News

Social media allow for efficient networking with patients and colleagues, but using these tools successfully with patients requires setting limits and delegating authority.

The hedgehog inhibitor drug vismodegib (Erivedge, Genentech/Roche), approved in January to treat advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinoma, has demonstrated potent clinical activity when used in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, according to a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Treatment with a picosecond 755 nm alexandrite laser (Cynosure) appears to be a significant advance for clearing tattoos and benign pigmented lesions, according to research reported at LASER 2012, the annual conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery.

With regard to the surgical treatment of androgenetic alopecia, strip harvesting and follicular unit extraction (FUE) techniques can work very well, but each technique must be used appropriately and for the appropriate patients to ensure optimal outcomes, says Walter Unger, M.D.

There is no doubt that shaving cream is important in preventing pseudofolliculitis barbae. The purpose of shaving cream is to reduce friction between the blade and the skin, prolong the life of the blade, soften the hair, and improve shave aesthetics.

Photoprotection with use of sunscreens is an important strategy for preventing melanoma, and thanks to the new rules on sunscreen labeling that will take effect at the end of 2012, counseling patients on appropriate sunscreen selection will now be easier, says Darrell S. Rigel, M.D., M.S.

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

We medical professionals are confronted with our own assortment of believe-it-or-nots and oddities on a daily basis. Unfortunately, they are often more upsetting or frustrating than astounding. I started keeping a list a few years ago, initially as a coping mechanism. But gradually, the list evolved into a collection.

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.

Dr. Skin hired several people to improve the marketing of his practice. In order to make things simple, he provided them with all of his patients' records to allow them easy access to patient demographic information. Dr. Skin is assured by colleagues that although the involved activity may represent a HIPAA violation, no penalties have been assessed to small practices such as his. Is this true?

In the quest for new vaccines, developers must balance clinical promise with practical concerns, said Kenneth Tomecki, M.D., at the 70th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. "The future for vaccines is very encouraging," says Dr. Tomecki, vice chairman, department of dermatology, Cleveland Clinic.

Melanoma researchers may now have a better idea of which genes damaged by ultraviolet radiation actually drive the disease.

Liposuction can provide raw materials for engineers to grow small-diameter blood vessels, new research suggests.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill designed to curtail the unlicensed practice of medicine, particularly medical spas and similar aesthetic procedure clinics.

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.