News

The first hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler indicated specifically for the tear troughs provides a safe, long-lasting alternative to previous HA options in this area, says Hassan Galadari, M.D.

The Food and Drug Administration has given Cynosure 510(k) clearance to market its PicoSure laser workstation for removing tattoos and pigmented lesions.

In an ethical attempt to limit the numbered of required patient visits, Dr. Smith often will treat 20 to 30 solar keratoses in one visit. Dr. Smith has taken courses on proper coding and codes in a recognized, honest and ethical manner. Unfortunately, several of his carriers inform him that only 15 actinic keratoses can be treated at each visit, and only four such visits are allowed during a year for each patient.

Dermatologists have become extremely reluctant to participate in hospital activities such as evaluating in-patients as consultants, serving on hospital committees, and participating in educational activities in the hospital. the most troubling is our resistance to see patients at the hospital bedside. There are a number of apparently legitimate excuses for the failure of dermatologists to visit the hospital wards.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a supplemental new drug application for a topical local anesthetic cream to be used in superficial cosmetic procedures.

The iPhone is among the top devices consumers are using to gather medical information, according to a recent survey.

A mouse model indicates that a protein-rich diet high in arginine and proline may improve chronic wound healing.

Exposure to ultraviolet nail lamps does not increase the risk of developing skin cancer, a recent study indicates.

Plastic surgeons have identified molecular changes in molecules that regulate gene activity that may serve as critical makers to tissue aging, allowing for less invasive avenues to improve the skin’s appearance, according to a new study.

An online service based in western Pennsylvania aims to get more patient cases in front of dermatologists faster.

The American Academy of Dermatology has named Elaine Weiss, J.D., as its new executive director and CEO, starting Feb. 7.

Allergan has announced plans to acquire SkinMedica’s topical aesthetics skincare business for $350 million.

Dermatologist Tina Alster, M.D., has joined Dermatology Times’ Editorial Advisory Council.

Ranbaxy is launching its isotretinoin product for the treatment of acne, Absorica, in the United States.

Low-dose isotretinoin may be effective, with fewer side effects, when used to treat adult acne, results of a clinical trial presented at the annual congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology suggest.

Less than 50 percent of dermatologists pursue written informed consent, and procedure type appears to heavily influence the practice, say researchers from Emory University.

An oral phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor may offer significant improvement in signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, according to preliminary trial data presented at the American College of Rheumatology annual meeting in Washington.

U.K. surgeons are reporting a dramatic rise in the number of complications due to nonsurgical cosmetic filler procedures.

Dermatologists can make small changes in their practices to improve the doctor-patient experience, according to Ranella Hirsch, M.D., a Boston dermatologist in private practice. By placing themselves in the position of the patient, physicians can evaluate the user experience and then make adjustments accordingly.

A patient’s experience has been shown to impact treatment adherence and outcome, says Charles Ellis, M.D., William B. Taylor professor and associate chairman, department of dermatology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor. Therefore, it’s in the patient’s best interest for dermatologists to measure patient satisfaction.

James A. Zalla, M.D., has affected the lives of countless patients during his 43 years of practice as a dermatologist and dermatopathologist. But what many dermatologists might not know is that Dr. Zalla has influenced their practices, too, by working for decades to help ensure fair payment for the specialty’s services.

Although the vast majority of children who present with a challenging eczematous eruption have refractory atopic dermatitis or poor medication compliance, clinicians need to perform a good history and clinical examination to rule out other underlying causes or comorbidities.

The etiology of rosacea isn’t completely understood, but the number of treatments that can temporarily block its symptoms is growing, says Guy F. Webster, M.D., Ph.D.

Whatever the medical indication, patients with a clinical history of jewelry or metal allergy who are scheduled to receive metal implants could benefit from patch testing prior to prosthetic device implantation, as the screening test can help identify a patient’s potential hypersensitivity to the implant chosen by the surgeon, says James Taylor, M.D.

Imiquimod shows promise for treating cases of melanoma in situ that aren’t amenable to surgery, and for other off-label indications such as metastatic melanoma, says M. Shane Chapman, M.D.

The decision to perform a sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in patients with melanoma requires considering many factors, including the patient’s input, says Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski, M.D.

High-tech imaging modalities are helpful in detecting metastatic neural spread of tumors, a process known as perineural spread (PNS), and thus can be instrumental in better managing the patient, says Barton Lane, M.D.

You can take action to leverage social media in your practice without running afoul of HIPAA and hospital PHI policies.

At first, dermatologists seemed unlikely to be the subject of audits, but that is no longer the case. And it’s not only Medicare and Medicaid trying to recoup funds and find fraud - commercial carriers are as well. It’s a perfect storm for increasing medical audits at all types of physician practices - including dermatology.

New Haven, Conn. - Combining statins with kinase inhibitors may be effective for treating melanomas driven by RAS or BRAF genetic mutations, results of a recent study indicate.