Pediatric Dermatology

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San Francisco - Children with skin diseases such as severe psoriasis, eczema and hemangiomas are benefiting from new treatments and new knowledge about existing treatments, experts say.

San Francisco - Most patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) will respond to conventional therapies, such as basic skincare and avoidance of prevocational factors; topical corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors; antibiotics for infection and oral antihistamines.

San Francisco - As researchers learn more about the origin of infantile hemangiomas, a particularly promising new treatment is emerging in the form of propranolol, an expert says.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder is lymphocyte proliferation in patients following post-transplant immunosuppression and is the most common neoplasm in pediatric organ transplant recipients. Due to the increased frequency of organ transplantation, dermatologists should be aware of the cutaneous presentation, as a timely diagnosis and treatment is crucial for a favorable prognosis.

Children and AD

Kohala Coast, HI - In children with severe atopic dermatitis, dermatologists should feel empowered to match the aggressiveness of their treatment to the aggressiveness of the disease, said Elaine C. Siegfried, M.D., at the Winter Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Etanercept is effective in treating psoriasis in the pediatric population, a study has found. The research also found that patients in the study had increased levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that may be elevated as a result of abdominal obesity.

Recent developments in pediatric atopic dermatitis include the discovery of filaggrin gene mutations and their possible role, a new appreciation of the epidermis' role in the immune system and renewed emphasis on patient education, an expert says.

Schools, sports programs, and day care centers provide ideal "breeding grounds" for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections. Any suspicious lesion should be cultured early. Comprehensive education is needed to minimize risk of transmission and to quell hysteria.

San Francisco - New research suggests that rapid growth of infantile hemangiomas requires close observation in the first months of life, and that any treatment should be undertaken promptly, Reuters Health reports.

Have you ever met anybody who is plugged in and tuned out? How about the acne patient who is listening to an ipod when you enter the room and continues to listen despite your greeting? How about the acne patient and their parent who are both listening to their own separate ipods and continuing to listen despite your greeting? What should you do?

A phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled study shows remarkable efficacy of etanercept for treating pediatric psoriasis, bettering even those results observed in adults. The findings could help pave the way for Food and Drug Administration approval of the biologic, which could change the face of systemic treatment of psoriasis in children.

Psoriasis has a stronger genetic component when it presents in childhood than when it presents in adulthood. In children, scalp involvement is very common if they present with psoriasis. In addition, presentation in childhood is correlated with a greater tendency for more severe psoriasis over one's lifetime.

Some current therapies of psoriasis, though effective, are marred by their poor safety profile. A new experimental drug, similar in molecular structure to cyclosporine, has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis.