News

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Sylatron (peginterferon alfa-2b), an injectable drug for adjuvant treatment of melanoma, manufacturer Merck has announced.

New research suggests that the T-cell inhibitor abatacept (Orencia, Bristol-Myers Squibb) can be beneficial in treating the joint manifestations of psoriatic arthritis, with lesser effects on the disease’s skin component, MedPage Today reports.

Long-term use of tetracycline agents in treating acne does not lead to high rates of resistant Staphylococcus aureus and may actually reduce the risk of colonization with staph bacteria, MedPage Today reports.

Tight braiding or weaving may be the culprit in a type of permanent hair loss that affects many black women, Reuters reports.

Childhood eczema can have a detrimental effect not only on children who suffer from the disorder, but also for their families, Medical New Today reports.

CollabRx, an information technology provider, has published a molecular disease model of melanoma (MDMM) that classifies the disease into molecular subtypes and describes treatment guidelines for each, including specific assays, drugs and clinical trials.

New figures from the National Center for Health Statistics show that while nearly two-thirds of the U.S. population has sufficient vitamin D levels, about one-fourth are bordering on vitamin D inadequacy and 8 percent on vitamin D deficiency, HealthDay News reports.

Researchers here have developed a way to cause an ultra-thin antibacterial coating to adhere to a wound, Medical News Today reports.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has unveiled its first mobile application (app) for physicians - a tool to help doctors quickly find Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) billing codes. At the same time, the AMA announced its 2011 AMA App Challenge in an effort to find the next innovative idea for a medical app.

Skinvisible, based here, has applied for an orphan drug product designation for its product to treat Netherton syndrome, Globe Newswire reports.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chemist and his son with turning inside information about drug approvals into more than $3.6 million in profits, Reuters reports.

A Connecticut woman attacked and mutilated two years ago by a chimpanzee has been approved for face and hand transplant surgery.

Closing The Gaps : CME evolves into physician self-evaluation, improvement of shortfalls in medical practice Novel Nanotech : Fusion protein with growth factor, peptides accelerates wound healing Special Report : Pediatric dermatology

A novel fusion protein that includes growth factor and self-assembles into nanoparticles holds promise as a platform for wound healing, researchers say. In a study conducted in mice, a construct of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and an elastin-like peptide (ELP) - a major structural component of skin and connective tissue promoted greater healing than either component administered separately or together.

Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the LipoSonix device (Medicis) continues to sit on hold. In July 2010, the FDA told its manufacturer that the company's original 510(k) application included insufficient data to support a finding of substantial equivalence to an existing device.

Physicians immersed in the world of continuing medical education (CME) say big changes are happening. And doctors of all specialties, including dermatology, will be affected by the emerging CME focus: individual outcomes improvement.

Dermatologist Peggy Fuller, M.D., looks at the world as a vast opportunity to help those in need. In 2005, the Charlotte, N.C., physician embarked on a two-week mission trip to Sri Lanka. The post-tsunami sabbatical wasn't to provide medical care; she was charged with physically helping to build homes and disperse food vouchers to ensure the devastated country's children would be fed.

Thanks to ongoing refinements with radiofrequency (RF) and ultrasound-based contouring modalities, these treatments are becoming more versatile and patient-friendly, according to physicians who spoke at the Cosmetic Surgery Forum that took place in Las Vegas in December.

Patients have often complained that Dr. Speak has a tendency to not only rush them during office visits, but also to be condescending when speaking to them. Until two years ago he had never been sued. He is perplexed with this lawsuit, which has a peculiar twist. During the course of the negligence suit, Dr. Speak finds out that the plaintiff would never have brought the lawsuit if not for Dr. Speak's arrogance.

With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, dermatologists and other physicians may be in for some good - and some bad - news as the drive to slash the federal deficit heats up in Washington.

Introduced recently to the Aesthetic market is the concept of "sublative" fractional resurfacing (Syneron, Candela), which uses radiofrequency to partially ablate and coagulate tissue. Though cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 2009, this new technology received its clearance for fine lines and wrinkles in July 2010.

Determining the proper course of treatment of hemangiomas in pediatric patients can be difficult, as clinical data are sparse. Propranolol has become increasingly popular for off-label treatment, but it comes with significant risks, says Beth A. Drolet, M.D., professor of pediatrics and dermatology, vice chairwoman of dermatology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

An ex vivo study suggests that some commonly used woundcare products could compromise surgical sutures. Researchers chose to study this topic because little research in this area exists, says Whitney Valins, a clinical research fellow working with Brian Berman, M.D., at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The economic downturn has certainly affected your dermatology practice, decreasing patient volume and employee morale while increasing your overhead. The most significant challenge, however, may lie in the impact of the recession on your patients.

Parents may be unnecessarily urging their children to avoid certain foods under the mistaken belief that allergies may be triggering kids' atopic dermatitis, according to a physician.

The number of older physicians who are practicing is giving rise to questions from groups such as the National Patient Safety Foundation. On Call asked dermatologists whether there was any process in their area for handling doctors whose mental and physical abilities might be diminishing, but who were unaware their ability to practice effectively was being hampered by slowing cognitive abilities.

I am challenged every day by children with skin disease that has no evidenced-based approach to evaluation or treatment. The trickiest issue is that my medical recommendations seldom have enough specific evidence to prove safety and efficacy, so I have to be very familiar with the wide range of potential risks and weigh them carefully against the potential benefit in each case.

A recent study1 has looked at the extent and variability of vitamin D deficiency in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS). It does not reach any surprisingly new conclusions, but rather adds details on the scope of that deficiency, as has been seen in a growing body of literature across a wide range of maladies.

Risk stratification is crucial in helping clinicians identify which melanoma patients would benefit most from adjuvant therapy in the hopes of avoiding tumor recurrence. Though much work still needs to be done, researchers say they are closer to identifying which combination of gene markers can best assess the risk of recurrence in melanoma patients and who should receive adjuvant therapy.

A novel potential treatment is on the horizon for hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED), according to the director of research at a patient advocacy foundation.