Dermatology Times back issues from August 2003:
Saint livingood
Aug 01, 2003; ... Leadership, passion hallmarks of dermatologist's career Many called Clarence S. Livingood, M.D., "legendary," not only for his leadership in dermatology but for his passion as team physician for the Detroit Tigers baseball organization. Dr. Livingood, who died in 1998 at age 85, ...
Physician, tone thyself
Aug 01, 2003; ... Doctors should set healthy example by exercising Rather than simply nod their heads at the importance of exercise for cosmetic surgery candidates, physicians would be well advised to actually "prescribe" exercise as a prerequisite to surgery, said Todd Bezilla, D.O., M.Ed., a certified ...
Diet slows aging, promotes healing
Aug 01, 2003; ... Low glycemic indices reduce formation of advanced glycation-end products Washington - By eating foods with a low glycemic index, patients can reduce the rate at which wrinkles develop in the skin and accelerate postoperative healing. According to nutritionist Robert Pastore, ...
Unplugged!
Aug 01, 2003; ... Computer Monitor Wireless invasion sweeps America Over the past couple of years wireless technology for connecting laptops and other computers to local area networks and the Internet has matured and become affordable. Now, for less than $100, a wireless network card can be ...
Cool tool, hot new application
Aug 01, 2003; ... Radiofrequency energy removes head, neck tumors Nashville - For the first time, patients with recurrent head and neck tumors have a less invasive alternative to conventional 10- to 12-hour surgery. According to Randall Owen, M.D., carefully directed radiofrequency energy produces ...
Taming tantrums
Aug 01, 2003; ... Tactics ease pain of pediatric laser Tx San Francisco - Making laser surgery as pleasant an experience as possible is important when the patient is a child because optimal clearing of many common pediatric lesions treated with a laser involves multiple sessions, Heidi A. Waldorf, M.D., ...
Surgical complications
Aug 01, 2003; ... Preparedness necessary for managing inevitable adverse events San Francisco - Providing patients with the best service mandates dermatologic surgeons become comfortable and skilled in diagnosing and managing postop complications, Hugh M. Gloster Jr., M.D., said. "Complications ...
Fighting the flakes
Aug 01, 2003; ... Dandruff shampoos mild, effective San Francisco - Although dandruff and anti-dandruff shampoos have been around for years, there is new information to share with patients that will help them fight the flakes. Roberta Boyd, associate director of scalp care and anti-dandruff technology at ...
Technology slow to catch on
Aug 01, 2003; ... Tools could lead to faster, more accurate, noninvasive monitoring Barcelona - Hair grows at an average rate of one-half inch a month. Unfortunately, technological developments in the field of hair growth and hair loss have not increased much faster. The major reason for delays in this ...
Women and hair loss
Aug 01, 2003; ... Hair density and frontal recession not linked Barcelona - The next time one of your female patients worries that her thinning hair will lead to baldness, you can reassure her that, most likely, it does not mean she is going bald. The same goes for women who are experiencing recession ...
Men, women & hair loss
Aug 01, 2003; ... Fine-tuning our understanding of androgenetic alopecia Barcelona - Questions rather than answers seem to have enveloped the current understanding of androgenetic alopecia, according to Andrew G. Messenger, M.D., FRCP. "We have a reasonable understanding of the broad aspects of ...
Painless hair analysis
Aug 01, 2003; ... Software tool offers novel approach to counting hairs Barcelona - TrichoScan is a novel and effective software tool for analyzing hair growth in patients with androgenetic alopecia or androgenetic effluvium, Rolf Hoffman, M.D., said here at the 10th European Hair Research Society ...
Multiple sets of factors may trigger AA
Aug 01, 2003; ... Onset age peaks bimodally Barcelona - The onset age of alopecia areata (AA) peaks in both the late teens and around 30 years, according to Andrew J. G. McDonagh, M.D., consultant dermatologist (U.K.-certified in dermatology), University of Sheffield's Royal Hallamshire ...
Nails in need of biopsy
Aug 01, 2003; ... Despite multiple possible etiologies, melanonychia always an ominous sign Chicago - Melanonychia striata (longitudinal melanonychia) needs to be evaluated by biopsy to prove it is a benign finding rather than a sign of subungual melanoma. In order to arrive at a definitive diagnosis, the ...
In praise of 'sliverers'
Aug 01, 2003; ... Specialized staff members critical element to successful hair transplantation surgery Chicago - Hair transplant surgeons, as a group, are somewhat frustrated due to the lacking comprehension from both the public and their dermatologic colleagues regarding the advanced approach to hair ...
Nails from the crypt
Aug 01, 2003; ... Cosmetic treatment of nails often uneventful, but horror stories do exist Chicago - Nail cosmetics are widely used and usually without adverse consequences, but dermatologists should be familiar with the potential problems that can occur with exposure to nail cosmetics and professional ...
Biochemotherapy gets thumb's down
Aug 01, 2003; ... Several studies shed doubt on role of BCT for advanced melanoma Chicago - The promise of biochemotherapy for stage IV malignant melanoma has not held up to scrutiny, and the value of this form of treatment seems nil, according to recent discouraging findings from major phase III clinical ...
When there's no time for HAART to start ...
Aug 01, 2003; ... Paclitaxel shows benefit in treatment of KS, with lower incidence of neutropenia than doxorubicin Chicago - In the early days before protease inhibitors, Kaposi's sarcoma was considered a severe and dangerous ancillary condition that often was fatal to patients. "Kaposi's sarcoma ...
Photopheresis effective for multiple diseases
Aug 01, 2003; ... Therapy moves beyond treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma San Francisco - Designed to treat difficult cases of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, photopheresis is proving to have several more potential clinical applications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and lichen ...
Bevacizumab results favorable but not definitive
Aug 01, 2003; ... Monoclonal antibody knocks out hormone, new vessels necessary for tumor growth Chicago - A phase II trial of a new recombinant agent in the fight against melanoma has accrued 28 patients so far, yielding interesting data but so far no conclusive results, according to an abstract ...
Triple peptide vaccine
Aug 01, 2003; ... Phase II trial places median survival at 21 months for immunological responders Chicago - Data involving the first 60 patients in a phase II clinical trial of a multi-epitope peptide vaccination, as combined with other agents, showed a median survival of 21 months for immunological ...
Melanoma survival rate and vitiligo
Aug 01, 2003; ... Pigmentary condition to survival of maintenance biotherapy recipients Chicago - Among patients receiving a novel immune-based maintenance biotherapy regimen (mBT) for metastatic melanoma, those who developed vitiligo had longer median survival. "The appearance of vitiligo shows ...
Targeted therapy will have to wait
Aug 01, 2003; ... For time being, interferon favored for treatment of melanoma San Francisco - The future of melanoma treatment may include a union of surgical and medical oncology in which treatments such as interferon play an important role, according to Donald P. Lawrence, M.D. However, it is less ...
Creepy, crawly...
Aug 01, 2003; ... Think of spiders - and demodicidosis - when you see atypical rosacea or acne San Francisco - An atypical case of acne or rosacea that does not respond as expected to treatment may actually be a case of demodicidosis. This mite infestation, while less common than acne or rosacea, is more ...
HSV, HPV called 'silent epidemics'
Aug 01, 2003; ... Viral STDs increasingly prevalent, often present as skin lesions San Francisco - Although bacterial sexually transmitted diseases are decreasing in prevalence in the United States, viral STDs are on the rise, according to Ted Rosen, M.D. Of particular concern, he said, are the increasing ...
Celiac disease association
Aug 01, 2003; ... Psoriasis patients at higher risk for celiac disease Orlando, Fla. - Patients with psoriasis are at higher risk for celiac disease than the general population, according to Veronica Ojetti, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Celiac disease is an autoimmune ...
Acne relief
Aug 01, 2003; ... PDT combination effective for recalcitrant acne vulgaris San Francisco - Photodynamic therapy with oral administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA-PDT) is an effective therapy for the treatment of recalcitrant acne vulgaris, according to Yoshiyasu Itoh, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor ...
Gastrointestinal flags
Aug 01, 2003; ... Skin conditions reveal underlying disorders San Francisco - One of the basic tenets of medical dermatology is that the skin serves as a window into the internal parts of the body and internal diseases. Visual examination of the skin can reveal signs of systemic disease, including ...
Examining Medical Ethics
Aug 01, 2003; ... Are you the physician you dreamed of being? Ottawa - Ethical issues in medicine are not that different across practice specialties, and ultimately, physicians should be acting with the interests of their patients first and foremost, according to a professor in the department of ...
Can I give my patients a gift?
Aug 01, 2003; ... Dr. Sun runs a large medical and cosmetic dermatology practice in a moderately wealthy, middle-class Sun Belt community. A large portion of his practice base is above the age of 65. Many of these patients present with a variety of skin cancers. The same patients seek cosmetic treatments with ...
Report: Doctors shortchange patients
Aug 01, 2003; ... Dermatologists claim they follow guidelines for part while admitting shortcomings Americans are getting barely half of the appropriate medical care they should be getting - that's the analysis of a study released recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. Through patient interviews ...
DTP3
Aug 01, 2003; ... Measuring dermatologic opinion and incident across America Thou Shall Not Cross the FDA Claims of misleading advertising draw warnings from government The FDA issued written warnings to Allergan Inc. and Mylan, claiming each company offered misleading information ....
Heady subject
Aug 01, 2003; ... Shampoos, conditioners, dyes all have potential to damage hair, skin Chicago -With all the new at-home hair treatments and recent reports of contact dermatitis and other cutaneous manifestations from using shampoos, conditioners and hair dyes, dermatologists should be keenly aware of ...
Nevus knowledge
Aug 01, 2003; ... Recognition of signature nevi in 'moley' children helps reduce excisions San Francisco - Several of the melanocytic nevi in a "moley" child often have a similar clinical appearance, leading to the concept of a characteristic "signature nevus." Learning to recognize a patient's signature ...
Ms. Codit
Aug 01, 2003; ... Q&A Q: AS HIPAA moves ahead at full speed, it has brought my attention to many other issues in our practice - among them chart audits. we have four physicians and two physician assistants In our practice. I plan to perform chart audits personally but don't know where to start. How do ...
Cosmetic conundrums
Aug 01, 2003; ... Q & A Q. What is the dermatologic value of the new soy proteins that seem so popular these days? A. The rediscovery of soy as a dietary supplement is quite intriguing due to the phytoestrogens contained in fermented soy proteins. Fermented soy proteins are found in roasted ...
A larger harvest
Aug 01, 2003; ... Grafting from submental site adds cosmetic benefits to large facial fixes San Francisco - Using submental skin as the full-thickness skin-graft-donor tissue may allow for reconstruction of large facial defects and simultaneous rejuvenation of the aging neck, Roberta D. Sengelmann, M.D., ...
Fatty fosters fungus
Aug 01, 2003; ... Acids contribute to unhealthy scalp, dandruff San Francisco - Free fatty acids play a role in the development of dandruff-like conditions, said Joseph R. Kaczvinsky, Jr., Ph.D., principal scientist, beauty care technology division with Procter & Gamble. Based on a study he ...
Estrogen action
Aug 01, 2003; ... Exploring link between hormone and hair growth Barcelona - Until now, scientists have known that estrogens significantly affect the hair cycle in rodents, although disparities have lingered as to the hormone's impact on human hair. Recently, Julie Thornton, B.Sc., Ph.D., senior ...
Antihistamine touted
Aug 01, 2003; ... Ebastine offers advantages in treatment of AA Barcelona - Ebastine, a second-generation antihistamine currently marketed in Europe and Japan, offers many advantages as a treatment for mild to moderate alopecia areata, according to Yusuke Yoshizawa, M.D., assistant professor of ...
Dermatopathology myths
Aug 01, 2003; ... Question is: Will future derms know any better? Chicago - A profound understanding of embryology, histology, and anatomy are requisite to the comprehension of pathologic processes in general, and to the pathology of the hair follicle and nail unit, in particular, according to New York ...
Cosmetically pleasing cancer treatment
Aug 01, 2003; ... Photodynamic therapy offers good efficacy and cosmetic results for epithelial carcinoma San Francisco - Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is at least as effective as conventional treatments for superficial epithelial cancers - but according to the latest research, it offers superior cosmetic ...
Higher dosing 'difficult to straddle'
Aug 01, 2003; ... Escalated doses of antibody result in no melanoma relapses, although GI side effects prevalent Chicago - Escalating doses of an antibody to CTLA-4 in conjunction with a peptide vaccine showed the induction of antigen-specific immune responses and potential evidence of autoimmunity in ...
Verifying the vaccine
Aug 01, 2003; ... Support continues for efficacy of Canvaxin against melanoma, but GM-colony stimulating factor may not add much to therapy Chicago - As patient accrual to phase III trials of Canvaxin therapeutic polyvalent cancer vaccine nears the 1,000-mark, a randomized phase II trial of the vaccine ...
Targeting melanoma
Aug 01, 2003; ... Melanoma may be ideal for targeted drug therapy Chicago - Targeted drug therapy, a rational approach to the treatment of malignant melanoma, offers a number of targeted agents currently in development, according to Scott Saxman, M.D., senior investigator, Cancer Therapy Evaluation ...
Fungal foam vs. cream
Aug 01, 2003; ... New vehicle allows ketoconazole more effective penetration Maui, Hawaii - Applied in a foam, ketoconazole may penetrate more easily - and treat cutaneous fungal infections more effectively - than it does in the cream formulations currently on the market, Dr. Sheila Fallon-Friedlander, ...
Rookie sensations
Aug 01, 2003; ... New drugs, used off-label, excel against myriad conditions, with notes of caution San Francisco - Accumulating evidence suggests new biologic agents may be used with potential benefit in the management of dermatomyositis, pyoderma gangrenosum, bullous diseases, cutaneous sarcoidosis, and ...
Greater Tx options, less sedation
Aug 01, 2003; ... Second-generation antihistamines surpass first-generation agents San Francisco - Compared with first-generation antihistamines, second-generation agents are more specific antihistamine antagonists that are less sedating and have a longer half-life, Michael D. Tharp, M.D., ...
Summer storm hits the hill
Aug 01, 2003; ... Washington & You There is high drama playing out in Washington this summer, and it pits the insurance industry against trial lawyers, Republicans against Democrats; and dermatologists, like other physicians, are caught in the middle. Senate Democrats on July 9 blocked White ...
What exactly is a dermatologist?
Aug 01, 2003; ... We have recently been fired from the VA Medical Center in Tucson, an institution that had previously been an integral part of our residency training program for more than 25 years. The powers that be made this decision partly to save some money and partly for political reasons. They chose to ...
Skin cancer crystal ball tabs optical diagnostics
Aug 01, 2003; ... San Francisco - For the diagnosis of certain skin cancers, the future may lie in innovative lasers and "bedside" optical microscopes, according to R. Rox Anderson, M.D. "For basal cell carcinoma, some laser-based microscopes appear to have about the same diagnostic precision as do the ...