess fat in eyelid pads, according to research presented at the joint meeting of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) and the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology (ACMMSCO) here last month.

Ferrara, Italy - The DermAnalyzer system can be used effectively and reproducibly to assess antioxidant efficacy of cosmetic formulations in a methyl nicotinate model of microinflammation, according to Stefano Manfredini, M.D., professor of pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Ferrara, Italy, and founder and president of AmbrosiaLab, a spinoff company of the same University. DermAnalyzer is an easy-to-use software system that was developed by Dr. Manfredini and colleagues. DermAnalyzer, which is used together with a high-quality digital camera, such as the Nikon CoolPix900 or similar cameras, is a useful system to determine all CIE L* a*b* coordinates, but in this investigation, only the CIE a* component was disclosed.

New Orleans - Erythema is slightly improved in post-operative laser resurfaced wounds by using the Apligraf conditioned medial topical preparation, Revitix (Organogenesis), said Kurt L. Maggio, M.D., at the combined annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Amercian College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology.

Las Vegas -- The landscape of dermatologic diseases manifested by HIV-positive (HIV+) patients has changed in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), said Clay J. Cockerell, M.D., at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Las Vegas -- Recent innovations in topical therapies are providing valuable alternatives for the management of some challenging dermatologic conditions, said Mark Lebwohl, M.D., at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Miami --Long-standing rules notwithstanding, pediculosis capitis may be found in the hair of African-American school children, prompting the need for greater screening and more appropriate treatments, according to research produced at the L'Oreal 2nd International Ethnic Hair and Skin: New Directions in Research Symposium and presented in Chicago, Sept. 19-21.

For the second time in two years, lawmakers have created federal tax cuts designed to spur business investment.

New Orleans - There is little risk of perichondritis or chondritis when auricular cartilage and skin are used for reconstructive procedures, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology.

New Orleans - While intense pulsed light (IPL) technology is beneficial and generally safe, there are risks and complications, according to Patrick H. Bitter, M.D.

Las Vegas - The next-generation of cosmeceuticals capitalize on discoveries gleaned from biotechnology research. These five new compounds appear to represent innovative approaches to anti-aging strategies, but by objective measures the jury is still out, according to Patricia Farris, M.D., of Metairie, Louisiana. Dr. Farris delivered a talk on new anti-aging agents at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

National Report - Results of the community-based Prospective Investigation Gauging Melasma Reduction with a New Treatment (PIGMENT Trial) reinforce the conclusion that the fixed triple-combination cream containing fluocinolone acetonide 0.01 percent, hydroquinone 4.0 percent, and tretinoin 0.05 percent (Tri-Luma Cream) is a safe and highly effective treatment for melasma. In addition, the study findings show improvement occurs quickly, extends to patients of all skin types managed in the setting of usual clinical practice, and is associated with significant improvement in quality of life, said Helen M. Torok, M.D.

Chicago - New findings from ongoing research aiming to delineate the mechanism of action of eflornithine hydrochloride 13.9 percent cream (Vaniqa) in the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) indicate that one pathway may involve drug-induced actin disarray in the outer root sheath with a subsequent effect on axial fiber development, said Steve Chow, M.S., to attendees at Ethnic Hair and Skin: New Directions in Research.

Congress has been told by its chief investigative agency that increasing medical malpractice awards, indeed, are contributing to skyrocketing premium costs for many physicians, but that fact is not having a widespread impact on patients' access to health care.

New Orleans - For J. Ramsey Mellette, M.D., avoiding pincushioning of nasal flaps taken from the nasolabial fold is difficult. "A certain degree of pincushioning in a flap that is taken from the cheek and put onto the nose is inherent in the flap because it's cheek-on-nose," said Dr. Mellette, professor of dermatology and dermatologic surgery, University of Colorado at Denver's health sciences center, department of dermatology.

New York - A single IV injection of anti-IL-12 antibody, even at low doses, resulted in significant improvement in PASI scores, according to results of a study presented at the recent International Psoriasis Symposium, held here.

National Report - The Women's Dermatologic Society/American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons Joint Committee is a newly formed group working hard to optimize the professional success, leadership potential, and personal growth of female dermatologic surgeons. Women who join and become involved in this organization will find themselves benefiting professionally and personally, say co-chairs Roberta D. Sengelmann, M.D., and Sarah B. Weitzul, M.D.

Evidence indicates that dermal collagen formation is the key mechanism of action for nonablative techniques.

Maxim pharmaceuticals has completed enrollment for the confirmatory Phase 3 trial of its lead drug candidate Ceplene? (histamine dihydrochloride) in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma patients with liver metastases.

Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) that can arise in organ transplant recipients (OTR) are clinicopathologically different from those seen in the general population, according to a report published in the September issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Sunscreen creams cannot fully protect people against an increasingly common form of skin cancer, according to research published in late September.

New data suggest InterMune Inc.'s intravenous oritavancin is as effective as a regimen of vancomycin plus cephalexin in treating patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections (CSSSI).