News

For the second time in two years, lawmakers have created federal tax cuts designed to spur business investment.

New Orleans - There is little risk of perichondritis or chondritis when auricular cartilage and skin are used for reconstructive procedures, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology.

New Orleans - While intense pulsed light (IPL) technology is beneficial and generally safe, there are risks and complications, according to Patrick H. Bitter, M.D.

Las Vegas - The next-generation of cosmeceuticals capitalize on discoveries gleaned from biotechnology research. These five new compounds appear to represent innovative approaches to anti-aging strategies, but by objective measures the jury is still out, according to Patricia Farris, M.D., of Metairie, Louisiana. Dr. Farris delivered a talk on new anti-aging agents at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

National Report - Results of the community-based Prospective Investigation Gauging Melasma Reduction with a New Treatment (PIGMENT Trial) reinforce the conclusion that the fixed triple-combination cream containing fluocinolone acetonide 0.01 percent, hydroquinone 4.0 percent, and tretinoin 0.05 percent (Tri-Luma Cream) is a safe and highly effective treatment for melasma. In addition, the study findings show improvement occurs quickly, extends to patients of all skin types managed in the setting of usual clinical practice, and is associated with significant improvement in quality of life, said Helen M. Torok, M.D.

Chicago - New findings from ongoing research aiming to delineate the mechanism of action of eflornithine hydrochloride 13.9 percent cream (Vaniqa) in the treatment of pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) indicate that one pathway may involve drug-induced actin disarray in the outer root sheath with a subsequent effect on axial fiber development, said Steve Chow, M.S., to attendees at Ethnic Hair and Skin: New Directions in Research.

Congress has been told by its chief investigative agency that increasing medical malpractice awards, indeed, are contributing to skyrocketing premium costs for many physicians, but that fact is not having a widespread impact on patients' access to health care.

New Orleans - For J. Ramsey Mellette, M.D., avoiding pincushioning of nasal flaps taken from the nasolabial fold is difficult. "A certain degree of pincushioning in a flap that is taken from the cheek and put onto the nose is inherent in the flap because it's cheek-on-nose," said Dr. Mellette, professor of dermatology and dermatologic surgery, University of Colorado at Denver's health sciences center, department of dermatology.

New York - A single IV injection of anti-IL-12 antibody, even at low doses, resulted in significant improvement in PASI scores, according to results of a study presented at the recent International Psoriasis Symposium, held here.

National Report - The Women's Dermatologic Society/American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons Joint Committee is a newly formed group working hard to optimize the professional success, leadership potential, and personal growth of female dermatologic surgeons. Women who join and become involved in this organization will find themselves benefiting professionally and personally, say co-chairs Roberta D. Sengelmann, M.D., and Sarah B. Weitzul, M.D.

Evidence indicates that dermal collagen formation is the key mechanism of action for nonablative techniques.

Maxim pharmaceuticals has completed enrollment for the confirmatory Phase 3 trial of its lead drug candidate Ceplene? (histamine dihydrochloride) in combination with interleukin-2 (IL-2) for the treatment of advanced malignant melanoma patients with liver metastases.

Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) that can arise in organ transplant recipients (OTR) are clinicopathologically different from those seen in the general population, according to a report published in the September issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Sunscreen creams cannot fully protect people against an increasingly common form of skin cancer, according to research published in late September.

New data suggest InterMune Inc.'s intravenous oritavancin is as effective as a regimen of vancomycin plus cephalexin in treating patients with complicated skin and skin-structure infections (CSSSI).

Tests on 36 older men and women showed the combination of relaxation and movement used in tai chi boosted immunity to a virus that causes the painful outbreaks.

Novartis has pulled its TV ad for Lamisil from the air after receiving a letter from the FDA objecting to the sequence in which Novartis presents the qualifying and efficacy information for its anti-fungal.

CancerVax expects to launch its therapeutic melanoma vaccine and lead product candidate Canvaxin by 2006.

Two cases of an inflammatory vitiligo-like condition that simulated mycosis fungoides have been reported by the Department of Pathology at the Hospital Henri-Mondor, Creteil, France.

Researchers at the Nagasaki University School of Medicine in Japan conducted a trial to confirm the excellent responses they achieved in a previous study using a combination therapy with topical vitamin D3 ointment and solar irradiation for vitiligo.

A review of the narrow-band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) treatment outcomes of 117 patients with vitiligo, pruritus and other inflammatory dermatoses was conducted by researchers at Henry Ford Health System, Detroit.

Korean research suggests long-term photochemotherapy using psoralen and ultra-violet A irradiation (PUVA) may cause several adverse effects, including skin cancer, especially squamous cell carcinoma.

Researchers from the Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston administered twice-weekly 308-nm UV-B radiation to selected vitiligo lesions for a maximum of 60 treatments.

To map genetic locations that confer susceptibility to generalized vitiligo (and perhaps other autoimmune diseases) researchers with the Human Medical Genetics program and the Department of Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, performed a genomewide linkage scan in 71 white multiplex families with vitiligo from North America and the United Kingdom.

Roman researchers achieved an average repigmentation of 75.9 percent in 21 patients with stable vitiligo lesions.

Phacomatosis pigmentovascularis (PPV) type II can be treated successfully with lasers, according to researchers at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan.

New Orleans - As surgeons are inundated with information about new laser devices - some promising to reduce wrinkles, others touting the ability to restore a youthful appearance to the skin - choosing the best laser for an individual practice can be tricky. To offer busy physicians some easy guidelines to help them make prudent laser purchasing decisions, Jason Pozner, M.D. and Larry Bass, M.D., will offer a course on Lasers for Photorejuvenation at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Meeting.

What are captive insurance companies (CICs) and why should physicians consider using them? The CIC we will address here is a legitimate insurance company, licensed to write insurance in the U.S., registered with the IRS, but typically based in an offshore jurisdiction, such as Bermuda or the British Virgin Islands. Most CICs are established in these countries because of their favorable insurance laws and tax treatment, although the funds in the CICs can be maintained and managed in the United States.

The out-of-pocket expenditures needed to buy the equipment used in every practice have always been reduced or helped by tax laws. Today, thanks to the new Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the needed equipment may be more affordable than ever.

Q I am currently acting as the trustee of my dermatology practice's retirement plan. How do I avoid potential liability issues as my plan's fiduciary?