News

According to a study of 36 primary care offices in relatively affluent suburban areas of six U.S. cities, one-fourth of people (25.5 percent) tested positive for the virus that causes genital herpes.

AEterna Laboratories reported recently the results of a phase III trial evaluating its drug Impavido (miltefosine) for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis, showing that patients taking Impavido had a 220-percent better cure rate compared with those in a placebo group.

A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study with metronidazole in patients with mild to moderate seborrheic dermatitis found the drug seemed to lack effectiveness.

Officials in Duchess County, N.Y., introduced a medical database of infectious diseases, skin conditions, and drug information to help physicians and nurses make diagnoses based on visual information, according to reports.

As our overhead costs continue to increase while reimbursements decrease, physicians are motivated to find novel ways to reduce our fixed overhead costs. Nearly every practice has 15 percent of "fat" that has to be cut. Just a few cost-saving strategies will reduce thousands of dollars of overhead, and one of these strategies is to implement an electronic system of archiving medical records.

Q.Is it my imagination, or do physicians seem unusually susceptible to being dragged through long, drawn-out divorce proceedings? What advice do you have?

As professionals with many physician clients, we routinely are asked by physicians throughout the country to answer questions on a variety of topics. However, in our combined experiences, we have never been as inundated with calls as we have in the last year regarding the malpractice insurance situation. Doctors from all specialties and from all regions of the country have called us looking for ways to reduce their malpractice premiums or to find alternatives to their traditional carriers.

Chicago - Autologous fillers not only can fill deep facial lines or lift sagging buttocks, but they also offer particular advantages over other types of fillers.

San Francisco - As facial implants come of age, aging faces look even younger. UltraSoft implants are part of the next generation of ePTFE facial implants designed to be softer, with a wider diameter than their predecessor, the SoftForm implant. Manufactured by Tissue Technologies Inc., San Francisco, the permanent facial implants offer dermatologic surgeons an alternative to injectable or temporary fillers for nasolabial folds or lip augmentation that Nicholas Lowe, M.D., FRCP, believes is safer and more effective.

Hermosa Beach, Calif. - Though not yet FDA-approved for use in the United States, Reviderm Intra is a hyaluronic gel filler with a shelf life that already may have passed, according to Gail Humble, M.D., medical director of Blue Pacific Aesthetic Medical Group in Hermosa Beach, Calif.

San Francisco - The FDA has its eye on New-Fill (Dermik Laboratories), a polylactic acid filler that experts predict could become a popular treatment for moderate to deep wrinkles and volume loss.

Leading sources suggest that cosmetic surgeons should carefully monitor the psychological condition and ambitions of existing and potential cosmetic patients despite a recent study finding that aesthetic procedures significantly improve a patient's quality of life.

Chicago - Arginine deiminase, an amino acid degrading enzyme, is safe and has anti-tumor activity in phase I and II investigations of metastatic melanoma, according to Theodore Logan, M.D.

Chicago - There has been no good explanation as to why people who know that too much sun is not healthy continue to sunbathe or go to tanning salons. Now, for the first time, University of Texas researchers have shown that the act of suntanning shares characteristics of other substance-dependent disorders.

San Francisco - Syndromic hemangiomas are almost always segmental hemangiomas, associated with a constellation of birth defects probably arising from mutations affecting a developmental field, according to Ilona J. Frieden, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology and pediatrics, UCSF School of Medicine.

San Francisco - A baseline examination followed by yearly screening for retinopathy is probably adequate for patients taking chronic antimalarial therapy, Stephen E. Wolverton, M.D., said.

San Francisco - A multidisciplinary approach is best in management of problematic hemangiomas, often requiring close interaction with pediatricians, surgical teams, ophthalmologists, neurologists, radiologists, and psychologists, Julie Powell, M.D., said.

San Francisco - UVB-emitting lasers and light sources provide safe, convenient, and effective phototherapy for patients with localized psoriasis, vitiligo, and leukoderma, Christine A. Dierickx, M.D., said.

San Francisco - Treatment of vitiligo has advanced significantly in recent years with the use of topical immunomodulators and newer forms of phototherapy, Pearl F. Grimes, M.D., said.

San Francisco - Oral terbinafine (Lamisil) is the most cost-effective treatment for toenail onychomycosis as compared to other available agents, according to the results of an economic evaluation.

San Francisco - New topical and systemic treatments, and new uses for existing ones, are making several photodermatosis conditions more manageable, according to John L.M. Hawk, M.D.

San Francisco - A multitude of conditions, from systemic diseases to conditions affecting only the mouth or the alimentary tract, can cause oral ulcers. Recognizing subtle differences in symptoms and knowing which conditions are most common can help dermatologists make accurate diagnosis.

Chicago - Future advances in the management of patients with alopecia areata are expected to emerge from ongoing efforts aiming to facilitate clinical research studies and gain a better understanding of the immunological disease mechanisms and its genetic associations, Maria K. Hordinsky, M.D., said at Academy '03.

Chicago - Current focus on the scarring alopecias (cicatricial alopecias), one of the most poorly understood disorders in dermatology for which no effective therapies exist, is to generate research that will lead first to an understanding of these disorders and then to development of effective treatments, according to Wilma F. Bergfeld, M.D. Efforts are being made to update and clarify the current gold standard of the diagnosis, both clinical and histological, as well as the present therapies.

San Francisco - The known teratogenicity of isotretinoin, as well as a possible link to psychiatric illness, means that physicians prescribing the drug must carefully follow risk-management guidelines. These guidelines are mandated by the FDA.

San Francisco - Several recent studies have demonstrated some interesting phenomena in the area of pediatric dermatology. Howard B. Pride, M.D., an associate in the department of dermatology at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pa., presented some highlights.

Chicago - Many people have a frightening image of lepers as disfigured people, roaming around colonies. The Bible makes several references to what is now a reportable infectious disease, rarely seen by dermatologists. Still, leprosy does occur in the United States, and dermatologists should be suspicious of it.

San Francisco - In many women, acne can have a hormonal cause that points to a more severe underlying disorder. Being able to appropriately identify such disorders can help dermatologists better treat the acne as well as help prevent more serious long-term selequae.

The National Institutes of Health, fresh off a five-year doubling of its budget, could benefit from some organizational changes - including giving its directorsignificantly more authority and funding,

Dr. G has a very busy dermatology practice in a large city. When he sought to hire a young physician to join his practice, he wanted to be certain that this physician would never compete with him. The young physician, coming right out of his residency-training program, had no problem with the concept.