I spend about two months a year away from my office attending meetings and vacationing. Often I am many time zones away, where I want to avoid the cost and inconvenience of phoning home to the office every day. Some of my staff are not regular users of e-mail, and it is not practical to train them for occasional use of my office email system.
Washington -- Not only do moisturizers with niacinamide provide temporary relief to patients with sensitive skin, they also appear to make sensitive skin less sensitive, said Tracy L. Grosick, principal researcher, skin care product development, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati. Grosick presented these clinical trial findings at the annual American Academy of Dermatology meeting.
Washington - Much can be done to help patients who have any of the various types of alopecias, and dermatologists should be more willing to invest time and energy into diagnosing and treating the condition.
Q. What are the pros and cons of permanent cosmetics?
Washington - Sensitive skin is much more common among persons with rosacea compared to the general population, but even those rosacea patients with confirmed heightened skin sensitivity are likely to tolerate application of azelaic acid 15 percent gel (Finacea), according to the results of a prospective study undertaken by Zoe D. Draelos, M.D.
Human BioSystems (HBS), a Palo Alto, Calif., biomedical company conducting research to extend the shelf life of blood platelets and donor organs, announced that it finalized a purchase agreement to acquire all rights to a skin-cream product previously developed for severe burns.
Connetics Corp. has received notifications from the FDA that no user fee is required for the new drug application seeking marketing clearance for Extina (ketoconazole 2 percent) Foam. Previously, Connects announced positive results from its Phase III clinical trial with Extina versus Nizoral.
Dermik Laboratories has launched a medical information resource devoted to conditions involving the skin, hair, and nails. www.skinhealthsolutions.com offers direct and simple access to nearly 300 Web sites at no cost to the visitor. The portal contains an extensive range of targeted information about skin, hair, and nails provided by physician groups
A drug used to treat skin infections including athlete's foot, could help to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, scientists say.
Chemicals from underarm deodorants and other cosmetics can build up inside the body, according to a study. British researchers have found traces of chemicals called parabens in tissue taken from women with breast cancer.
Akron, Ohio - Maggot debridement therapy (MDT), a controversial, but reportedly effective wound-healing technique, has attracted a following abroad in recent years, and is now gaining interest in the United States, as well. MDT is the medical use of live maggots or fly larvae for cleaning non-healing wounds. "MDT has been around for centuries -- so it's certainly not new, but there has been a resurgence of interest," said dermatologist and wound-care specialist Elliot N. Mostow, M.D., of Wound Care Associates of Akron (Ohio).
Waikoloa, Hawaii - Topical treatments for actinic keratosis can attack the problem internally and externally because of varying mechanisms of action, said James Del Rosso, D.O., as he reviewed advances in AK therapies Hawaii Dermatology Seminar.
Washington, D.C. - There are several clinical variants of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), and appropriate treatment and response to treatment differ according to the clinical variant, according to Katie Pang, M.D., a clinical research fellow working with Dr. Stephen Tyring at the Center for Clinical Studies in Houston, Texas. The four major clinical variants are classic KS, KS in iatrogenically immunosuppressed patients, AIDS-related epidemic KS, and African endemic KS. HHV-8 is the etiological agent of all of the clinical types of KS.
Washington - A novel thermophobic foam containing three active ingredients to fight dandruff is at least as effective as standard anti-dandruff treatment, and offers the advantages of a non-greasy formulation that is fast-acting and not irritating to the hair or scalp, according to Massimo Milani, M.D., the medical director and head of technology and development at Mipharm SpA in Milan, Italy.
Waikoloa, Hawaii- When counseling rosacea patients on routine skincare products, the dermatologist's main mission is to keep the skincare simple and thus avoid the irritation that triggers an exacerbation of rosacea, according to Zoe D. Draelos, M.D.
Waikoloa, Hawaii - Psoriasis patients report a dramatic improvement in their quality of life when they are treated with a biologic therapy, according to Alexandra B. Kimball, M.D., M.P.H.
Miami - Atopic dermatitis (AD) can be challenging to diagnose even for the seasoned dermatologist because it mimics other common skin diseases in the pediatric population. It also can be challenging to treat, with the addition of new agents on the market. There are key points to consider when making the diagnosis and tried-and-true methods of treatment to keep in mind when recommending therapies to parents and their children, according to Bernice Krafchik, M.D., dermatologist, and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
Boutique. Concierge. Express service. There are a variety of names but the end result is the same: patients pay an annual retainer, and for that money - usually between $1000 to $2000 - patients receive a variety of special services: a smaller patient base which allows for no-wait appointments, longer appointments, and quicker return phone calls. It probably can not be called a trend yet, but a number of physicians around the country have dropped Medicare and others have stopped accepting managed care. Now, this new twist is being added - personalized medical care - for a fee.
Washington - The standard multi-drug therapy for multi-bacillary leprosy (MDT-MB) recommended by the World Health Organization proved effective in treating patients with Lucio's phenomenon, a rare necrotizing reaction sometimes seen in patients with Lucio's leprosy, according to Luna Azulay-Abulafia, assistant professor of dermatology at the Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and at the Universidade Gama Filho, Brazil. At the February American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, Dr. Azulay-Abulafia described two cases of Lucio's phenomenon in Brazilian patients with Lucio's leprosy successfully treated with MDT-MB, with no need for systemic therapy with corticosteroids or thalidomide.
Washington - Langerhans cell sarcoma is a rare neoplasm that can involve multiple organs, including lymph nodes, bone, lung, bone marrow, skin, and brain. A single, cutaneous tumor is an unusual primary presentation, said Tammie Ferringer, M.D., dermatopathology fellow at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Washington - Cryosurgery should be offered as a treatment option for a variety of skin cancers because it is an effective modality with numerous advantages, said Gloria F. Graham, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Washington -- A new study presented in poster form at the recent AAD meeting concludes that etanercept continues to post an excellent record for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The drug maintains its safety profile and clinical efficacy for treatment durations of more than five years.
Washington, D.C. - Ongoing work regarding aminolevulinic acid (ALA) for photodynamic therapy provides a shining example of the value of off-label uses. The drug has earned UK approval for treating skin cancer and FDA approval for actinic keratoses. However, its most effective applications may well be cosmetic treatments including photo-rejuvenation, acne, and sebaceous gland hyperplasia.
Waikoloa, Hawaii - Oral contraceptives are effective therapies for treating severe acne in younger women, and dermatologists should feel at liberty to prescribe oral contraceptives to their patients to control acne, according to one dermatologist.
Washington D.C. - In treating patients with non-responsive conditions, it's important to consider altering your method of inquiry, said Alan M. Dattner, M.D., FAAD. "I go beyond a clinical diagnosis to make an etiological diagnosis and treat on the basis of that," he said.
Dermatologists hoping for some form of relief from the increasingly high cost of medial malpractice insurance may have to wait a while longer for that itch to be eased, although there was still some hope that a modified bill might be considered.
Washington - Etanercept can be safely administered to AIDS patients with difficult-to-treat inflammatory conditions, according to Robert Wallis, associate professor of medicine at UMDNJ-NJMS, who presented a poster at the February 2004 AAD meeting describing results of a Phase I trial conducted in Kampala, Uganda. "There does not appear to be a substantial risk that either opportunistic infections or HIV disease will be deleteriously affected by this treatment," said Dr. Wallis.
La Jolla, Calif. - Digital cameras have improved so much in recent years that dermatologists should think seriously about purchasing and using one in their clinical practices. Instead of rifling through old slides in crowded file drawers or three ring binders, a doctor with a digital camera can store images on a computer and easily compare skin changes over time.
Washington - Get the facts first, then regulate. So urged Rajesh Balkirshnan, Ph.D., associate professor of management and policy sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston.
Washington - Findings of a retrospective analysis designed to characterize comorbidities in the psoriasis population and adverse events associated with systemic therapies will hopefully increase physician understanding of their psoriasis patients and thereby enhance patient care, said Daniel J. Pearce, M.D., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology.
