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.
Dr. Ondo, clinical assistant professor of dermatology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, traveled 30 hours each way on a two-week journey to Hyderabad, near India's southeastern coast. He described the experience as interesting, memorable, and at times overwhelming.
In September 2009, Amgen decided to withdraw application for expanded use of its biologic tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocking agent etanercept (Enbrel) in pediatric patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
The certification of pediatric dermatology as a subspecialty is a relatively recent milestone in the field of dermatology.
Neonatal pigmentary conditions are common; however, some serious conditions should be evaluated and followed by a pediatric dermatologist throughout the child's life, an expert says.
Biologic therapy is proven to increase the quality of life in adult patients suffering from moderate-to-severe psoriasis. A recent study shows that etanercept (Enbrel, Immunex) can achieve similar positive results in children and adolescents, offering hope to this patient population.
Recent study results indicate that there is a relationship between the severity of psoriasis and CRP levels, as well as BMI in pediatric patients. These patients are also at a higher cardiovascular risk, begging the need for treatment strategies in terms of lipid-lowering therapies.
San Francisco - Children with skin diseases such as severe psoriasis, eczema and hemangiomas are benefiting from new treatments and new knowledge about existing treatments, experts say.
San Francisco - Most patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) will respond to conventional therapies, such as basic skincare and avoidance of prevocational factors; topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors; antibiotics for infection and oral antihistamines.
San Francisco - As researchers learn more about the origin of infantile hemangiomas, a particularly promising new treatment is emerging in the form of propranolol, an expert says.
Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is lymphocyte proliferation in patients following post-transplant immunosuppression and is the most common neoplasm in pediatric organ transplant recipients. Due to the increased frequency of organ transplantation, dermatologists should be aware of the cutaneous presentation, as a timely diagnosis and treatment is crucial for a favorable prognosis.
Results of a recent study suggest that while upper airway infections, such as rhinosinusitis and adenotonsillitis, may exacerbate atopic dermatitis in children, surgical treatment for those infections may improve the severity of AD.
Kohala Coast, HI - In children with severe atopic dermatitis, dermatologists should feel empowered to match the aggressiveness of their treatment to the aggressiveness of the disease, said Elaine C. Siegfried, M.D., at the Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference.
Etanercept is effective in treating psoriasis in the pediatric population, a study has found. The research also found that patients in the study had increased levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that may be elevated as a result of abdominal obesity.
Clinicians need to determine the underlying etiology when managing wounds that are the result of tropical infections. They can do this by culturing bacteria or taking a biopsy.
Important pediatric diagnoses for consulting dermatologists include Kawasaki disease, an expert says. It recently has been linked with a specific genetic polymorphism, which suggests that uncontrolled inflammation plays a role in its etiology.
Recent developments in pediatric atopic dermatitis include the discovery of filaggrin gene mutations and their possible role, a new appreciation of the epidermis' role in the immune system and renewed emphasis on patient education, an expert says.
Schools, sports programs, and day care centers provide ideal "breeding grounds" for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Any suspicious lesion should be cultured early. Comprehensive education is needed to minimize risk of transmission and to quell hysteria.
San Francisco - New research suggests that rapid growth of infantile hemangiomas requires close observation in the first months of life, and that any treatment should be undertaken promptly, Reuters Health reports.
Recognizing pediatric hemangiomas that require close follow-up and aggressive treatment is critical to patient care, an expert says.
When children present with port wine stains, clinicians should consider serious conditions and underlying disease. Vascular anomalies can be classified into two major groups: vascular tumors, which infantile hemangiomas are the most frequent, and vascular malformations.
