News

A combination therapy using stem cells and bioengineered skin has proven to be very effective in closing the digital ulcers occurring in scleroderma patients.

When Carol Isaacs, M.D., was a dermatology resident, she started collecting what she calls "dermabilia" - "nothing particularly valuable, but nevertheless, interesting to me," says the board-certified dermatologist who is in private practice and on staff at St. Helena Hospital.

Findings from a study using dynamic area telethermometry to assess skin temperature kinetics of BCC suggests new approaches for monitoring and improving responses to topical therapy.

Therapies that combine hydroquinone and other compounds can be prescribed to treat PIH, which can appear secondary to eczema, acne.

While the H1N1 or swine flu virus pandemic hasn't proven particularly deadly to date, sources say it should remind dermatologists to remain vigilant and prepared for myriad threats, from infectious agents to natural disasters, bioterrorism and power outages

A new noninvasive skin rejuvenation modality shows great promise in achieving thicker, smoother, more elastic skin.

A patient with a complicated chronic skin disease consulted me some time ago. He had been under the care of another practitioner and was very satisfied with the quality of the care he had been receiving, but he could no longer afford the treatments being prescribed.

A combination approach is most effective for treating patients with solar lentigines, according to an expert.

Hungarian-born dermatologist Judith Hellman, M.D., has a life rich in experiences. She served in the Israeli Air Force; she's a classically trained violinist and jazz pianist; and, ultimately, she trained in medicine to follow the footsteps of her father, the late Lawrence Hellman, M.D. - formerly on the dermatologic faculty of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York - and her mother, Vera Rados, M.D., an allergist/immunologist, who continues

Hyperpigmented lesions come in many varieties. Etiologies vary from sun exposure to trauma to inflammation, and even idiopathic origins.

Neonatal pigmentary conditions are common; however, some serious conditions should be evaluated and followed by a pediatric dermatologist throughout the child's life, an expert says.

Results have been analyzed from 276 patients followed for two years in the phase 3 trial of golimumab for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. The data shows sustained benefits with no new safety signals emerging.

Next to biopsies and the destruction of premalignant lesions, the third most common bread-and-butter service for dermatologists is the destruction of benign lesions (CPT codes 17110 and 17111). In this article, we will discuss the proper use of these codes, rules that govern their use and bundling issues

Whether your retirement is off in the distance or just over the horizon, eventually you will have to decide when to start drawing your Social Security benefits. That decision will have a significant effect on your financial future. The more you know about your options, the better your chance for making the decision that is right for you.

Despite urging from President Obama, both houses of Congress went home for their August break without passing any version of healthcare reform. All facets of reform appear to be on the table still, while the proposals being considered have a multitude of interpretations.

People and their pets are often said to take on the morphology and mannerisms of each other over time. Regardless of whether that is true, it's clear that they do come to share diseases, and, increasingly, that means methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA).

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared H1N1 a Phase 6 pandemic on June 11, 2009, but that doesn't mean the illness is severe - just new and widespread.

Multiple basal cell carcinomas of several different types can also occur in the same patient, as seen in a recent case study.

The evidence linking psoriasis to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease is overwhelming, classifying psoriasis as a systemic disease and not simply a disease of the skin.

Ft. Myers, Fla. - NeoGenomics, a provider of cancer genetics testing services, announced that it has entered into a Strategic Supply Agreement with Abbott. The agreement provides for Abbott to supply materials for NeoGenomics to develop its own FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization)-based test for the diagnosis of melanoma.

Sheffield, England - New research data demonstrates that mild, moderate and potent strengths of topical corticosteroids (TCS) cause a thinning of the stratum corneum, particularly when applied for longer periods of time, whereas topical calcineurin inhibitors show no negative change in the integrity of the skin barrier.

High Point, N.C. - The public is being inundated with advertisements about expensive topical agents that purport to have anti-aging properties. However, dermatologists can help their patients be savvy consumers by demystifying the manufacturers? claims.

Wonju, South Korea - While high-dose UVB is detrimental to the epidermal permeability barrier, low-dose UVB can be therapeutic in mending a defective epidermal barrier and antimicrobial function, such as in atopic dermatitis, according to one dermatologist.

Because no single cosmeceutical agent is likely to satisfy a patient's entire wish list, an expert recommends combining cosmeceutical ingredients, particularly those backed by solid research.

Mohs surgery of the scalp requires careful excision, tissue processing and closures, keeping in mind the intricacies of scalp anatomy, an expert says.

A clinical trial evaluating neck rejuvenation using an ablative fractional CO2 laser showed all patients (n = 13) achieved at least 25 percent improvement in rhytids, crepe-like skin, neck tightness, and pigmentation. There were no problems with scarring or pigmentary changes.

Las Vegas - Although some recent animal research and human case reports have spurred concerns regarding the safety of Botox Cosmetic (botulinum toxin A, Allergan), one of the product's pioneers says that Botox remains safe when used as directed for cosmetic indications.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox Allergan) is the gold standard to treat axillary hyperhidrosis, but it also can be administered to treat palmar hyperhidrosis or plantar hyperhidrosis. In very rare instances, it can be used to treat the mid-face. There is not a standard dosing schedule in using botulinum toxin type A to treat hyperhidrosis.

Mohs surgery of the scalp requires careful excision, tissue processing and closures, keeping in mind the intricacies of scalp anatomy, an expert says.

For treating difficult pigmentary disorders, an expert recommends combining the best of standard treatments with promising newer agents and modalities.