Skin & Allergy News back issues from May 2009:
More data add to propranolol buzz.(NEWS)(Clinical report)
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BALTIMORE -- Propranolol for the treatment of severe infantile hemangiomas is getting some buzz in pediatric dermatology circles, and results from a new patient series support the interest. Investigators at Johns Hopkins University treated 25 ...
Laser for body contouring tied to cholesterol drop: after 2 weeks, mean levels fell 19 mg/dL.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- A funny thing happened on the way to investigating the potential of low-level laser therapy for body contouring: Ryan Maloney and his associates discovered they were also lowering serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. "We discovered this by accident ....
TNF blockers may be best bet after efalizumab pull.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... The psoriasis drug efalizumab is being rapidly phased off the U.S. market, and as of June 8 will no longer be available to patients, according to a statement issued by the Food and Drug Administration. In the statement, the FDA advised that practitioners should not initiate ...
Langerhans cells after transplant predict GVHD.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Persistence of recipient Langerhans cells after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation may be a risk factor for cutaneous graft-versus-host disease, according to preliminary data from an ongoing, prospective, multicenter study. Assessment of Langerhans ...
Sun safety for kids.(NEWS)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009 ... The Skin Cancer Foundation has launched a program to educate children and adolescents aged 11-14 years about sun safety. The in-school component includes classroom posters and educational materials. The ...
States vary on delegating cosmetic procedures.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- Most U.S. states allow nonphysicians to perform minimally invasive cosmetic procedures, study results show. A review of state policies was conducted, as well as one-on-one interviews, with 31 state medical board representatives, to determine who is ...
New device spares skin structures.(NEWS)(Miratone)
May 01, 2009; ... NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- A novel investigational fractional radiofrequency cosmetic treatment provides deep dermal heating while sparing skin structures that are important to the wound-healing process. The device, called Miratone, "is a first in terms of fractionated ...
Dogs may offer protection from eczema in children.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WASHINGTON -- Having a dog in the house appears to reduce the positive association between eczema and sensitization to dog allergen in young children, but having a cat in the home appears to enhance the positive association between cat allergy and eczema, ...
Expert agrees: propranolol 'is hot stuff' for hemangiomas.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- The recent discovery that propranolol is strikingly effective as an alternative to prednisone in treating severe infantile hemangiomas constitutes a true eureka moment in pediatric dermatology. "This is hot stuff. It has created a lot of excitement throughout the ...
NACDG names mixed dialkyl thioureas contact allergen of 2009.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Mixed dialkyl thioureas has been crowned the Contact Allergen of the Year for 2009 by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group. In the past, the NACDG has used its allergen of the year award as an opportunity to increase physician and public awareness of the ...
U.S. is facing vitamin D deficiency epidemic.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009; ... A vitamin D deficiency epidemic as hit the United States, and current recommendations for vitamin D supplements are inadequate to counter it. Evidence for the epidemic came in an analysis of data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during ...
Vitamin D deficiency doesn't warrant unsafe sun exposure.(NEWS)
May 01, 2009 ... Vitamin D deficiency is a "real and growing problem," but that doesn't mean advising patients to spend more time in the sun. noted Dr. Robert Sidbury. "The data are weak and confounded on the role sunscreen use plays in causing or exacerbating vitamin D deficiency, and on the ...
Oregon psoriasis clinic overlooked.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 01, 2009; ... The Murdough Family Center for Psoriasis at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland was described in a recent article as the first multidisciplinary clinic for psoriasis ("Specialists Form Psoriasis Team," February 2009, p. 1). I helped establish the Center of Excellence ...
Terminal crankiness.(UNDER MY SKIN)(dermatology practice)
May 01, 2009; ... It has been a tough week. If my staff ever decides to change careers, they should be well trained for work in a complaints department. First there was Doris, a 50-something-year-old woman who's been my patient for years. Her rosacea flared up, so I wrote a prescription for ...
Tracking melanoma's genetic tentacles.(COMMENTARY)
May 01, 2009; ... The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute estimate that 62,480 people in the United States will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, and that 8,420 people will die from it. Although melanoma rates have risen steadily in recent decades, data from the Centers ...
Gene profiling could drive CTCL management.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Dermatologists and oncologists have long fretted over when to pull out the therapeutic big guns for patients with early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Gene expression profiling of lesional skin may provide the answer. "We want to know who's going to ...
Rituximab clears B-cell lymphoma skin lesions.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Intralesional rituximab appears to be an effective and nontoxic therapeutic option for patients with multiple noncontiguous lesions of CD20-positive primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, according to Dr. Marco Ardigo. Rituximab (Rituxanin North America and Japan; ...
Skin cancer risk behaviors most common in adults aged 18-29.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Recent findings that risk behaviors for skin cancer are most prevalent among 18- to 29-year-olds will be used to create a road map for efforts to curb the rising incidence of melanoma, which has climbed by 4% per year for the past 3 decades. "We've got enough ...
Genotype linked to early melanoma in women.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... The discovery of a genotype associated with a higher risk for cutaneous melanoma in young women could lead to development of an early screening test, according to findings from a pilot study. Incidence of melanoma is higher among women than men younger than age 40, generally ...
Spitz nevi difficult to categorize, manage.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Follow-up on 219 patients with Spitz nevi found that 7 (3%) developed malignant melanoma, and in each case the original biopsy showed an atypical or desmoplastic Spitz nevus. The patients who developed melanoma also were older (aged 34-66 years) at the time the ...
National study: acral lentiginous melanoma incidence remains steady.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Acral lentiginous is the rarest of the major histologic subtypes of melanoma, but is the most common subtype in blacks, according to a national study. The study showed that the age-adjusted incidence of acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is similar in black and ...
New tests help diagnose challenging nevi.(CUTANEOUS ONCOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Good old cost-effective hematoxylin and eosin staining remains perfectly adequate for diagnosis of most melanomas in the modern molecular era, but help is on the way for the toughest cases in the form of novel tests that assess chromosome copy alterations. These ...
Devices limit cellulite by tightening of skin.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)(radiofrequency device)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Laser and radioffequency-based devices for the treatment of cellulite have gotten more efficient in the last half decade, according to Dr. David J. Goldberg. Recent rapid advances in device therapy have led to improved regimens featuring fewer treatment sessions ...
Botox still tops cosmetic procedure list.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... The number of cosmetic medical procedures performed in the United States last year increased slightly because of growing demand for minimally invasive procedures like Botox and laser skin resurfacing, according to data from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Despite the ...
New studies support eyelash lengthener.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Two studies have further demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bimatoprost for increased eyelash growth. The Food and Drug Administration approved bimatoprost for increasing eyelash growth, a side effect of the glaucoma-treating drug that was observed several ...
Zeaxanthin.(COSMECEUTICAL CRITIQUE)
May 01, 2009; ... Photoprotective activity is exhibited by such plant constituents as carotenoids, tocopherols, vitamin C, and flavonoids and other polyphenols. Indeed, the health benefits of carotenoids have been at least partly attributed to their antioxidant properties, as investigators have demonstrated ...
Onion extract with SPF 30 reduces scars.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- A cream containing an onion extract and UVA and UVB sun protection significantly improves the appearance and feel of postsurgical scars, a small randomized trial found. Nonprescription Mederma cream plus SPF 30 performed in the study comparably to Mederma onion ...
22.5-degree photo angle documents filler result.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Snapping a set of before and after photos at an unconventional 22.5-degree angle in addition to the standard anteroposterior, lateral, and oblique shots often makes it easier for patients to recognize the improvement they have gained with poly-L-lactic acid injections, ...
Tips for preventing nodules and papules with Sculptra.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- A key to minimizing the risk of bump and nodule formation when injecting poly-L-lactic acid is uniform product distribution by lengthening the dilution time, according to Dr. Douglas Mest. "I will not inject PLLA if it hasn't been hydrated at least overnight ....
Fillers could cause foreign body granuloma formation.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... Although a variety of injectable cosmetic fillers are in high demand, physicians should be aware that rare adverse reactions--like foreign body granulomas--are being reported, according to a case report. Injectable permanent fillers containing polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) ...
Combine therapies to optimize noninvasive Tx.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... LAS VEGAS -- The way Dr. Vic A. Narurkar sees it, multimodal therapy is integral to most noninvasive dermatologic treatments. "We can't think of lasers, devices, toxins, fillers, and skin care in isolation; they have to be combined," he said at the annual meeting of the American ...
Botox and Reloxin are similar but different.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MIAMI BEACH -- Dosing, speed of onset, and extent of spread are among differences to anticipate with a second botulinum toxin expected to reach the U.S. market soon, act cording to physicians who evaluated its safety and efficacy in preclinical trials. The Food and Drug ...
Silicone or saline? Expert takes a long-term view.(AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Silicone or saline? With 550,000 breast augmentations performed each year in the United States, it's a question physicians and surgeons get asked a lot. Today, most women choose silicone. Indeed, silicone gel breast implants have dominated the ...
Pediatric dermatopathologist fills niche.(PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- As director of the University of Colorado Hospital's dermatopathology services, Dr. James Fitzpatrick manages the handling of 70,000 skin specimens each year, with about 3,000 of those being pediatric specimens. Those numbers posed a problem for Dr. Fitzpatrick, ...
FDA approves pesticide-free head lice treatment.(PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... The first head lice treatment with benzyl alcohol as the active ingredient has received Food and Drug Administration approval for use in adults and children aged 6 months and older. The newly approved agent (not yet named) is the first prescription product to kill head lice by ...
Mom drives infants' zinc deficiency.(PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- Consider zinc deficiency when an infant presents with an eczema-like dermatitis limited to the diaper and perioral areas. "Eczema tends not to affect the diaper area because it's so moist and occluded," Dr. Brandie J. Metz noted at the annual Hawaii dermatology ...
Unravel the neck mass mystery via history.(PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN DIEGO -- Be thorough in your history taking when infants or children present with a neck mass, Dr. Seth M. Pransky advised. "We want to know how long it's been there and what the associated symptoms are," he said at a meeting sponsored by Rady Children's Hospital and the ...
Neonatal herpes simplex: making a 'can't-miss' diagnosis.(PEDIATRIC DERMATOLOGY)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN DIEGO -- Any physician who cares for newborns should consider neonatal herpes simplex virus infection a must-make diagnosis, Dr. Richard F. Jacobs said. "This is one of my top 10 'please don't let me miss this' diagnoses," said Dr. Jacobs, a longtime member of the National ...
Could latitude, UVB predict food allergy?(ATOPIC DERMATITIS)
May 01, 2009; ... WASHINGTON -- EpiPen prescriptions were more common in U.S. cities at higher latitudes and with lower UVB exposure than more southern cities, suggesting a possible link between vitamin D levels and allergic disorders. For every increase in latitude degree, the number of ...
Peanut, egg, dust mite allergies increase persistent dermatitis risk.(ATOPIC DERMATITIS)(Clinical report)
May 01, 2009; ... WASHINGTON -- Allergies to peanuts, eggs, and dust mites significantly increase the risk of persistent atopic dermatitis, study results showed. Pediatric patients with a peanut allergy (OR = 2.9), egg allergy (OR = 2.7), or dust mite allergy (OR = 4.0) were significantly more ...
Proactive therapy gives AD patients a sense of control.(ATOPIC DERMATITIS)
May 01, 2009; ... WASHINGTON -- The most significant justification for proactive topical steroid therapy administered between atopic dermatitis flares is that "normal-looking" skin is not really normal, said Dr. Andreas Wollenberg. "It doesn't follow our dermatological tradition to treat skin ...
Mutation ups risk of atopy with eczema herpeticum.(ATOPIC DERMATITIS)
May 01, 2009; ... WASHINGTON -- A filaggrin mutation appears to confer susceptibility to atopic dermatitis complicated by eczema herpeticum, study results showed. In a genotyping study, single-locus association tests revealed that filaggrin RS01X null mutation is significantly associated with ...
Nanoemulsion speeds herpes labialis healing.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- NB-001, a novel topical antiviral nanoemulsion, significantly improved time to healing of herpes labialis by more than 1 day, judging from the findings of a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial of more than 900 people. "The improvement in time to ...
Study finds lab coat to skin MRSA transmission.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN DIEGO -- It may be time for North Americans to follow the British in their 2007 ban on white lab coats in the health care setting. Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond used pigskin as an in vitro model to demonstrate that large inoculums of ...
Health care--associated MRSA rates fall from 2005 to 2007.(INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN DIEGO -- The incidence of health care-associated invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in the United States fell 12.5% between 2005 and 2007, a decline that was statistically significant. The decline was even greater among patients with ...
Home-based LED: blue light gets green light.(ACNE)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Blue light phototherapy for acne using a Food and Drug Administration-approved LED device is safe and effective for daily home use, according to Dr. Michael Gold. Patients like this form of self-administered therapy because it avoids the inconvenience and ...
Duac gel shows efficacy for noninflammatory facial acne.(ACNE)
May 01, 2009 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Fixed-dose clindamycin 1%/benzoyl peroxide 5% gel outperformed adapalene 0.1% gel, markedly reducing both noninflammatory and inflammatory facial acne lesions in an investigator-blinded 12-week randomized trial. In a post hoc analysis, 59 patients treated with ...
National survey highlights acne's impact on adults.(ACNE)
May 01, 2009 ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Two-thirds of dermatologists are seeing more adult acne patients than a year ago, according to a national Harris Interactive poll. The survey found that adults comprise 46% of dermatologists' acne patients, and many of these affected adults find the skin disease ...
JAK inhibitors are steaming through the pipeline.(PSORIASIS)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- The Janus kinase inhibitors, a new class of psoriasis drugs with a novel mechanism of action, are generating considerable interest as they steam through the developmental pipeline. Two inhibitors of Janus kinase (JAK) that turned heads at the annual meeting of ...
Etanercept tied to hypoglycemia in diabetic psoriasis patient.(PSORIASIS)
May 01, 2009; ... A patient with type 2 diabetes who was treated with etanercept for psoriasis developed recurrent hypoglycemia, illustrating the importance of monitoring for potential hypoglycemia in such patients, according to the case report. "The dramatic reduction in insulin requirements and ...
Calcitriol expands topical psoriasis Tx frontier.(PSORIASIS)
May 01, 2009; ... MAUI, HAWAII -- The newly approved calcitriol ointment, Vectical, will open the door to more extensive psoriasis treatment with a topical therapy, Dr. John Y.M. Koo predicted at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. Vectical ...
Maggots clear necrosis from purpura fulminans.(WOUND HEALING)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Maggot debridement therapy helped clear necrotic tissue from purpura fulminans in a 9-month-old boy who was not responding to standard wound care, according to Dr. Xuan Nguyen. Reports of maggot debridement therapy in children are scarce. This appears to be the ...
Protein, calories essential to pressure ulcer healing.(WOUND HEALING)
May 01, 2009; ... ARLINGTON, VA. -- It may not be the first tool that physicians think of, but nutrition can be a powerful one against pressure ulcers, dietitian Mary Ellen Posthauer told a meeting of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. "Please involve dietitians early on if you see ...
Stem cells, skin substitute heal scleroderma wounds.(WOUND HEALING)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Chronic wounds due to scleroderma responded well to a combination of mesenchymal stem cells and bilayer bioengineered skin, in a study of 12 patients followed for up to 6 months. Four wounds completely healed, and the others decreased in size enough that ...
Pressure ulcers on the heel require strict intervention.(WOUND HEALING)
May 01, 2009; ... ARLINGTON, VA. -- Pressure ulcers on the heels present unique challenges, but proactive care can go a long way in preventing these wounds in immobile, elderly people, said Catherine Ratliff, Ph.D., at a meeting of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel. The heels are ...
Various gadolinium-based agents may up NSF risk.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)(nephrogenic systemic fibrosis)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Less than 5% of patients in severe renal failure who are exposed to gadolinium-based contrast agents will develop the disabling, often fatal condition called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. So what other predisposing factors might be involved? Analysis of a ...
Risks outweigh benefits of using HGH for antiaging.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- Growth hormone therapy might help adults with a deficiency, but there's no evidence that it helps normal elderly adults or athletes. Illegal use in antiaging clinics probably accounts for the largest use of growth hormone in the United States today, Dr. Andrew ...
After heart attack, SLE patients at higher risk than diabetics.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)
May 01, 2009; ... Systemic lupus erythematosus conferred a greater risk for adverse outcomes following acute myocardial infarction than did diabetes mellitus, according to an analysis of more than 900,000 patients from the U.S. Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Based on that finding, "a person with ...
New guides expected to boost vitamin D target: the IOM is not likely to recommend that people spend more time in the sun to increase vitamin D.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN DIEGO -- The Institute of Medicine is reviewing its 1997 guidelines for vitamin D intake, and will likely recommend increased supplementation when new guidelines are published in 2010. There is a growing consensus that currently recommended intakes--200 IU per day for ...
Systemic sclerosis patients may need higher doses of Vit. D.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)
May 01, 2009; ... SAN FRANCISCO -- A study of 156 patients with systemic sclerosis in two European cities found that vitamin D deficiency was common, present in 28%. Deficient levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D)--less than 10 ng/mL--were seen in 29 (32%) of 90 patients in Paris and 15 ...
Vitamin D's link to multiple sclerosis explored.(ACROSS SPECIALTIES)
May 01, 2009; ... Vitamin D appears to interact with a key susceptibility locus for multiple sclerosis, serving as an environmental influence that may decrease the risk of the disease in individuals with certain haplotypes, according to a study reported online in PLoS Genetics. The findings ...
Reloxin approval delayed.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... Ipsen and its marketing partner Medicis announced in mid-April that its botulinum toxin type A, Reloxin, (known as Dysport in Europe) would not be approved at the expected time. Instead, the companies reported in a statement that they were "in active labeling and risk evaluation and ...
QVC settles over cellulite cream.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
May 01, 2009; ... The megaretailer QVC Inc. has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated commission orders dating to 2000 and made false and unsubstantiated claims about an anticellulite cream as well as three dietary supplements. The company's TV-shopping ...
NIAMS touts stimulus funds.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
May 01, 2009; ... The government's economic stimulus package offers new opportunities for dermatologic research, Dr. Stephen Katz, director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), said on the agency's Web site. The stimulus funds are distinct from NIAMS's annual ...
Lupus Research gets budget boost.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
May 01, 2009; ... Congress has dedicated about $5 million to lupus research and education as part of the recently enacted fiscal year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The law, which was signed in March, includes $4 million to support the National Lupus Patient Registry, about $1 million more than in FY ...