Women's Health

A study published in JAAD International examined the association between psoriasis and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs) and found that providers should be on the lookout for ectopic pregnancies (EP) in this population.

First clinical results for the treatment of central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia in Black women introduce more inclusive solutions.

Study finds women diagnosed with malignant melanoma during their pregnancy or within one year of giving birth were more than five times more likely to die than women who weren't pregnant. Routine skin examinations may need to be included as part of postpartum appointments.

Eight years after the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) linked estrogen supplementation to breast cancer and heart disease, the impact of estrogen withdrawal is obvious in a less-than-obvious location; hormone-deficient vulvar disease is becoming more common, according to F. William Danby, M.D.

The use of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) in dermatology is preferable to using synthetic hormones because potential overdose is less hazardous, and bioidentical hormones are not known to be carcinogenic, says Julie T. Hunter, M.D., founder and director of Wholistic Dermatology in Beverly Hills, Calif.

A systematic approach helps to guide the workup and management of female pattern alopecia (FPA), according to Mary Gail Mercurio, M.D.

For young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), dermatologists must diagnose the underlying hormonal issues to best treat the related skin symptoms, explains Helen M. Torok, M.D., medical director, Trillium Creek Dermatology & Surgery, Medina, Ohio.

Although treating patients with vulvar disorders can be challenging, confidence and compassion go a long way toward helping these patients. Sometimes, dermatologists allow themselves to be intimidated by the idea that vulvar and mucosal problems differ vastly from the usual issues they treat.

In refractory cases of localized, provoked vulvodynia, botulinum toxin type A can be considered a therapeutic option, according to Jennifer MacGregor, M.D., of Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery, Washington.

Although azathioprine requires caution and ongoing patient monitoring, some say their side effects are less severe than many patients - and some dermatologists - think. Even some medically oriented dermatologists express the concern that "these pills will wreck your liver," which overstates the actual clinical risk, says Neil Shear, M.D.

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.

A plastic surgeon is conducting a clinical trial testing the use of botulinum toxin A on severe cases of vaginismus, msnbc.com reports.

Melanocytic nevi always have the potential to change in size, shape and color regardless of when they first appear in the skin, or the age of the patient. A recent study shows that though some nevi demonstrate dynamic change throughout a pregnancy, there does not appear to be an increased risk of malignant transformation of these nevi, nor is there an association between changing nevi and melanoma.

Dermatologists should be able to diagnose and treat disorders of the oral and vaginal mucous membranes with the same authority they bring to skin problems, experts say.

For many pregnant women, their bellies aren't the only things popping out during their nine months of gestation. Skin eruptions can plague expectant women any time during pregnancy. While some dermatoses can be simply uncomfortable, others can pose a risk to the unborn fetus.

Postpartum striae rubra is common, and in Asian skin, these lesions can progress to become hyperpigmented striae distensae. Results from a consecutive case series show the utility of nonablative fractional photothermolysis for treating this problem.

Treating dermatologic issues associated with pregnancy often requires individualized treatments combining various agents, an expert says.

Strategies for treating adult female acne include taking detailed patient histories, checking for endocrine abnormalities when indicated and, in many cases, prescribing oral contraceptives also approved for acne, according to an expert.

Vulvovaginal symptoms are often best diagnosed by a dermatologist, an expert says.

Vitamins A and C have become the frontline treatments for menopausal skin.

Women can achieve good control of adult or hormonal acne through spironolactone therapy alone or in conjunction with oral contraceptives.

While most skin problems that may occur during pregnancy are harmless, some can pose risks for the mother and fetus.

When female patients present with a combination of hair loss, hirsutism and acne, physicians should check total testosterone levels.

Dr. Badger is cautious about recommending more aggressive treatments such as surgery.

National report - The Food and Drug Administration's first approved prescription botanical in modern times is - not surprisingly - a green tea extract that happens to have a dermatologic indication.

Dallas - Although competing modalities have stolen some of cryotherapy's thunder, technical advances under development could one day restore cryotherapy's luster, an expert says.

London - According to a recent British study, cutaneous abnormalities are more common among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than in patients with noninflammatory diseases.

Whatever the cause, there is a lot you can do to get rid of unwanted hair.

Q A patient had a biopsy and the pathology report showed the lesion to be a basal cell carcinoma. We schedule the patient back for an excision. We sent the excision tissue out again. The final pathology came back showing no residual cancer cells; only scar tissue.

Retinoids affect the inflammatory pathways of acne lesion development indirectly via their ability to normalize hyperkeratinization. However, they also exert direct immunomodulatory effects by competing with transcription factors like AP-1.