Discovering Dermatology Times: September 2023

The September issue of Dermatology Times includes a collection of thought-provoking articles and topics ranging from a year in review of deucravacitinib to accurately recognizing psoriasis in patients with skin of color. Be sure to take a look at the highlights from the issue below. Also, don’t miss a moment of Dermatology Times by signing up for our eNewsletters and subscribing to receive the free print issue each month.

Deucravacitinib: A Year in Review

The FDA approved deucravacitinib (Sotyktu; Bristol Myers Squibb) for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in September 2022. As deucravacitinib surpasses its 1-year milestone since approval, clinicians continue to monitor deucravacitinib’s real-world performance among patients and consider how it will further establish itself among available psoriasis therapies. To further discuss the importance of deucravacitinib’s approval and what truly defines success, Dermatology Times spoke with Neal Bhatia, MD; Melinda Gooderham, MD; and Lauren Miller, MPAS, PA-C, to provide additional insights on psoriasis management.

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Precision Prescribing With a Topical Medication Volume Calculator

A pediatrician’s role in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is important, yet has barriers to success. Larry Eichenfield, MD, vice chair of the dermatology department at University of California San Diego (UCSD), chief of pediatric and adolescent dermatology at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California, acknowledged that pediatricians often refer patients with mild AD cases to dermatologists. He and his colleagues at Rady/UCSD wanted to provide a solution to help with vetting serious cases to dermatologists. The solution for a topical medication volume calculator (TMVC) was presented during the session “Research Updates in Pediatric Dermatology” at the 2023 Society for Pediatric Dermatology Meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, July 13-16.

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Addressing Cultural Disconnect in Patients With Vitiligo

Among the myriad of challenges faced by patients with the condition is a struggle with personal identity and a sense of disconnect from their own culture as they reconcile with their visibly changing skin. Omar Noor, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist who practices in New York and New Jersey, says providing culturally competent care is the key to helping patients who are struggling with their identity. “Culturally competent care is something that you have to think about when you’re treating patients,” Noor said. He explained various cultures may have specific stigmas or sensitivities, especially with vitiligo, and it is important to be aware of this.

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Accurately Recognizing and Diagnosing Psoriasis in Patients With Skin of Color

Patients of all diverse ethnic backgrounds are affected by psoriasis. There may be delays in diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis in patients with darker skin tones due to the clinical presentation variations and less visible erythema. Some features of psoriasis in darker skin types may also be mistaken for other papulosquamous disorders because they share similar characteristics. Research shows that patients with undiagnosed psoriasis are more likely to have skin of color.1 This article provides a practical checklist to help guide health care professionals in accurately identifying and diagnosing psoriasis in patients with skin of color.

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