Pediatric Dermatology

Childhood eczema can have a detrimental effect not only on children who suffer from the disorder, but also for their families, Medical New Today reports.

Physicians immersed in the world of continuing medical education (CME) say big changes are happening. And doctors of all specialties, including dermatology, will be affected by the emerging CME focus: individual outcomes improvement.

Determining the proper course of treatment of hemangiomas in pediatric patients can be difficult, as clinical data are sparse. Propranolol has become increasingly popular for off-label treatment, but it comes with significant risks, says Beth A. Drolet, M.D., professor of pediatrics and dermatology, vice chairwoman of dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Parents may be unnecessarily urging their children to avoid certain foods under the mistaken belief that allergies may be triggering kids' atopic dermatitis, according to a physician.

A novel potential treatment is on the horizon for hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED), according to the director of research at a patient advocacy foundation.

After more than 20 years of widespread use, pulsed-dye lasers remain the therapy of choice in treating port wine stains in children and infants. Still, there have been no significant developments in recent years, and there is some disagreement regarding when treatment of port wine stains should begin.

Pediatric melanomas are uncommon, but because melanoma is not always as easily diagnosed in children as in adults, it is critical to perform biopsies for pediatric patients just as one would for adults, an expert says.

Pediatric patients are threatened by infestations such as bedbugs, head lice and scabies, so parents need to be vigilant of these risks, according to the chief of the division of pediatric dermatology at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Children who have more severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, are less likely to outgrow allergies to milk or eggs, Medical News Today reports.

Academic pediatric dermatologists can burn out for the same reasons as do their general dermatology colleagues, but they also face unique challenges, those in the field say.

Evidence-based treatment options for moderate-to-severe pediatric atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are severely limited, according to specialists in the field, leading to the creation of a national collaborative by several pediatric dermatologists.

Although most oral lesions observed in children pose little health risk, some of these lesions may be severe and followed by permanent sequelae, an expert says. And some pediatric oral lesions can provide clues to the presence of a systemic disease, she adds.

The pulsed dye laser (PDL) can treat capillary malformations in children and, in exceptional circumstances, infantile hemangiomas, according to a professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Pediatric onychomycosis is relatively uncommon, with an overall prevalence among all patients with onychomycosis of about 2.5 percent. The condition occurs more often in adolescents than in young children, says Amy Paller, M.D., Walter J. Hamlin Professor, chairwoman of dermatology, professor of pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago.

If congenital nevi are small, there is insufficient evidence to suggest they should be removed, for they are not likely to transform into melanoma, according to the chief dermatologist at Phoenix Children's Hospital, Phoenix. However, giant nevi present a much higher risk, says Ron Hansen, M.D., F.A.A.D., a board-certified dermatologist and board-certified pediatrician.

Vascular birthmarks are very ccommon in newborns, and some varieties affect up to 50 percent of babies. But the challenge for dermatologists can be the early diagnosis and the ability to distinguish the subtle differences between a banal birthmark and one that calls for quick action.

Milwaukee - Results of a small prospective study demonstrate that corticosteroid treatment of infantile hemangiomas can lead to profound, but largely reversible, immune suppression in infants, MedPage Today reports.

National report - Little did dermatologist Luette Semmes, M.D., know that her successful treatment of a young patient with bullous pemphigoid would land her a spot on national television a few years later.

Wailea, Hawaii - The level of concern for neonatal dermatoses ranges depending on the type of condition, according to Julie V. Schaffer, M.D., director of pediatric dermatology, director of resident education, assistant professor of pediatrics and dermatology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York.

With interest in the new subspecialty of pediatric dermatology still less than robust, leaders in the field are looking at training requirements to see how they might be impacting recruiting. Meanwhile, the window is closing for a small but well-qualified group of physicians to be "grandfathered" into board certification.

Pediatric patients seek many of the same cosmetic procedures that their parents desire. The question, according to one expert, becomes whether dermatologists and others should perform cosmetic procedures on patients who are still growing - physically and mentally.

Pediatric dermatology has achieved important milestones in recent years, including board certification. However, the small dermatology subspecialty stands at a crossroads in 2010. Faced with a significant shortage of physicians choosing a career in pediatric dermatology, those committed to the subspecialty's survival are searching for solutions.

Psoriasis in adults is among the most-researched inflammatory skin diseases. Yet treatment options for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and psoriasis in children represents a largely unmet medical need, according to an expert.

Pediatric dermatologists are taking a very slow - but hopeful - approach to using propranolol to treat hemangiomas in children. In doing so, they are also carefully monitoring children for possible unwanted reactions such as hypotension, bradycardia and hypoglycemia.

Key advances in pediatric dermatology include a deeper understanding of the role of propranolol in treating hemangiomas and of the link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and atopic dermatitis (AD), according to an expert. Meanwhile, research into other pediatric issues, including diet and acne, continues.