News

A new study links higher levels of vitamin D within the normal range with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, Medpage Today reports.

A new international professional group has been formed for dermatologic and aesthetic surgeons, Medscape Today reports.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved Avita Medical’s investigational device exemption feasibility study for the use of ReCell Spray-On-Skin in the treatment of hypertrophic dyspigmented scars.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the oral targeted therapy vemurafenib (Zelboraf, Plexxikon/Roche) for treatment of metastatic and unresectable melanomas, Medscape Today reports.

The number of children hospitalized for skin and soft-tissue infections, mainly due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has more than doubled over the past decade, Medical News Today reports.

Results of a small study suggest that there is significant potential for a pressure device used to supplement other treatments for auricular keloids, Medical News Today reports.

Most doctors will face at least one malpractice lawsuit by age 65, according to a new study. But dermatologists are among the least-sued specialists, Medscape Today reports.

Frequent tanning bed users may have a neurological reward-and-reinforcement trigger similar to that seen in drug or alcohol abusers, Medical News Today reports.

Two cases of otherwise healthy men acquiring a rare bacterial skin infection apparently after receiving tattoos at a Seattle parlor have prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend that tattoo artists use sterilized water in their procedures, Medical News Today reports.

Environmental factors, injuries and occupations that involve heavy lifting are significantly associated with the development of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), HealthDay News reports.

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of food sensitization in children with certain single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), HealthDay News reports.

Government regulatory agency Health Canada has issued a consumer alert that finasteride, a drug used to treat male pattern hair loss and enlarged prostate, can increase the risk of breast cancer, Toronto’s Globe and Mail reports.

Results of a new study affirm that the beta-blocker propranolol shrinks potentially disfiguring infantile hemangiomas in young children, MedPage Today reports.

A Spanish study has found that some compounds found in grapes help to protect skin cells from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, Medical News Today reports.

Researchers say they uncovered information about pathogenic biofilms that could lead to the development of new drugs to combat their potential threat to health, Medical News Today reports.

Recently published study results suggest that distinct antigen-specific T-cell responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and atopic eczema, HealthDay News reports.

The Department of Defense has awarded a $1.4 million grant to scientists from The Ohio State University College of Medicine for wound treatment research.

Allergan will pay as much as $275 million to acquire Vicept Therapeutics, the Orange County (Calif.) Business Journal reports.

The American Board of Dermatology (ABD) has given provisional approval for U.S. dermatologists to use the DrScore.com online patient satisfaction survey for collecting and reporting patient feedback, BusinessWire.com reports.

It's (still) the Economy : Patient payment plans, collections on rise Tapping the Potential : Dermal stem cell precursors show promise for therapeutic applications Special Report : Women & skin

Chronic urticaria can be difficult to treat, but new and evolving therapeutic options can effectively manage symptoms. Treating the cause of chronic urticaria is one of the primary goals of therapy, but very often the cause is not found. Chronic idiopathic urticaria is the diagnosis given to those patients where the etiology remains unknown.

Results of a study in adolescents showing a correlation between the severity of sun damage in ultraviolet (UV) photographs and phenotypic risk factors for malignant melanoma provides further support for using UV photography in sun-protection interventions, according to Ryan G. Gamble, M.D., who spoke at the 2011 annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.

Rapid market growth of light-based home-use devices for cosmetic purposes coupled with a lack of standardization within and regulation of the industry has prompted the European Society for Laser Dermatology (ESLD) to propose safety guidelines for home-use technology.

There's no better time than now to take a fresh look at opportunities to boost your bottom line. Whether it's saving money or earning more, these missed opportunities may be right under your nose. Regardless of the size of your dermatology practice or its position in the local healthcare market, you are likely finding the margin between revenues and expenses is getting narrower and narrower.

Melanoma is increasing faster than any other type of cancer in the United States, and a large portion of this increase is among young women, says Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York. Clues to this increase can be found within the statistics.

Use and abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids is on the rise, not just among athletes but also in the general population. Because dermatological manifestations are often the first indications of such behavior, dermatologists must know the common side effects associated with these drugs so they can treat the hallmark symptoms of abuse while educating patients.

As the sluggish economy continues to pinch both patients and practices, dermatologists are working harder to collect what's owed them - and to spend smarter on business expenses.

Adult women comprise a growing percentage of the patient population that dermatologists see with acne, and today, many treatment regimens are available and customizable to each patient's needs, according to Diane S. Berson, M.D., president, Women's Dermatologic Society, and assistant professor of dermatology, Cornell Medical College, New York.

Few can say that they have served their professions by presiding over not just one or two - but rather, many - regional, national and international societies. C. William Hanke, M.D., M.P.H., can. The Carmel, Ind., dermatologist has been president of 11 professional societies, the largest of which was the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) from 2008 to 2009.

Precursors of dermal stem cells may hold the promise of treating wounds or being able to stimulate hair growth, according to a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.