News

An expert in Chinese medicines says that while botanicals have been used as folk remedies for centuries, scientists have only recently begun to test and hold them to the same rigorous standards as synthetic pharmaceuticals.

Regulations in European countries are reducing the incidence of nickel allergy overseas, while the incidence continues to climb in the United States, according to the president of the North American Contact Dermatitis Group.

Dermatologists are one step closer to understanding how to access the electronic health record (EHR) incentive payments promised in the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Enacted in February 2009, ARRA provides incentives for physicians who demonstrate "meaningful" use of a certified EHR system.

Dermatologists must take special care when planning cosmetic procedures for patients with significant varicose veins, especially if those patients also suffer from CV disease.

The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12 has also dealt a major setback to an American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) initiative to teach local doctors to better care for their patients' dermatologic needs, say three doctors involved with the program.

Erbium: yttrium aluminum garnet lasers (Er:YAG) were first introduced as bone-cutting lasers in the late 1980s. These lasers are seeing some resurgence in the cutaneous resurfacing market, with the introduction of new modified delivery methods and alternative wavelengths.

According to one expert, the tanning bed industry is heavily lobbied, and it is the job of dermatologist to not only recognize the health concerns associated with tanning beds, but also to give sound healthcare advice to patients regarding UV protection.

For some atopic dermatitis patients, aggressive systemic therapy can help control pruritis.

Dermatologists celebrated a significant victory in the debate over healthcare reform as the Senate agreed to a 10 percent federal excise tax on indoor tanning services instead of a proposed tax on cosmetic surgical procedures.

Dede Koswara, the Indonesian man known worldwide as the "Tree Man," is battling a recurrence of the massive warts that have covered much of his body since he was a teenager.

When physicians go beyond the directions given in a drug's package insert, it does not mean they are acting illegally or unethically.

Key advances in pediatric dermatology include a deeper understanding of the role of propranolol in treating hemangiomas and of the link between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and atopic dermatitis (AD), according to an expert. Meanwhile, research into other pediatric issues, including diet and acne, continues.

Most savvy investors understand that portfolio diversification is a key consideration in reducing some of the risk of loss in a portfolio. In historically volatile markets, mitigation of loss is not a luxury - it is a necessity.

The current H1N1 influenza scare has hand sanitizers popping up everywhere - hotel lobbies, airports, day care centers, schools, hospital waiting rooms, office elevators and public restrooms. You can hardly enter any public building without having to sanitize your hands with this clear, alcohol-smelling liquid that turns your skin to a dry, itchy, flaky mess.

Dr. Ondo, clinical assistant professor of dermatology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, traveled 30 hours each way on a two-week journey to Hyderabad, near India's southeastern coast. He described the experience as interesting, memorable, and at times overwhelming.

Awareness of the outside-inside aspect of atopic dermatitis is creating a swing in treatment choices away from a sole reliance on immunologic therapy, such as corticoids or immunomodulators such as tacrolimus.

London - The Stiefel unit of GlaxoSmithKline, based here, will promote Amgen’s Enbrel (etanercept) psoriasis treatment to U.S. dermatologists, Bloomberg News reports.

Baltimore - Toilet-seat contact dermatitis is once again afflicting American children - and the rare condition is often misdiagnosed, causing delay in proper treatment, news source MedPage Today reports.

Washington - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reports that more than 600 organizations and institutions are working with local Haitian authorities to bring relief to victims of the recent earthquake, Medscape Medical News reports.

Wayland, Mass. - Officials of aesthetic-device makers Syneron Medical of Israel and Candela, based here, have announced the successful closing of their merger, according to PR-inside.com.

Dermatology PAs : Standards, supervision still concerns, but caseloads, knowledge base grow AAD’s ‘Seal’ exits : Academy says FDA sunscreen monograph to supersede approval program Special Report : Dermatitis

Headed for Miami for the big dermatology meeting in March? We’ve already checked out the scene for you! Take a look through our City Guide to find the best in dining, sights to see, shopping and nightlife, plus handy information on how to get around.

"Getting an EHR is like getting married," says Jonathan Hager, M.D., an internist with Alexander Medical Group in Rochester, N.Y. "Once you are in one of these systems, you are in it. You've got to take the time and make sure you know what you're doing."

Tampa, Fla. ? Along with knowing when and how to biopsy gynecologic dermatoses, dermatologists must address patients' anxieties regarding these problems, an expert says.

Bethesda, Md. ? The skin is the window to the body and often, internal disease processes can be associated with cutaneous symptoms. A number of cutaneous signs are linked to internal malignancies and the timely recognition of these signs and their associations with either genodermatoses or paraneoplastic syndromes can significantly impact the prognosis and treatment of patients.

We are receiving a lot of calls and e-mails regarding which Medicare fee schedule dermatology practices are supposed to use starting Jan. 1. There is a lot of incorrect information floating around from various sources.

Munich, Germany - Acupuncture may bring some relief to itching suffered by atopic eczema patients, Reuters Health reports.

Kyoto, Japan - Results of a new study suggest that frequency of pruritic symptoms is strongly associated with psychological stress, HealthDay News reports.

Cambridge, England - The first comprehensive analyses of cancer genomes are complete, according to new research published in the Dec. 16 online issue of Nature, Medscape Medical News reports.

Miami - Whites and Hispanics are being diagnosed with melanoma more frequently in recent years, while Hispanics and blacks continue to have advanced skin cancer at diagnosis, ScienceDaily reports.