News

St. Louis — A surge of new dermatologic therapies is presenting a variety of options for treating skin diseases, especially in the area of psoriasis.

New York — By documenting the physical sequelae of mistreatment, dermatologists may play a valuable role in helping victims of torture, says Miguel R. Sanchez, M.D., associate professor of dermatology, New York University School of Medicine.

One doctor wasn't sure what his legal status would be if it were known that he did use imported medications in his office.

Fortunately, dermatologists contacted by Dermatology Times report that the majority of their interactions with sales reps are positive and professional.

The court recognized that members of peer review committees are often in direct competition with those being reviewed, and the system has the potential for abuse of the person being reviewed.

Washington — Physicians seeking to open specialty hospitals that focus on specific practices or procedures can expect to face careful scrutiny from federal regulators who believe those facilities may be generating windfall profits for doctors while creating unfair competition for traditional hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs).

The current focus on cosmetic dermatology has spurred interest among dermatology residents and practicing dermatologists about how to master this growing subspecialty.

National report -- A study reported recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests there is evidence countering the widely held belief that people who dye their hair increase their risk of getting cancer.

National report -- Findings of a study reported recently in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that a one-time shot of a vaccine developed by Merck & Co. significantly reduces adults' chances of acquiring shingles, a painful, sometimes debilitating nerve and skin condition.

Washington -- The House of Representatives has passed a measure that would end conflicts of interest among scientists and doctors on U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panels.

San Antonio - A small study suggests that cold air anesthesia in combination with lidocaine outperforms lidocaine alone in patients receiving Restylane (hyaluronic acid, Q-Med) and Botox (botulinum toxin A, Allergan) injections.

Newtown, Pa. — CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals announces the "highly significant" positive outcomes of two phase 3, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trials designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Oracea for the treatment of rosacea.

National Report - Pooled results from two phase 3 clinical trials demonstrate the efficacy and safety of an investigational acne treatment combining clindamycin and tretinoin in a hydrogel base (Velac, Connetics), James J. Leyden, M.D., reported at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dallas - Most patients with moderate to severe psoriasis are best treated with a combination of topical, phototherapy and/or systemic agents that can be used in a variety of sequences, says Alan Menter, M.D., chairman, division of dermatology, Baylor University Medical Center.

Las Vegas - Nonablative light-based therapy continues to evolve, and with recent innovations, that field has advanced into the use of combination therapies for better outcomes and the ability to simultaneously address both cosmetic and medical skin problems, said Mark S. Nestor, M.D., Ph.D., at the Fall & Winter Dermatology Conference here.

National report — Among topical medications for treating mild-to-moderate acne, antibiotics are the most cost-effective therapy for inflammatory acne while retinoids are the most cost-effective for clearing non-inflammatory lesions, according to the results of a pharmacoeconomic evaluation reported by Stefan Weiss, M.D., at the 63rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.

San Antonio - A small study suggests that cold air anesthesia in combination with lidocaine outperforms lidocaine alone in patients receiving Restylane (hyaluronic acid, Q-Med) and Botox (botulinum toxin A, Allergan) injections.

National report - It has taken some time, but the use of combination therapies has become a trend that's spread throughout the dermatologic world.

San Diego — For cosmetic facial problems, Botox (botulinum toxin A, Allergan) is no longer a stand-alone, one-size-fits-all treatment. Increasingly, doctors are modifying doses based on individual patient needs and combining Botox with soft tissue fillers.

San Diego — Dermatologists have to take into account the gender of a patient if they are going to perform hair transplantation, says a Netherlands-based dermatologist.

National report — Early treatment with either a 585-nm or a 595-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) can safely and significantly improve the appearance of surgical scars in patients with skin phototypes I-IV, according to results of a controlled trial undertaken by researchers from the University of Miami's department of dermatology and cutaneous surgery.

Regardless of the etiology of the hair loss, Dr. Westfried says, electrotherapy delivered by the ETG device stops continued hair loss and, in more than 50 percent of people, fosters additional hair growth.

New Orleans — According to Saleem Taibjee, M.D., both the xenon chloride excimer laser and the pulsed dye laser (PDL) can deliver long-term remission for localized plaque psoriasis. On average, the excimer is more effective; however, for a subset of patients, PDL treatment works better.

National report — An intraoral infraorbital block with diphenhydramine 5.9 mg/cc is a safe and effective method for providing local anesthesia in patients undergoing correction of nasolabial folds and lip augmentation using the hyaluronic acid-based fillers. This method has advantages compared to the use of lidocaine, says Jennifer C. Cather, M.D.

Newport Beach, Calif. — Most dermatologists are unlikely to see patients with phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV). Those who do, however, should know how to recognize and treat the condition with an eye toward preventing concomitant systemic symptoms.

For such reasons, atopic dermatitis remains the only FDA-approved indication for the macrolactams.

Boston — Determining which mediators are released in different inflammatory conditions may help dermatologists find the most effective way to treat itch, according to John Ansel, M.D. Researchers are making progress to understanding the pathophysiology of pruritus and applying it to patients, but both areas continue to require additional study, he adds.

San Francisco — Keeping up with new developments in medical dermatology requires vigilance and time, especially because study results are published in so many different journals. To help dermatologists stay abreast of research, John H. Epstein, M.D., presented at the Pacific Dermatologic Association meeting in Newport Beach, Calif. He synopsized various papers that have been published in the last two years in journals other than the Archives of Dermatology, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Houston — Dermatologists need to urge patients with herpes infections to take a nucleoside analog drug daily to prevent the transmission of genital herpes, according to Stephen Tyring, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor of dermatology, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston.

Geneva, Switzerland — A case study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine highlights that a condition such as scurvy could occur in patients who are not thought to be at high risk for developing the condition.