News

While laws vary from state to state as to who in a practice can legally operate a laser or light source or energy-based device, the responsibility often lies with the practice physician, according to Mathew M. Avram, M.D., J.D.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has granted reimbursement codes to reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), a noninvasive tool for identifying benign lesions, which can spare patients from needing biopsies, as well as detect malignant lesions.

A recent study found that cosmetic treatments performed on presumed benign pigmented lesions later found to be lentigo maligna (LM) is not an uncommon occurrence, underscoring the need for individuals performing cosmetic procedures to be more vigilant in thoroughly investigating suspicious lesions.

Findings of a recent study challenge the notion that psoriasis patients may be generally healthy and only acquire expenses related to their medications or psoriasis.

A global community of physicians cooperated to share experiences with systemic drugs for pediatric psoriasis, and to get experience with a joint registry. A uniform dataset could be tapped to learn more about disease manifestations and treatment outcomes

Microneedling may provide a viable alternative to lasers in certain clinical situations. Dr. Mara Weinstein Velez discusses which indications have promising data behind them and where further research needs to focus.

In August, our table of the month focuses on different types and uses for laser technologies as outlined by Dr. Ron Wheeland.

In this slideshow, we feature Dr. Eliot Battle who offers recommendations for laser treatment in non-white patients. Lasers are as diverse as the patients and conditions they are designed to treat, he says.

In his talk at AAD 2017, Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, discussed the findings from research investigating associations between psoriasis and comorbidities and their relevance for providing comprehensive medical care for patients with psoriasis.

The research road to streamlining the model of psoriasis pathogenesis.

In this slideshow, Patti Owens, R.N., M.H.A., C.M.L.S.O. describes six steps practices can take to improve laser and energy device safety for patients and staff.

Wrong-site surgeries are preventable. In this article, Dr. Goldberg outlines a few measures.

Dr. Ron Wheeland reviews the past, present and future of laser and light-based technologies.

When it comes to treating psoriasis in non-white patients, there is a paucity of data on differences in epidemiology, clinical presentation and approaches to treatment.

The lone star tick, whose bite causes allergies to red meat, is spreading across more states, according to news reports. Reports of allergies traced to the lone star tick bites occur most frequently in the southeastern U.S., but it has spread to areas such as Long Island, N.Y.; Hanover, N.H., and Duluth, Minn.

Patients who have a history of herpes zoster may have an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, according to findings published in a research letter.

LEO Pharma is investing in biotechnology company Novpyxis, as it develops an aerosol-based drug delivery device used for topical skin treatments, according to a news release.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded the approval of ipilimumab (Yervoy) to include the treatment of pediatric melanoma patients 12 years and older with unresectable or metastatic disease.

Psoriatic arthritis can often go undiagnosed in patients with psoriasis, and an earlier diagnosis is critical to prevent the adverse effects of psoriatic arthritis, according to an expert.

Patients on Medicare who receive prescriptions for acne and rosacea from specialists pay more for those medications than they would from a primary care physician, according to results of a new study.

Adolescents who have acne may have higher grade point averages and higher earning potential in the job market, according to findings from a recent study.

In this month's Clinical Considerations, we take a look at biologics and treatments for seborrheic keratoses.

Up to 30% of pediatric primary care visits include a skin-related complaint, but the longstanding shortage of providers continues. One expert discusses some of the factors involved.

A pilot study has successfully challenged the current non-evidenced medical recommendation that patients with acne scars should wait six to 12 months after completion of oral isotretinoin treatment before the safe initiation of nonablative fractional laser resurfacing.

A nitric oxide-releasing gel to treat acne vulgaris has been found to be extremely safe, according to three Phase 1 pharmacokinetic clinical trials.

The approval of abatacept (Orencia/Bristol-Myers Squibb) for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) earlier this month by the FDA offers a new treatment option for patients who are struggling to keep the disease under control.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has notified more than 800,000 healthcare providers that they do not have to comply with the Merit-based Incentive Payment System in 2017.

Eric Schweiger, M.D., C.E.O., and founder of the Schweiger Dermatolo- gy Group, has been named a semifinalist for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Award for the New York region, according to a news release.

Collaboration with specialists in other fields can improve outcomes for patients with skin cancer, and it can be personally and professionally rewarding for the dermatologist, according to one expert.

“Business literacy is an emerging competency that’s necessary for physicians,” says one dermatologist.