Pediatric Dermatology

San Francisco ? Through a series of communications programs introduced in the past, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has been successful in improving public perceptions of dermatology.

After more than a year of almost nonstop claptrap about there being "too many" new drugs comes a sobering fact ? even as pharmaceutical companies poured a record amount of money into drug development in 2005, statistics from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) show that the agency approved only 20 new drugs, down from 36 in 2004. Only once in the last 10 years has the number of newly approved drugs been lower than last year's figure.

National report ? While topical calcineurin inhibitors for treating atopic dermatitis (AD) continue to grab headlines, sources tell Dermatology Times that research into additional treatments for pediatric skin problems is progressing.

Dermatologists will inevitably increase compliance among ethnic patients when treating scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis if they inquire about the types of hair products the patient normally uses.

National report -- Dermatologists likely will exercise more caution in prescribing the topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) Elidel cream (pimecrolimus, Novartis) and Protopic ointment (tacrolimus, Astellas Pharma) in response to the Food and Drug Administration's decision to add "black box" warnings to these drugs' labels, an expert tells Dermatology Times.

National report -- Economic realities will continue driving dermatologists to add cosmetic services and products to their practices, experts tell Dermatology Times. However, sources say this trend is creating concerns about the specialty's ethics, image and accessibility.

VOIP has improved and become more user-friendly, to the point where "ordinary" computer users rather than just the early adopters are installing and using VOIP software.

The new guidelines that regulate physicians who prescribe isotretinoin for their patients are demanding and time-consuming.

Look at your current operations, the shortcomings of your current records system and your expectations for new hardware and software.

Pigmented lesions such as caf? au lait spots are also difficult to remove permanently. In fact, a significant percentage of children who are treated with lasers, whether it's YAG or 532 pulsed dye laser, actually get worse.

Although cutaneous melanoma is rare in children, congenital nevi are one of several known risk factors for melanoma.

It is a higher-viscosity hyaluronic acid manufactured by Q-Med, the same company that manufacturers Restylane for Medicis. Medicis purchased the marketing rights for Restylane in the United States and invested the time and money to get the filler approved. At some point, Medicis undoubtedly will obtain approval for Perlane and add this to its offerings.

New products in the pipeline will add more versatility to fillers, but until they arrive, Dr. Cohen suggests alternatives such as using a 32-gauge needle to fill in etched-in lines in the nasolabial folds and vertical lip lines.

The unit measurement is made by finding out how much of the toxin is lethal to 50 percent of mice in a study. But that amount may vary when new production processes are introduced.

Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia ? There have been many advances in laser technology for medical applications, but for the treatment of pediatric skin diseases, dermatologists are still turning to the "tried-and-true" pulsed dye, Q-switched pigment and CO2 lasers.

Dermatologists will inevitably increase compliance among ethnic patients when treating scalp conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis if they inquire about the types of hair products the patient normally uses.

Tucson, Ariz. ? Challenging conventional wisdom about treatment modalities might be considered risky business for some dermatologists, but for Norman Levine, M.D., it just comes naturally.

National report ? More basic research into atopic dermatitis (AD) needs to be conducted to understand the subsets of the condition and to generate new therapies to expand the therapeutic choices for the patient, according to Lawrence Chan, M.D., professor and head of the department of dermatology at the University of Illinois. Specifically, differentiating between "intrinsic" and "extrinsic" AD is critical.

In patients for whom rheumatologists once hoped to achieve 20 percent improvement, Dr. Lisse says that with TNF inhibitors, "We're now looking for 50 or 70 percent, or even remission."

San Francisco ? Treating the 65 and older patient is becoming a growing issue in dermatology. While some 35 million Americans ? about one in every eight people ? are elderly today, the senior population is expected to increase to one in five people, or an estimated 70 million, by 2030, according to Wendy E. Roberts, M.D., a dermatologist in Rancho Mirage and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Loma Linda University Medical School, Loma Linda, Calif.

FDA announced that the two topical eczema drugs must carry boxed warning labels about a possible risk of cancer.

Carefully scrutinized, the evidence does not support an actual malignancy risk.

My electronic world observations were further influenced by experiences while visiting a resident-run dermatology clinic.

Macon, Ga. -- Results of a study conducted by a group of dermatologists here show that sufferers of severe persistent dermatitis may find Xolair (omalizumab) to be more effective than standard treatments.

Washington -- The American Academy of Dermatology and the National Jewish Medical and Research Center have issued statements protesting new "black box" cancer warnings the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered on two drugs used to treat eczema: Elidel Cream (Novartis ) and Protopic ointment (Astellas Pharma).