Feature

Feature

Read the Label

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jun 03 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 6 - June 2010

Why you need to read the package insert before prescribing acne medications.

It is truly amazing how much about the familiar we do not know. While acne remains the most common condition dermatologists treat, and despite the range of patients and informational articles, supplements and symposiums on the topic, many dermatologists are unaware of crucial caveats found in the package inserts of acne medications, which might complicate their lives later. While many warnings have their genesis in clinical trials or in the use of medications in older patients with co-morbid conditions for

Insights Into Treating Palmoplantar Psoriasis

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Aug 17 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 8 - August 2010

A review.

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated, multi-system disease with a prevalence of approximately 1% to 3% worldwide.1 Chronic stable plaque psoriasis, or psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common form of disease, accounting for 85% to 90% of cases. Joint involvement is common, affecting anywhere from 6% to 42% of patients with psoriasis. 2 Other phenotypes include intertriginous, scalp, palmar, plantar and seborrheic, and patients may present with multiple forms. 3,4 At present, there is no curative therapy available and the clin

Undesired Pigmentary Alterations Associated with Q-Switched Laser Tattoo Removal

Figure 5. Chart illustrating the incidence of pigmentary alteration associated with QS laser treatment of tattoo in a retrospective study performed by the authors. Figure 5. Chart illustrating the incidence of pigmentary alteration associated with QS laser treatment of tattoo in a retrospective study performed by the authors. Figure 5. Chart illustrating the incidence of pigmentary alteration associated with QS laser treatment of tattoo in a retrospective study performed by the authors.
VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Aug 17 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 8 - August 2010

A retrospective study and review of the literature.

Tattoo ink treatment via Quality-switched (QS) lasers is widely considered the gold standard tattoo removal modality and is a relatively safe procedure, especially when compared to the continuous wave lasers and non-laser treatment methods used in the past. That being said, adverse side effects including undesired pigmentary alterations that occasionally occur with the use of the QS devices, while widely acknowledged among laser specialists, haven’t been clearly quantified in the medical literature. This article addresses the undesi

Psoriasis Review

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Aug 17 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 8 - August 2010

Study Finds Excimer Laser Effective For Generalized Psoriasis, Prompts Study Adding Clobetasol And Vitamin D Ointment

A study described earlier this year in the Journal of Dermatological Treatment and discussed along with the new study it prompted at the summer AAD in Chicago, offers what its authors consider to be the first solid clinical evidence that a laser can be used to treat generalized psoriasis — that covering up to 30% of a patient’s body. (It was previously considered effective for small patches of localized psoriasis.) While the completed study used only the excime

Female Hair Loss on the Fronto-Vertex Scalp

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jul 15 2010
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Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 7 - July 2010

A practical guide to diagnosis and treatment.

Adult women represent a large majority of patients seeking care for hair loss in the dermatology practice. It is precisely this group who are intensely aware of changes in hair density, texture and loss, especially loss over the crown of the scalp or frontal and vertex of the scalp. Those in this group are also the ones who tend to have the most complicated diagnoses, with more than one form of hair loss occurring at the same time. For this reason, it is important to carefully document the medical history of the patient, the specific conc

Warts and Molluscum — Diagnosis and Treatment

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jul 15 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 7 - July 2010

The “art” of diagnosing and treating these conditions — especially in young patients — calls for careful consideration of pain versus gain and risk to benefit, warn pediatric dermatologist Magdalene Dohil and PA Yvonne Clark.

When treating young patients for a wart or molluscum, there are a few “practical pearls” to keep in mind. First, consider the anxiety and age of the child in your decision-making process, and do not lie about pain, as you will need the patient’s trust for future visits. Remember too, that you are treating the family as well as the patients. Answer all their ques

Pediatric Dermatology Roundup

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jul 15 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 7 - July 2010

New developments and controversies in pediatric dermatology.

Data on new approaches to dermatological conditions affecting children and issues surrounding their treatment have recently been topics in the news and at meetings. Two new treatments for infantile hemangiomas that may offer a much-needed alternative to systemic corticosteroids are propranolol, a non-selective beta-adrenergic antagonist, and Timolol gel, a topical non-selective beta-adrenergic antagonist. Benzyl alcohol lotion 5% has emerged as a new first-line treatment for head lice.

Acne-related issues include the fa

Acne Review

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jun 03 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 6 - June 2010

Highlights of recent news, research and treatment trends.

Acne Treatment Trends

In an effort to assess current eco-responsibility of physicians treating acne vulgaris, researchers looked at the trends in prescribing patterns over time. Researchers from the Center for Dermatology Research, which is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Galderma Laboratories, analyzed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) for trends in prescriptions for acne vulgaris from 1997 to 2006. They looked at the recorded medications at all visits to the physician in which

Apologophobia and Other Fears Among Physicians

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: Jun 03 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 6 - June 2010

As anthropologist John-Henry Pfifferling sees it, the “natives” — in this case, physicians — can get out of control, sometimes as a result of some oddly named behaviors that may be traced to their training.

While physicians who suffer from one or more of the phobias or behaviors I describe may not be aware of it, their problems may be all too apparent to colleagues and staff. But from the perspective of an anthropologist, I can trace many of their behaviors to their “clans,” that is, the culture of their professional training and colleagues.

The Root of Problematic Behaviors<

Skin Cancer and Photoaging Review

VOLUME: 18 PUBLICATION DATE: May 06 2010
Issue Number: 
Volume 18 - Issue 5 - May 2010

Highlights of recent news, research and treatment trends.

Fraxel re:store Dual laser Proven Effective in Treating AKs

Solta Medical, Inc., announced that the new Fraxel re:store Dual laser system is effective for the treatment of actinic keratoses (AKs).

According to Solta, in an ongoing clinical study at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York, dermatologists found that treatment with the new Fraxel re:store Dual laser resolved 86% of AK lesions. In addition, the study found improvement in skin texture and pigmentation following a Fraxel treatment.

The objectiv