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If you have an iPod, perhaps you should consider whether it is a business expense.

We have never been as inundated with calls as we have in the last year regarding the malpractice insurance situation.

Botulinum toxin is a complex protein produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum toxin type A injections can be used to treat various focal muscle spastic disorders and excessive muscle contractions such as dystonias and spasms.

New Orleans — By understanding the elements of a malpractice suit, a physician can guard against malpractice and also be better prepared in the event of a suit, according to Donald L. Levin, M.D., a private practitioner in Liverpool, N.Y., and assistant professor of dermatology, University of Arkansas, Little Rock, Ark.

Vitamin C, having anti-oxidizing properties, stabilizes the collagen messengers and increases protection against free radicals.

New Orleans — Cosmetic procedures can be successfully added to a dermatologic practice if the process is done in smaller, incremental steps. Dermatologists should be pursuing cosmetic procedures and leading the way for patients to receive safe and esthetically pleasing cosmetic results, according to Sarah M. Boyce, M.D., assistant professor in the department of dermatology and director of cosmetic dermatology at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, Ala.

New Orleans — Dermatologists practicing medicine in tropical regions frequently treat fungal infections such as sporotrichosis, mycetoma and chromoblastomycosis — ailments that practitioners in temperate regions rarely encounter, according to Oliverio Welsh, M.D., emeritus professor, department of dermatology, Universidad Aut?noma de Nuevo Le?n, Monterrey, Mexico. Superficial skin infections are the most common fungal infections, but subcutaneous infections, known as deep mycosis or, in rare cases, disseminated fungal disease, may also occur.

New Orleans — Lack of exposure to female pattern baldness, plus an array of differential diagnoses, causes dermatologists to squirm when confronted with a case, says Jeffrey Miller, M.D, associate professor of dermatology, Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa. He advises doctors to put themselves and patients at ease by developing an objective approach to diagnosis, treatment and management.

Rochester, Minn. — Contrary to recent evidence, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may not be as effective as previously thought for treating various skin diseases, according to a retrospective review reported by the departments of dermatology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Chicago — Genetically manipulated growth factors could hold the key to producing engineered tissue with vascular systems ready-made for transplantation.

National report — Skin infections caused by the current strain of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are on the rise. However, experts say the scope of the problem remains unclear.

Aat the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, there was a coronation of sorts. The biologic agents officially ascended to the status of treatment of choice for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Several prominent dermatologists spoke on the subject and hailed these new agents as superior to old-fashioned remedies, which have now been dubbed "pre-biologics." Am I being too sensitive if I feel somewhat prehistoric when others label as pass? therapies that I use and upon which I routinely depend?

National report — Misuse of statistics is common in the dermatology literature, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Should the cuts take place as planned, 18 percent of physicians surveyed by the American Medical Association say they would stop accepting new Medicare patients; 57 percent would decrease time spent with patients; and 46 percent would reduce staffing levels.

New Orleans — Although laser cosmetic procedures have captured popular attention, chemical peels continue to be appropriate for many patients, according to Suzan Obagi, M.D., at the annual cosmetic surgery symposium of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Most physicians have significant AR balances that sit on the practice's balance sheet as an exposed asset.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of successful investors who never own more than a half dozen investments at one time, some even fewer.

My advice to most doctors is to use a domain name ending in .com or .net — these are recognized by almost all members of the public as being proper domain names.

Scottsdale, Ariz. — In many ways, running a clinical research center is just like running any other business — those without a plan are likely to flounder.

Combination therapy with botulinum toxin and fillers has another benefit: it produces much longer lasting results than either fillers or toxin used alone when used to treat folds and furrows of the glabella.

In order for laser surgery to be a successful component of a dermatology practice, Dr. Obagi encourages her colleagues to become more adept consumers.

New Orleans — Although laser cosmetic procedures have captured popular attention, chemical peels continue to be appropriate for many patients, according to Suzan Obagi, M.D., at the annual cosmetic surgery symposium of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

What is the cause of seborrheic dermatitis?

Boston — Radiation therapy effectively reduces recurrence and progressive disease in Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), but conflicting opinions about optimal treatment have kept many patients from receiving this relatively benign therapy.

There is little intraoperative bleeding because of TLA's vasoconstriction effect.

Another feature of laser-induced ultrasound is its potential ability to detect the presence or absence of melanin.

National report — Ironically, the very properties of the Dead Sea that kill fish and other wildlife offer psoriasis suffers and people with other chronic health conditions significant healing powers.

New Orleans — It's no secret that psychosocial stressors can exacerbate many common skin disorders. So why aren't more dermatologists taking advantage of the mind-body link in their daily practices?

National report — West Nile Virus caused nearly 10,000 illnesses and more than 250 deaths nationally in 2003, and in 2004 people were looking for ways to protect themselves from the most common mosquito-borne disease in this country. One problem some face is that safety concerns still exist about some of the chemicals designed to deter mosquitoes.

Orlando, Fla. — Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone during the menstrual cycle can cause changes to the reproductive system, yet little attention has been paid to how these variations may impact the body's largest organ, the skin.