Randy Dotinga

While oral isotretinoin has been associated with various side effects and routine blood tests have been recommended, evidence points to inconsistencies in monitoring practices. Many physicians also are questioning whether the effort has value.

Researchers analyzed messages in an online forum to understand the most vexing issues facing rosacea patients. They found tremendous confusion around available therapeutics.

While a cause-and-effect link is elusive, it’s possible that environmental and lifestyle factors could explain why rosacea patients appear to suffer more from various conditions. But recent genetic research has hinted at inherited links between rosacea and autoimmune disorders. Recent findings provide more evidence.

Newer medications have revolutionized psoriasis care in patients with moderate-to-severe cases, says a leading dermatologist, and more drugs in the pipeline promise to offer even more choices.

Ask your patients about their use of alternative/complementary therapies, which are often helpful but can cause or worsen skin problems.

Dermatologists at the Maui Derm 2015 meeting learned that they should be on the lookout for patients with acne, especially women. And, they should be cautious about antibiotic use in young patients.

Dermatologists should keep an eye out for acne in pre-adolescent children as young as one year because pimples may be a sign of serious medical problems, a leading dermatologist told a crowd at the Maui Derm 2015 conference this week.

Treatments for acne scars are improving rapidly, although complete fixes remain impossible and repairs require long-term treatment planning and management, according to a speaker Friday at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. Greg Goodman, M.D., of The Dermatology Institute of Victoria in Australia, offered attendees tips and takeaways for treating scars.