News

Methotrexate appears to provide no improvement on synovitis in patients with psoriatic arthritis, results of a recent study indicate.

If you’re like most Americans, you feel less secure about the U.S. economy. Certainly, this is justified. Western European countries have run out of capital, unemployment-based riots have broken out in the streets of Great Britain, and the United States debt shield political debacle has caused our government debt to be downgraded from “AAA” for the first time in history.

Are you the owner of a medical practice taxed as a flow-through entity, such as an S corporation? Most physicians are. We would estimate that 70 percent of medical practices operate as S corporations. As such, you may be paid both as an employee of the practice, receiving a W-2, and as an owner of the practice, through a K-1 distribution.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for management of localized primary melanoma continues to have its critics, but Alistair Cochran, M.D., says that current data supports the procedure as a standard approach for staging patients with clinically localized, intermediate-thickness melanoma.

The safety and versatility of photodynamic therapy (PDT) make it a worthwhile addition for dermatologists not yet providing this treatment, according to Amy Forman Taub, M.D., who spoke at the 2011 annual meeting of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery.

Men do not get onychomychosis more frequently than do women, and the disease is no more severe than it is in female patients. Men may, however, be more likely than women to view the condition as cosmetic and, therefore, delay treatment, according to Nardo Zaias, M.D.

Aside from hypercalcemia, risks of acute or chronic vitamin D doses above the level deemed safe by the Institute of Medicine are perhaps real, but they’re difficult to measure at present, says Christopher Burnett, M.D.

Merz has announced that Katrina Church has been promoted to vice president, chief compliance officer. The appointment was effective July 1, 2012.

The Dermatology Foundation (DF) Board of Directors recently recognized the impact that Patricia G. Engasser, M.D., has had on the specialty of dermatology by presenting her with the Clark W. Finnerud Award at its annual membership meeting in San Diego.

Cohera Medical, a developer of absorbable surgical adhesives and sealants, has secured more than $8.4 million toward Series D financing through private investors, which the company reportedly will use to expand adoption of its TissuGlu Surgical Adhesive product in Germany and additional European markets.

Wellness Center USA, a healthcare and nutraceutical company, has announced the signing of a share exchange agreement to acquire Psoria-Shield, a developer and manufacturer of ultraviolet (UV) phototherapy devices for the treatment of various skin diseases.

Lumenis Ltd. announced that Roy Ramati has been appointed as the new general manager of the company’s Aesthetic Business Unit.

Verisante Technology has renewed its Collaborative Research Agreement with the BC Cancer Agency, which will include Verisante’s contribution of approximately $250,000 to fund continued development of its Aura device for skin cancer detection.

Alma Lasers has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Quantel Derma, (formerly known as Wavelight), a France- and Germany-based developer of laser technologies for dermatologists. The transaction was expected to be finalized in July.

Hypertrophy is frequently reported in older patients who have port wine stains, a Dutch study indicates.

People beset by some sort of phobic anxiety - and 8 percent of Americans have at least one - may be more prone than others to faster biological aging and related health problems, a recent study suggests.

A new smartphone application provides patients with reminders to monitor skin lesions or suspicious moles over time.

Several countries and U.S. states, New York among the most recent, have implemented indoor tanning bans or restrictions for minors during the past decade, according to a new study.

Agents that block receptors for adenosine may be applied topically to wound sites, helping to diminish scars, according to results of a new study.

New research suggests that the biological mechanism of sunburn is a consequence of RNA damage to skin cells.

Researchers may have come closer to finding more effective treatment for Parkinson's disease by investigating signs of the disease in patient-derived skin cells and testing how the cells respond to drug therapy.

A new study offers insight into the role and importance of exosomes and their targeted gene transcripts - information that could lead to new treatments for skin diseases and other disorders.

The rates of both community- and hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection appear to have decreased over the past five years, according to a recent study.

Results of a new study contradict the belief that patients who receive medication for immune-mediated diseases such as psoriasis may be at increased risk of contracting herpes zoster shortly after receipt of the vaccine.

A new study suggests modest caffeine consumption is associated with a significantly lower relative risk of basal cell carcinoma (BCC).

A pair of pathology organizations have jointly issued new recommendations for standardizing diagnostic terminology for lesions associated with human papillomavirus across lower anogenital tract body sites.

Two oncology societies have teamed to issue their first evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for using sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) to stage patients with newly diagnosed melanoma.

Two new blood tests for vitamin D levels are inaccurate in at least 40 percent of laboratory specimens analyzed, according to results of a recent study.

Social media consulting firm Maximize Social Media has launched a specialized marketing program that provides support to dermatology practices in need of social media management and local business listing optimization services.

A phase 2 trial of PV-10, a drug to treat metastatic melanoma, showed promising results in response rates and progression-free survival of the disease.