Skin & Allergy News articles from April 2008

Skin & Allergy News archives from April 2008

Medical spas face greater scrutiny.(Aesthetic Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... [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...

Trial opens door to topical-only psoriasis therapy: COBRA enrolled nearly 2,500 patients.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

HPV vaccination could be extended to adult women.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... 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...

"Special population" implicates environmental vitiligo triggers.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Case of the month.(News)(Case study)
April 1, 2008... [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...

New Behcet's management guidelines revealed.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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,...

Dermoscopy found to better predict melanoma.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Long-term infliximab found effective for pustular psoriasis.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Role of SLN biopsy for thin melanomas unclear.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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. ...

New genetic markers may help predict melanoma outcome.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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)...

Incomplete shave biopsy doesn't affect outcome.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Skin-related social anxiety impedes exercise participation.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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,...

CDC panel urges flu vaccine for more children.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

FDA issues warning about combination cough medicine.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Heparin contaminant linked to adverse events identified.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Illegal sale of HGH for antiaging rakes in $2 billion a year.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

New advances refine chronic urticaria screening.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Study: oral vapitadine cuts itch without sedation.(News)
April 1, 2008... 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]...

MRSA is a superbug: caution advised.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Too little vigilance.(Under My Skin)
April 1, 2008... We all have hypervigilant patients who spend too much time staring at their bodies and calling us about minor variants of normal they ought to ignore. Then there are their opposite numbers, those with what you might call hypovigilance. This...

Making quality improvement a priority.(Guest Editorial)
April 1, 2008... Health care errors have received a great deal of press lately, which is no surprise given that 784,000 deaths per year are attributed to medical injuries. It follows that quality assurance in health care is a hot topic these days as well, and...

Annual melanoma follow-up found sufficient.(Cutaneous Oncology)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- Dermatologic surveillance following diagnosis of a primary melanoma is often overly intensive, Dr. Daniel G. Coit asserted at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation. "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)
April 1, 2008... 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...

Total body photography helps reduce unnecessary biopsies.(Cutaneous Oncology)
April 1, 2008... SAN ANTONIO -- The use of total body photography as a surveillance tool for melanoma has great potential to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies, Dr. Allan C. Halpern said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. ...

Mycosis fungoides' therapies make Tx 'rewarding'.(Cutaneous Oncology)
April 1, 2008... SAN ANTONIO -- The treatment of most patients who have mycosis fungoides is well within the purview of dermatologists. "It's very rewarding caring for these patients, because they respond to so many different therapies," Dr. L. Frank Glass...

Boldine.(Cosmeceutical Critique)(Report)
April 1, 2008... Boldo (Peumus boldus Mol.) is a slow-growing, shrubby evergreen tree native to the Chilean and Peruvian Andes. It is also found in Morocco and other parts of North Africa, and is cultivated in Europe. The plant has traditionally been used in...

'Nefertiti lift' using botox, sculpts skin around jawline, chin.(Aesthetic Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... WAIKOLOA, HAWAII -- The look of an ancient royal Egyptian female statue--referred to as "Nefertiti"--can be achieved with well-placed injections of Botox, according to Dr. David J. Goldberg. "It's called the "Nefertiti lift," Dr. Goldberg...

Consider patient when choosing molluscum Tx.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... MIAMI BEACH -- Treatment of molluscum contagiosum can be guided by patient age, lesion location, cosmetic considerations, and the anxiety of the parent and patient, according to two presentations at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference...

Skin issues offer clues to underlying gastrointestinal disease.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Certain skin conditions may provide clues to the diagnosis of underlying gastrointestinal disease in children, ranging from epithelial defects, polyposis, or vascular syndromes to autoimmune and allergic disease. "There...

Curbing adverse drug events starts with provider.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... Children with multiple prescriptions and those whose parents lack English skills are at increased risk of having preventable adverse drug events, according to a Boston study. "Further attention should be directed toward improved...

Nontraditional pets pose increased risk of infections.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- Parrots, baby chicks, and turtles may be endearing to young children, but exposure to such exotic and nontraditional pets in the home and in public settings puts children at risk for serious infectious diseases. "When a...

Avoiding tight hairstyles helps prevent alopecia.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... MIAMI BEACH -- Physicians can prevent traction alopecia in children through early intervention, according to Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd. Although physicians can treat inflammation with topical steroids, the clinical focus should be...

Verbatim.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... 'This trial has been subjected to spin unlike any other trial I've ever seen.' Dr. David Wofsy, referring to a study of the lupus drug belimumab that was first presented in 2005 but has never been published, p. 50

Severity assessment bolsters dermatitis treatment.(Pediatric Dermatology)(Disease/Disorder overview)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- How has your sleep been? When's the last time your skin was totally clear? Those are the two questions Dr. Lawrence F. Eichenfield asks his atopic dermatitis patients. "It's amazing how families don't tell you about...

Methotrexate quells atopic dermatitis in children.(Pediatric Dermatoloy)
April 1, 2008... SAN ANTONIO -- Methotrexate appears to be a safe and effective long-term systemic therapy for pediatric atopic dermatitis, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. A systemic therapy for...

Preteen vaccination campaign launched.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has launched a national campaign to inform parents, caregivers, and health care providers about recommendations for immunizing 11- and 12-year-olds with MCV4 (meningococcal conjugated vaccine) and...

Asmanex Twisthaler, Moxatag.(New & Approved)
April 1, 2008... Asmanex Twisthaler (mometasone furoate inhalation powder, Schering-Plough Corp.) The Food and Drug Administration approved Asmanex Twisthaler for once-daily maintenance treatment of asthma in children aged 4-11 years. The agency initially...

Avoiding dyschromia is goal in treating dark skin.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... MIAMI BEACH -- Prevention is the best therapy for patients of color regarding dermatologic procedures with a potential to cause postinflammatory hyperpigmentation changes, according to a presentation at the annual Masters of Pediatrics...

Data watch.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... DATA WATCH Personal Health Care Spending for Children Hospital 37.8% Physician/clinics 28.6% Prescription drugs 7.8% Nursing homes 0.5% Other services 25.2% Note:...

Watchful waiting best with neurofibromatosis.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- The way Dr. Lynne M. Bird sees it, the $1,500 gene sequencing test for neurofibromatosis type 1 in children is rarely necessary because it usually does not change clinical management. She favors a watchful waiting...

Answering parents' questions about DEET, 'natural' repellents.(Pediatric Dermatology)
April 1, 2008... MIAMI BEACH -- Children's insect repellent products that contain alternative ingredients marketed as "natural" are becoming more widely available, and parents have plenty of questions about their use, Dr. Elizabeth Connelly said at the annual...

Syphilis infections jumped 12% from 2006 to 2007.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CHICAGO -- The rate of syphilis in the United States has increased for the 7th consecutive year, jumping 12% from 2006 to 2007, according to preliminary evidence released by the Centers for Disease Control and...

CDC: over 3 million teen girls infected with STD.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- More than 3 million teenage girls have at least one sexually transmitted disease, and 15% of those have multiple infections, according to the first large study of STDs in this population. Overall, 26% of 14- to 19-year-olds were...

Data strengthen link between HPV, oral cancer.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... Researchers in Montreal have reported new evidence supporting a strong causal association between human papillomavirus infection and tonsil-related oral cancers. The study also found that human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 seropositivity...

HPV vaccine cuts abnormal pap smears in 4 years.(Infectious Diseases)
April 1, 2008... Abnormal Pap tests and cervical procedures have already declined markedly among young women who were vaccinated against the human papillomavirus in three pivotal clinical trials, according to data presented in Tampa at the annual meeting of the...

Wound care centers offer new opportunities.(Wound Healing)
April 1, 2008... BALTIMORE -- The increasing need for wound care centers in the United States may present an opportunity for dermatologists to wed their interests in both medical and surgical dermatology, according to Dr. Robert S. Kirsner. "Wound care is...

Push-pull model of wound healing described.(Wound Healing)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- The vascular surgeon insists that revascularization was a success--and there are outcome images to prove it but the diabetic foot becomes ischemic anyway, and the wound fails to heal. This is an all too common scenario for...

Vacuum-assisted wound therapy uses expanded.(Wound Healing)
April 1, 2008... CHICAGO -- The indications for negative-pressure wound therapy are expanding to include infected wounds and complicated wounds with exposed bone, tendon, or even orthopedic hardware, Dr. Anton Sidawy said. "While it's not a cure-all, this...

Regions of brain associated with satiety isolated in study.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new imaging study that has identified areas of brain activation associated with feelings of fullness may provide new therapeutic targets to minimizing overeating. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's...

Obesity brings risk for plethora of skin conditions.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2008... SAN ANTONIO -- Obese patients are at increased risk for a number of dermatologic conditions. It is important for dermatologists to be aware of the increased risk for these conditions among obese patients (body mass index of 30 kg/[m.sup.2]...

Cash being used to help motivate patients to lose weight.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2008... Everyone knows that money talks. But when it comes to dieting, can money really motivate overweight patients to shed pounds? Dr. Joseph K. Chemplavil, an endocrinologist in Hampton, Va., thinks that it can. He points to his own success in...

Risk factors for ovarian failure in SLE observed.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2008... Higher disease activity, treatment with cyclophosphamide, older age, and a certain ethnic background were each linked with a significantly increased risk for developing premature gonadal failure in a study of 316 women with systemic lupus...

Lupus biologic drug pipeline: an embarrassment of riches.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2008... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- The systemic lupus erythematosus drug pipeline is suddenly chockfull of biologic agents, good news for physicians, who have been waiting more than 3 decades since the last approval of a new therapy for SLE. Some of these...

Botox promotions investigated.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... The U.S. Attorney's office for the northern district of Georgia has subpoenaed Allergan, seeking documents that might show off-label promotion of Botox (botulinum toxin type A) for the treatment of headache. The company confirmed the inquiry in...

Galderma buys CollaGenex.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... Two dermatology powerhouses are about to combine--that is, if U.S. regulatory authorities approve the merger of Galderma Laboratories and CollaGenex Pharmaceuticals. Galderma proposes to purchase all of CollaGenex's outstanding shares for about...

Supreme Court limits device suits.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... The U.S. Supreme Court has bolstered medical device manufacturers' argument that FDA approval confers special protection against liability suits. The justices voted 8-1 in finding that the Medical Device Amendments of 1976 supersede state law....

Woodcock named CDER head.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... Dr. Janet Woodcock has been named director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Dr. Woodcock, a rheumatologist, served as director of CDER once before, in the 1990s, and has served as acting director since October 2007. The...

Drug, device promotion may expand.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... FDA last month proposed draft guidance that would allow drug and medical device makers to distribute medical or scientific journal articles and reference publications that involve unapproved uses of FDA-approved drugs and medical devices. Drug...

Rx abuse worries Americans.(Policy & Practice)
April 1, 2008... The abuse of prescription drugs is as big a problem as the abuse of illegal drugs, according to respondents to a Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive poll. Even so, less than half of those surveyed said they keep prescription medicines in a...

Rule for Patient Safety Organizations proposed.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... Draft federal regulations more than 2 years in the making aim to give hospital networks, physician groups, and similar organizations the ability to help doctors reduce medical errors and improve the quality of care they provide to patients. ...

Hiring a fee-only financial planner.(Managing Your Dermatology Practice)
April 1, 2008... This is the second column to expand on the suggestions made in my January "New Year's Resolutions" column. (The January column can be found in the archives at www.skinandallergynews.com.) The suggestion on long-range financial planning...

The payoffs and pitfalls of participating in clinical trials.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... MAUI, HAWAII -- Clinical trial participation can be a moneymaker for a practice with some realistic planning and savvy negotiations, according to Dr. Roy Fleischmann and Dr. Alvin Well. "If you're looking to make a profit, you've got to...

Future uncertain as health plan settlements expire.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... LAS VEGAS -- As more of the agreements signed by several large insurers to settle a class action suit alleging inappropriate billing practices expire, the possibility is increasing that the companies will return to the same behavior, especially...

States looking inward, striving for transparency as health tabs grow.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- With health care expenses accounting for the single largest expense in their budget, states are increasingly looking for solutions from within, not from the federal government, according to an annual accounting of state...

Health care spending projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2017.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... Health care spending in the United States is projected to consume nearly 20% of the gross domestic product by 2017, according to estimates from economists at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Health care spending growth is...

Administration offers plan to shore up Medicare.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... In response to a warning that the Medicare trust fund is in financial trouble, the Bush administration recently proposed legislation that would tie physician payments to quality, cap medical liability damages, and encourage nationwide adoption...

Hospital P4P project lowers costs and mortality.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... Hospitals participating in a Medicare-sponsored pay-for-performance demonstration continue to sustain initial gains in quality improvement and have seen a huge decline in costs and mortality for selected conditions over the project's first 3...

Pay-for-performance demo price tag may be too high for small practices.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... A Medicare demonstration project testing pay for performance among large multispecialty physician groups is yielding good data on care coordination programs, but expanding the program to small, single-specialty practices could present...

Dermatologists with PhDs more likely to go academic.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... To revitalize the field of academic dermatology, residency programs should focus on attracting medical doctors who also have PhDs because they are more likely to choose careers in academia, according to Dr. Jashin J. Wu of the University of...

Similar drug names a growing cause of errors: U.S. Pharmacopeia seeks to add 'indication of use' on prescriptions, citing over 3,000 soundalike drug pairs.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... The soaring numbers of commonly used drugs with soundalike and look-alike names have prompted the U.S. Pharmacopeia to ask physicians and pharmacists to include an "indication for use" on prescriptions. This and other recommendations are...

Financial assistance available for high-cost cancer therapies.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Financial assistance is available to patients struggling with costs of the new--and extremely expensive--targeted therapies for renal cell carcinoma as well as other advanced cancers, Mr. James Goetz said at the annual Community...

The inspiring journey of a multiple amputee.(The Rest Of Your Life)
April 1, 2008... When Dr. Kellie Lim was an 8-year-old growing up in suburban Detroit, she acquired a case of bacterial meningitis so severe that one physician put her chances of survival at 15%. The infection claimed both of her legs about 6 inches below...

Hospitals tackle joint commission's new patient safety goal.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... The Joint Commission's new 2008 patient safety goal of requiring a process to respond quickly to a deteriorating patient is being mistakenly interpreted at some hospitals as a mandate for "rapid response teams" or "medical emergency teams." ...

Medicare Advantage pay eyed for fee fix again.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- With Congress scrambling to come up with the funds to avert a physician fee cut scheduled for July, it appears once again that Medicare Advantage is being eyed as a funding source by Democrats but as sacrosanct by Republicans,...

New Medicare chief trades scalpel for bureaucrat's pen.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... Dr. Jeffrey Rich is trading in his scalpel for a bureaucrat's pen in the hope that he'll give Medicare a strong and credible push into a future that will reward those who deliver high-quality care at the best cost. The cardiothoracic surgeon...

MedPAC seeks to lower costs by upping primary care pay.(Practice Trends)
April 1, 2008... WASHINGTON -- Saying that primary care is undervalued, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission might recommend that Congress increase payment for primary care and pilot test a medical home program. MedPAC met in March to discuss various...

Antiwrinkle cream.(Products)
April 1, 2008... C-Recovery antiwrinkle cream contains 5% vitamin C and a unique thermal dermobiotic complex to promote skin recovery after wrinkle-reducing procedures. The product also contains vitamin [B.sub.3] and xanthine to soothe the skin, and it has a...

Benchmarking software.(Products)
April 1, 2008... The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and ValuSource Software have released two new practice benchmarking programs, "Pay-to-Production Plotter" and "Cost Dashboard." The former allows practices to visually plot a physician's...

Handheld facial toner.(Products)(NuFace by Carol Cole Company)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The NuFace handheld device uses microcurrent stimulation of facial muscles and tissues to improve circulation and promote a healthy skin tone. The device is noninvasive and can be used as an adjunct to treatments with lasers or injectable...

Reflectance Microscopy Atlas.(Products)
April 1, 2008... "Reflectance Confocal Microscopy of Cutaneous Tumors: An Atlas With Clinical, Dermoscopic, and Histological Correlations" is a new, full-color, 280-page hardcover book. Contents include basic principles of RCM; chapters on keratinocytic,...