Skin & Allergy News articles from February 2005

Skin & Allergy News archives from February 2005

92 take landmark pediatric derm exam.(Practice Trends)
February 1, 2005... When Kenneth E. Bloom, M.D., sat down in front of a computer monitor and keyboard to take the first-ever pediatric dermatology board certification exam in October, he felt a sense of accomplishment before he entered a single keystroke. ...

Dermatologists worked more than 31 clinical hours per week in 2003.(Vital Signs)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
February 1, 2005... VITAL SIGNS Dermatologists Worked More Than 31 Clinical Hours per Week in 2003 Mean Hours per Week Ob.Gyn. 38.07 (n = 1,864) Internal Medicine 36.36 (n = 4,972) Family Practice 35.88 Without Ob....

Allure of cosmetic tax attracts states; alarms some MDs: Illinois derms could be next to face a fee.
February 1, 2005... A tax on cosmetic procedures, already a reality in New Jersey, is causing concern among physicians in Illinois who fear their state may be next. In late November, Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes proposed a 6% tax on cosmetic...

U.S. Soldiers in Iraq may return with leishmaniasis.(News)
February 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- Some American soldiers are returning from Iraq with a dormant pathogen in tow: cutaneous leishmaniasis. Symptoms of the infection can take 4-6 months to appear after a bite from an infected sand fly, and some unknowingly...

Once-a-day clindamycin foam may improve acne Tx compliance.(News)
February 1, 2005... Compliance among adults and adolescents with acne vulgaris may improve with once-a-day clindamycin foam, which has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The new product may be particularly useful for patients with mild to...

Tigecycline promising for serious skin infections.(News)
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Tigecycline, a novel broad-spectrum antibiotic, appears effective in treating a variety of serious infections, including those caused by resistant organisms, Evan Loh, M.D., said at the annual Interscience Conference on...

New strategy for preventing superinfections in AD patients.(News)(Atopic dermatitis)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Levels of some of the skin's key innate antimicrobial peptides are abnormally low in atopic dermatitis patients, perhaps accounting for the high rate of bacterial and viral superinfections in this population, Jurgen Harder, M.D., said...

Study warns against corticosteroid use in presence of C. difficile infection.(News)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Corticosteroid use may increase the risk of complications leading to colectomy and death in patients with Clostridium difficile colitis, Sherri L. Burgess, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American College of...

CDC's malaria Web site offers telediagnosis and treatment strategies.(News)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
February 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- Want to confirm a suspected case of malaria? You can e-mail a digital image to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for telediagnosis, and if necessary download guidelines for treatment from its new malaria Web...

Stem cell transplant offers hope in scleroderma.(News)
February 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO -- A small group of patients with severe systemic sclerosis have shown a durable response to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with 8 of 13 transplanted patients remaining alive after a mean follow-up of 44 months,...

Zyvox use for long periods tied to neuropathy onset.(News)
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Patients who develop neuropathy while taking the antibiotic Zyvox (linezolid) do so after prolonged overuse of the drug, a scientist with the Food and Drug Administration's division of anti-infective drugs reported at the...

FDA approves new Tx for postherpetic neuralgia.(News)
February 1, 2005... Pregabalin a drug that binds to calcium channels in the central nervous system, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the management of pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia in late December 2004. There are now three...

Be sure to stop by the Skin & Allergy News booth to meet Managing Your Dermatology Practice columnist Dr. Joseph S. Eastern.(News)
February 1, 2005... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Be sure to stop by the SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS booth to meet Managing Your Dermatology Practice columnist Dr. Joseph S. Eastern at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in New Orleans. Dr....

New DNA test: prescription for genetic precision.(News)
February 1, 2005... U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the first DNA microarray test will allow physicians to consider patient-specific genetic information before prescribing medications for a wide variety of conditions such as cardiac disease,...

OIG survey: FDA scientists pressured into drug approval.(News)
February 1, 2005... Nearly one in five Food and Drug Administration scientists in a federal survey said they were pressured to approve or recommend approval for a drug despite reservations about its safety. Half of the 400 scientists who participated in this...

Voluntary registration of clinical trials set for mid-2005.(News)
February 1, 2005... In the face of bad publicity and impending restrictions, trade groups rep resenting pharmaceutical companies have proposed using a voluntary clinical trials registry and results databases midyear. The "Joint position on the Disclosure of...

Ten-point plan addresses health disparities.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... We hear a great deal about "closing the gap" in health disparities in this country. To address these disparities, we must apply a multifaceted approach with leadership from the federal, educational, professional, financial, and business...

Negotiating the alternative.(Under My Skin)
February 1, 2005... "I say, Holmes," I said, "how did you deduce that my last patient was a devotee of Alternative Medicine?" "Elementary, my dear Rocky," he replied. Even Holmes grows informal with the times. "First, I observed that she'd brought a bottle of...

The ongoing challenge of HIV.(Guest Editorial)
February 1, 2005... Thanks to the advent of effective antiretroviral treatments, patients living with the human immunodeficiency virus in the United States can now expect to live nearly 2 decades from the day of becoming infected, and perhaps even to have a normal...

Managing community-acquired MRSA in kids.(Guest Editorial)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Editorial)
February 1, 2005... The emergence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has made us reexamine our long held practices and to perhaps consider some new approaches to children with skin and soft tissue infections. In the September...

An alarming trend.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the trend toward widespread, worsening resistance with this particular organism pose a serious challenge to clinicians nationwide ("MRSA Fuels More Skin Infections in...

Who causes high costs?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... The chart "'Distribution of National Health Expenditures" is misleading (Vital Signs, August 2004, p. 2). When one talks about the health care industry in recent years, it appears as though the insurance companies identify themselves as...

Will HPV vaccine backfire?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... While I congratulate those who have developed a vaccine that is very effective in preventing the development of cervical dysplasia by human papillomavirus strain 16--purely because of the work and expertise involved--I can't help but think that...

Deter frivolous lawsuits.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2005... To prevent a total collapse of our medical delivery system, some type of financial deterrent against frivolous lawsuits is needed. I propose a federal filing fee of 1% of the award being sought. The fee would be paid by the lawyers bringing...

Pain relievers.
February 1, 2005... "I'm prescribing a squiggly line, two slanted loops, and something that looks like a P or J." "I moisturize all day long, but my skin still feels rough and scaly."

Phototherapy aids transplant recipients with AKs.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Actinic keratoses)
February 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Topical photodynamic therapy is particularly advantageous for the often aggressive and extensive actinic keratoses that arise in transplant recipients, Reinhard Dummer, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the European Society for...

Once-daily 5% 5-FU cream may be sufficient for AKs.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- Once-daily application of 5% 5-fluorouracil cream for treating actinic keratoses was effective and well tolerated, results from a small pilot study have found. The finding suggests that once-daily application of 5% 5-FU cream...

Skin care for men: simplify for success: men's skin care accounts for $16 billion globally: key to compliance is an uncomplicated regimen.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- It wasn't so long ago that many American men considered any personal care products beyond Brylcreem and Old Spice to be, well, wimpy. But lately, it seems that men's relationship with skin care is becoming friendlier. Men's...

Pimecrolimus shown alternative to steroids for atopic dermatitis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Pimecrolimus cream for atopic dermatitis leads to itch-free kids and happier parents, a study has shown. In a randomized, double-blind trial enrolling 275 children from 3 months to 11 years old with moderate to severe atopic...

Behavioral therapy breaks cycle of itch in AD.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- A brief series of cognitive-behavioral training sessions had a highly significant impact on scratching and profoundly improved the ability of patients with atopic dermatitis to cope with the itching that accompanies the...

Tacrolimus, pimecrolimus eyed for off-label uses.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... VIENNA -- The topical calcineurin inhibitors are under investigation for a range of inflammatory skin diseases beyond their labels' indications, Thomas A. Luger, M.D., said at a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the annual meeting of...

Oral mucositis drug approved for use in some Ca.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration has approved the recombinant human keratinocyte growth factor palifermin as the only drug indicated to reduce the incidence and duration of severe oral mucositis in patients with hematologic cancers who require...

Fumaric acid esters may help severe psoriasis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... BELFAST -- Dermatologists in the United Kingdom who have had mixed results with fumaric acid esters in the treatment of severe psoriasis consider the proprietary formulation Fumaderm a useful extra therapeutic option, even though clinical...

Novel combo helps psoriatic arthritis patients.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... PARIS -- Combining agents with complementary mechanisms and pharmacokinetic profiles may hold promise even for patients with severe psoriatic arthritis who have been failed by every other form of therapy. German researchers used that...

New mechanism found for imiquimod in BCC.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Basal cell carcinomas)
February 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Imiquimod clears basal cell carcinomas in part through a previously undescribed mechanism: inducing the tumors to express opioid growth factor receptor, Mirjana Urosevic, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the European Society...

Topical Tx may speed clearing of hemangioma.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- Topical imiquimod shows promise for clearing superficial hemangiomas in young infants, according to a small study. Although most superficial hemangiomas involute spontaneously by the time a child reaches age 4 or 5 years,...

Imiquimod can benefit lentigo maligna patients.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Imiquimod appears to be an excellent off-label treatment option in selected patients with lentigo maligna, Ingrid H. Wolf, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. She reported on five...

Your own line: does business trump science?(Cosmeceutical Critique)
February 1, 2005... More and more cosmetic dermatologists are pondering the prospect of developing their own lines of skin care products to offer to their patients, and possibly to the general public. The inspiration may come from seeing infomercials for products...

Attention to detail, evidence key to submitting manuscripts.(Dermatologic Therapy)
February 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- The devil's in the details. That's certainly the case when you submit a manuscript to a dermatology journal, Kenneth A. Arndt, M.D., said at the joint annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the...

Expert calls for more sentinel node biopsies.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Younger patients with even a thin melanoma may deserve a sentinel node biopsy because of a much higher likelihood of lymph node metastasis, regardless of any other histologic features, said Vernon K. Sondak, M.D., at the...

Surgical resection a good option for tongue SCC.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Squamous cell carcinoma)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Surgical resection is an effective treatment for primary squamous cell carcinoma arising on the tongue, K. Matsuura, M.D., reported at the Sixth International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer. Of 313 patients who were...

Implants and connective tissue disease: no link?(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... One of the largest studies to examine the long-term health effects of cosmetic breast implants has found little evidence to advance the debate about whether implants are linked to connective tissue disease. The retrospective cohort study by...

Fingerpricking tied to necrosis.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Fingerprick sites should be inspected regularly for skin necrosis in diabetic patients who have peripheral vascular disease, said Olivier Giannini, M.D., and Michael Mayr, M.D., of the University Hospitals of Basel (Switzerland). The...

Herb takers' risk of bleeding is uncertain.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Herb-using individuals who are at risk of bleeding should be advised to use caution, despite uncertainty about the actual degree of risk that may be involved, Adrian Fugh-Berman, M.D., said at a meeting on botanical medicine...

Refined repair halts ingrown toenail recurrence: alternative to Emmert plasty preserves nail apparatus while deeply targeting granulation tissue.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- An alternative to the classic, 150-year-old surgical technique for repairing ingrown toenails may be associated with fewer recurrences and a much-improved aesthetic result, two Swiss dermatologists reported at the 13th...

Simple measures may reduce patients' postoperative pain.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Simple measures taken at the time of ambulatory surgery, such as the use of clonidine, can significantly reduce patients' postprocedure pain, Dr. Scott S. Reuben said at the annual meeting of the American Pain Society. ...

Botox can soften defects in lower face.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- Perioral injections of Botox may be a remedy when patients have lines radiating from the lips, a hollow appearance around the mouth, or an elongated upper lip often associated with aging, Joel Cohen, M.D., said at the...

Botox for hyperhidrosis may deserve nerve blockage.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... SANTA FE, N.M. -- Botox is an effective treatment for hyperhidrosis, but the large number of units required is painful unless the clinician uses nerve blocks, George J. Hruza, M.D., said at a conference sponsored by the Skin Disease Education...

Foam pads may spare surgery.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- A foam-rubber pad with a hole in it helps many patients avoid surgery for chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis, 12. Haines Ely, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. ...

Atrophic acne scars improved with Nd:YAG laser.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... MONT TREMBLANT, QUE. -- Objective improvement of atrophic facial acne scars can be achieved with the 1,064-nm Q-switched neodymium:YAG laser, according to recently published study. "This is one of the few papers that [exist] actually...

Postop radiation banishes some keloids for good.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- Complete remission of nearly 90% of keloids followed surgery and postoperative radiation, according to a report at the 13th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. With her colleagues, Monica...

Consider phototherapy as an alternative acne treatment.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- Light therapy with a photosensitizing agent is an effective treatment for acne vulgaris and provides an important alternative to other approaches, Dote Gilbert, M.D., said at a meeting sponsored by the Foundation for...

Artecoll, under FDA review, offers some pluses.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- For any dermatologist who wonders whether patients will clamor for the permanent injectable Artecoll when and if it clinches approval from the Food and Drug Administration, David Ellis, M.D., has this answer: yes and...

Radiesse: long record of use, no serious side effects.(Dermatologic Surgery)
February 1, 2005... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- What has a long track record of safety and is tailor-made for dermatologists wary of over-correction? Radiesse, an injectable filler with a 30-year history of use in bone repair and dental work, Michael Churukian, M.D.,...

Market share for nonsurgical injectables for wrinkles, 2002.(Data Watch)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... DATA WATCH Market Share For Nonsurgical Injectables For Wrinkles, 2002 Botulinum type A & B Dermal fillers United States 67% 33%...

Nail abnormalities often spontaneously regress.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- Unusually shaped or discolored nails may point to congenital abnormalities in children but rarely require surgical intervention, Bianca Maria Piraccini, M.D., noted at the 13th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology...

If the shoe fits, check the foot's anatomy for source of nail problems.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- Shove variably shaped human feet into uniformly shaped shoes, some with pointy toes and impossibly narrow widths, and the result will be toenail trauma, one of the most common etiologies of toenail disorders. Friction of...

Ultrasound, dermoscopy may alleviate need for nail biopsy.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- High-resolution ultrasound and dermoscopy hold promise for distinguishing straightforward benign conditions of the nail from suspicious lesions that require a biopsy, researchers said at the 13th Congress of the European...

Rapid protocol safely jump-starts allergy Tx.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... BOSTON -- A new immunotherapy protocol can substantially and safely reduce the amount of time it takes for children with allergies to experience relief from their symptoms, compared with conventional allergen vaccination, reported William...

Top allergens that cause contact dermatitis named.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... MIAMI BEACH -- An ingredient in many shampoos, gels, and soaps was named the American Contact Dermatitis Society's 2004 Allergen of the Year. The surfactant cocamidopropyl betaine is used in many skin and hair care products and is less...

Product database educates patients.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... An allergen substitution database is one of the biggest advances in patient education after patch testing, Mark D.P. Davis, M.D., said. Once an allergic reaction is documented, "you really have to sit down with the patient and figure out if...

Pulled penicillin allergy test leaves diagnostic void.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... Skin testing for penicillin allergy has ground to a halt because the most important antigen in the rest has been pulled off the market, creating costly problems with far-reaching impact, according to Steven Grabiec, M.D. "If you can't...

Liver anomalies linked to pustular psoriasis.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... PARIS -- At least one abnormal biologic liver parameter was found in 20 of 22 patients with generalized pustular psoriasis, highlighting a previously underestimated connection between liver involvement and the disease, French researchers...

Infliximab Tx combo helps psoriatic disease.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... BUDAPEST, HUNGARY -- Infliximab, in combination with methotrexate, shows promising results in reducing the severity of psoriatic spondyloarthropathy, based on the results of a 2-year open-label study presented at the 4th International Congress...

Psoriasis flare unpredictable but manageable.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- When patients newly diagnosed with psoriasis ask Elaine C. Siegfried, M.D., what they can expect their disease to be like, she offers up her usual response. "I say, 'The only thing predictable about psoriasis is that it's...

Enterotoxins boost severity of psoriasis.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... PARIS -- Patients colonized with certain enterotoxic strains of Staphylococcus aureus had significantly worse Psoriasis Area and Severity Index scores than did patients not colonized with these bacterial strains, raising the possibility that...

Chronic urticaria.(Drug Update)
February 1, 2005... Antihistamines are the mainstay of treatment for chronic idiopathic urticaria. Determining which to use depends on symptom severity, cost, tolerability, and other factors. Most allergists initiate treatment with a nonsedating antihistamine or...

Check thyroid function in children with vitiligo.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... ROME -- Children with vitiligo should be regularly screened for thyroid dysfunction, as they may be at an increased risk for autoimmune thyroid disease, Talia Kakourou, M.D., reported in a poster session at the 10th World Congress of Pediatric...

Food interferes with rapid-release L-T4.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Bioavailability of even the newer rapid-release formulation of levothyroxine is reduced 40% when taken close to a meal, Michael J. Lamson, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Thyroid Association. The hope...

Tysabri, Nexium.(New & Approved)
February 1, 2005... Tysabri (natalizumab, Genentech) A selective adhesion molecule inhibitor for treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations. The first monoclonal antibody approved for MS. In clinical...

MRSA changes approach to soft-tissue infections.(Clinical Rounds)(Mthicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
February 1, 2005... ORLANDO FLA. -- The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has numerous implications for day-to-day medical practice, Torn Frank, Pharm.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians. No...

Transmission of MRSA Traced to breast milk.(Clinical Rounds)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been transmitted via breast milk, Dawn Terashita Gastelum, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. ...

Rates of serious S. aureus skin infections rise.(Clinical Rounds)(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is now responsible for more than one-third of complicated skin and skin structure staphylococcal infections requiring hospitalization in the United States, Norberto E. Soto, M.D.,...

Emergency anaphylaxis treatment found lacking.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... BOSTON -- Failing to recognize and appropriately treat anaphylaxis in all its guises can have fatal consequences for patients suffering an extreme allergic reaction, said Carlos A. Camargo, M.D. Many emergency physicians and primary care...

Hyperpigmentation below 1% in HIV patients.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Fewer than 1% of 12,635 HIV-infected patients on antiretroviral therapy developed hyperpigmentation skin disorders, which occurred more frequently in those on zidovudine, especially African Americans, Alison Murray, Ph.D.,...

Not all rapid HSV tests are created equal.(Clinical Rounds)(Herpes simplex virus)
February 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Make sure to order commercially available herpes simplex virus serology tests from your laboratory by name because not all such tests are created equal, Anna Wald, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society...

Thorough exam needed to detect anal cancer.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- A look at the epidemiology of anal cancer demonstrates the need for thorough anal exams, particularly in individuals of both sexes with HIV disease, Joel M. Palefsky, M.D., said at a meeting on HIV management sponsored by the...

Botox effective for motor urge incontinence.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... SAN DIEGO -- Injection of Botox into the detrusor muscle appears to be an effective and safe treatment option for patients with idiopathic motor or sensory urge incontinence who have failed conservative treatment, results of an open-label,...

Botox improves motor control in cerebral palsy.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Intramuscular injections of botulinum A toxin reduce spasticity and increase function in upper extremities of children with cerebral palsy, particularly in those who are moderately affected, L. Andrew Koman, M.D., said at the...

Lupus awareness wristbands available.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... The SLE Lupus Foundation is offering bright orange wristbands to promote "Life Without Lupus." Ten wristbands are available for $10 plus $2.50 to cover shipping and handling; 100 wristbands are available for $100 plus $10 shipping and handling....

Some derm diseases look different in the mouth.(Clinical Rounds)(vesiculobullous diseases)
February 1, 2005... BOSTON -- The diagnosis of vesiculobullous diseases in the oral cavity must take into account the location, duration, and histology of lesions in order to differentiate the disorders from less severe conditions, George T. Gallagher, D.M.D.,...

Childhood hair pulling usually self-soothing.(Clinical Rounds)
February 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- When a child has trichotillomania--the pulling and breaking of one's own hair leading to alopecia--it is usually a self-soothing activity that occurs as a brief phase, similar to finger-sucking or nail-biting. Treatment is...

Depression and anxiety frequently overlooked in scleroderma patients.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2005... SAN ANTONIO -- Current and lifetime prevalence of major depression is high in patients with scleroderma, an underrecognized fact that can no longer be ignored, Thierry Baubet, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American College of...

FDA warns that ADHD drug may cause severe liver injury.(Clinical Roundup)(Attention deficit hypertensive disorders)
February 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration has issued a new warning for atomoxetine HCl concerning the potential for severe liver injury. The drug, indicated for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults and children, has been...