Recently added articles from Skin & Allergy News:

Case of the month.(News)(Case study)

Apr 01, 2008; Worcester, Sharon ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A 2-year-old presented to an outpatient pediatric dermatology clinic with what his mother described as the "wordt diaper rash in the world." He had a 1-year history of a nonhealing asymptomatic rash. The rash--six 0.5- to 1.cm erythematous papules and ...

New Behcet's management guidelines revealed.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Napoli, Denise ... Nine new recommendations for the management of Behcet's disease have been issued by the European League Against Rheumatism, based on a review of literature dating from 1966 through 2006. Although the guidelines relating to the dermatologic, oral, ocular, and joint manifestations ...

"Special population" implicates environmental vitiligo triggers.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Moon, Mary Ann ... Amajor recessive gene appears to govern susceptibility to vitiligo, but actual disease on set depends on environmental triggers, researchers reported. Dr. Stanca A. Birlea and associates at the University of Colorado, Denver, studied the epidemiology and genetics of vitiligo in ...

HPV vaccination could be extended to adult women.(Infectious Diseases)

Apr 01, 2008; Tucker, Miriam E. ... ATLANTA -- Adult women in their mid-20s to mid-40s could become the next group recommended for .human papillomavirus vaccination. The currently licensed quadrivalent HPV vaccine (Merck & Co.'s Gardasil) is indicated for the prevention of cervical cancer in girls and women aged ...

Trial opens door to topical-only psoriasis therapy: COBRA enrolled nearly 2,500 patients.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Jancin, Bruce ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Clobetasol propionate spray 0.05% resulted in dramatic clinical improvement with a low rate of adverse events and excellent acceptance in patients with moderate to severe generalized psoriasis in the largest community-based trial ever conducted in psoriasis. ...

Medical spas face greater scrutiny.(Aesthetic Dermatology)

Apr 01, 2008; Schneider, Mary Ellen ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In less than 5 years, the number of medical spas in the United States has grown from about 450 to about 2,500, according to the International Medical Spa Association, making it a nearly $1 billion business. And physicians are not being left ...

Dermoscopy found to better predict melanoma.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Jancin, Bruce ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Nevi displaying a specific high-risk pattern on dermoscopy appear to indicate a several-fold greater melanoma risk than is conferred by the presence of clinical dysplastic nevi, Dr. Allan C. Halpern said at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease ...

Long-term infliximab found effective for pustular psoriasis.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Worcester, Sharon ... SAN ANTONIO -- Infliximab appears to be a valuable treatment for long-term management of pustular psoriasis, Dr. Rajat Varma said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. In a patient who had a significant flare of severe pustular psoriasis that required ...

Skin-related social anxiety impedes exercise participation.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Splete, Heidi ... Social anxiety stemming from acne or other skin conditions might keep people from exercising, according to the results of a survey of 50 adults selected from an acne support group. Exercise is important for overall health and skin health, but data from previous studies have ...

Role of SLN biopsy for thin melanomas unclear.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Jancin, Bruce ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with thin melanomas is "an enormous conundrum," Dr. Daniel G. Coit observed at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. "The significance of a positive sentinel ...

New genetic markers may help predict melanoma outcome.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Jancin, Bruce ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- DNA micro array analysis of melanomas has identified several key genes whose over or underexpression provides novel independent prognostic markers for melanoma outcome. "We think that markers like these could be used (a) to understand melanoma biology, and ...

Incomplete shave biopsy doesn't affect outcome.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Jancin, Bruce ... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- An incisional biopsy that fails to remove all of a pigmented skin lesion suspected of melanoma certainly isn't optimal, but it doesn't adversely affect overall or disease-free survival, Dr. Daniel G. Colt said at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin ...

FDA issues warning about combination cough medicine.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Mechcatie, Elizabeth ... Deaths and life-threatening side effects associated with the misuse of a long-acting prescription cough medicine that contains hydrocodone have prompted the Food and Drug Administration to issue a public health advisory about the dangers of the product when not used properly. ...

CDC panel urges flu vaccine for more children.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Tucker, Miriam E. ... ATLANTA -- A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel has recommended expanding the ages for annual influenza vaccination for children to include all who are 6 months to 18 years of age. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made the ...

Heparin contaminant linked to adverse events identified.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Splete, Heidi ... The chemical compound oversulfated chondroitin sulfate is the contaminant in batches of heparin that has been linked to 19 deaths and several hundred serious health problems in the United States, according to information presented by the Food and Drug Administration in a press conference ...

Illegal sale of HGH for antiaging rakes in $2 billion a year.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Ault, Alicia ... WASHINGTON -- Congress is taking a tough look at the use of human growth hormone for a wide variety of conditions, which is prompting some concern that payers may react by limiting reimbursement for legitimate purposes. Insurers are already reluctant to cover scientifically ...

MRSA is a superbug: caution advised.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

Apr 01, 2008; Burkhart, Craig G. ... Dr. Christopher J. Harrison might be a bit too casual in his outlook regarding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ("In Fight Against MRSA, Panic Is Not a Practical Tool," Guest Editorial, January 2008, p. 14). First, the two most disturbing aspects of MRSA are its ...

Study: oral vapitadine cuts itch without sedation.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Bell, John R. ... SAN ANTONIO -- An oral formulation of the investigational drug vapitadine was found to be more effective than placebo in providing itch relief to patients with atopic dermatitis in a recent phase II study. The drug, an [H.sub.1] antihistamine, also did not produce any sedative ...

New advances refine chronic urticaria screening.(News)

Apr 01, 2008; Worcester, Sharon ... SAN ANTONIO -- Treatment of chronic urticaria can be challenging, but recent findings regarding the condition may help improve outcomes, Dr. Aniko Kobza Black reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. One new advance that she discussed is the ...

Extracutaneous melanomas can be easily missed: the scalp, nail beds, interdigital folds, and perianal skin deserve close inspection during a routine exam.(Cutaneous Oncology)

Apr 01, 2008; Brunk, Doug ... SAN DIEGO -- Extracutaneous melanomas are rare--they make up only 15% of all melanomas--but small primary lesions can be easily overlooked during a routine skin exam, according to one expert. Sites that require close inspection include the scalp, nail beds, interdigital folds, ...