Skin & Allergy News articles from January 2003

Skin & Allergy News archives from January 2003

Feds debate tighter grip on Accutane. (Pregnancies, Suicides on Agenda).
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- The specter of a mandatory prescription registry for Accutane rose at a contentious congressional hearing last month on safety issues surrounding the acne drug. While some federal lawmakers called for a strict patient and...

Bush's smallpox policy makes MDs patient educators: but vaccination of the general public isn't on the plan's immediate timetable. (Vaccinations May Start This Month).
January 1, 2003... Physician education about smallpox vaccination has become a priority for both the public and private health sectors now that President Bush has announced his plan to reintroduce the vaccine into the U.S. population. In mid-December, the...

Imaging devices may cut unnecessary excisions: falling prices will broaden their appeal. (More Accurate, More Affordable).
January 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Noninvasive tools that assist in the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions are becoming more accurate, more convenient, and--perhaps most important--more affordable, Dr. Mark R. Pittelkow said at a dermatology seminar sponsored by...

FDA approves switch to over-the-counter status for Claritin. (Nonsedating Antihistamine).
January 1, 2003... The Food and Drug Administration has approved a change to over-the-counter status for the antihistamine Claritin (loratadine) for treatment of the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Manufactured by Schering-Plough, the antihistamine was slated...

New dermatoscopy tools see everyday office use. (Convenience, Falling Cost are Attractive).
January 1, 2003... Dr. Mark Naylor calls his pocket dermatoscope "a lighted magnifying glass on steroids." "People say, 'I'm such an expert, I don't need one of these things. It's just going to slow me down,'" said Dr. Naylor of the University of Oklahoma,...

Skin reactions lead to warning on Bextra label. (Adverse Events Rare).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Postmarketing reports of adverse events have led the Pharmacia Corp. to issue a warning letter to health care professionals, alerting them to changes in the product labeling for valdecoxib tablets (trade name Bextra). Valdecoxib is...

'Sunburn Alert' proposed for popular cosmetics. (Products Containing Alpha Hydroxy Acids).
January 1, 2003... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- Cosmetic products containing alpha hydroxy acids should include labeling that warns the products can make the skin more sensitive to the sun and increase the risk of sunburn, the Food and Drug Administration has proposed. ...

University of Miami expands ethnic skin services. (Treatment and Research).
January 1, 2003... MIAMI -- Spurred by a growing recognition that the cosmetic concerns of ethnic skin require special expertise and technology, dermatologists at the University of Miami School of Medicine are launching new services for Hispanic, African...

Contamination prompts injectable drug recall. (Urgent Care Pharmacy).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Physicians, pharmacists, and consumers should immediately discontinue use of injectable drugs manufactured by the Urgent Care Pharmacy in Spartanburg, S.C., because the drugs-may be contaminated. The Food and Drug Administration issued the...

Boutiques and bonuses. (Under My Skin).
January 1, 2003... What makes for good doctoring? How do you define and produce quality? Here are two up-to-the-minute dispatches from the medical/business frontier. The first is boutique medicine, sometimes called concierge practice. This is how it works:...

Get to know OTIS.(Organization of Teratology Information Services)
January 1, 2003... Many physicians are unfamiliar with the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS), a group that provides practical information to health care providers and their patients concerning exposure to various drugs, chemicals, and other...

Rethinking disease eradication.(Editorial)
January 1, 2003... The concept of totally eradicating a disease has long been a siren song. For some, it has transcended reason and become a crusade. Only smallpox has been successfully eradicated. Four other eradication efforts have failed, and two in...

Lidocaine sensitivity cases rising. (Popular OTC Ingredient).(over the counter)
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- Allergic contact dermatitis caused by lidocaine is on the rise because of increased use of the anesthetic in many over-the-counter topical products, adding to the number of traditional postsurgical cases. Heightened clinical...

Urticaria dx in children poses a challenge. (Rash is Nonspecific).(diagnosis)
January 1, 2003... PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- A sharp differential diagnosis is the key to identifying urticaria in children and infants, according to a presentation at the 11th Congress of the European Society of Dermatology and Venereology. Recurrent...

New Lyme disease assay may simplify lab testing. (Rapid, Easily Automated).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- New enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays that detect a protein on the surface of the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete may significantly curtail the need for confirmatory Western blotting in the serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease, Dr....

Erythema tied to common sunscreen allergen. (In Fair-Skinned Women).
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- A common ingredient in sunscreens can trigger facial erythema in fair-skinned women who use products with a high sun protection factor, Dr. Susan T. Nedorost said at a meeting on contact dermatitis. Benzophenone-3 is widely...

Higher doses of alopecia and wart Tx trigger greater immune response. (Preliminary Results).(treatment)
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- An ongoing study aims to identify the concentration at which a preparation used to treat alopecia areata and common warts triggers an immune response and allergic sensitivity. Squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) is a known...

Facial product preservative behind acute hand eczema. (Responds Well to Treatment).
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- A preservative used in many facial care products can trigger severe contact dermatitis on the hand, according to a presentation at a meeting on contact dermatitis. "These were unusually strong clinical reactions with vesicular...

Lichen sclerosus symptoms persist into adulthood. (Follow-Up Study of 70 Prepubescent Girls).
January 1, 2003... PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- More than half of prepubescent girls with lichen sclerosus continued to have symptoms into adulthood, according to a follow-up study presented at the 11th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and...

Protein may predict course of melanoma. (Study of 134 Patients).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The 90-kd zinc-finger protein HDM2 may be a predictor of survival in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma. Higher levels of this protein in melanoma lesions were significantly associated with longer disease-free survival rates and...

Vulvar melanoma can strike young women. (Case Report).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... PORTO, PORTUGAL -- Despite its reputation as a malignancy of elderly females, vulvar melanoma also can occur in younger women, Dr. Patricia Santos reported at the 23rd Congress of the International Society for Dermatologic Surgery. A...

Apoptosis lower in frontal balding areas. (Study of 16 Adult Men).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Although too much cell death may seem intuitively to be a cause of alopecia, there may be less apoptosis in the frontal balding areas than in the occipital region, Dr. Paul T. Rose said at the annual meeting of the International...

Lymphocytic infiltrate not always present with alopecia areata. (Look for Miniaturized Hairs).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- Large numbers of telogen and/or miniaturized hairs may indicate alopecia areata, even without lymphocytic infiltrate around the hair bulb, Dr. David Whiting said in a poster presented at a meeting sponsored by the National...

Security applications: PDASecure. (Digital Assistance).
January 1, 2003... Overview: PDASecure is an easily configured, flexible security application for Palm and Pocket PC handheld computers. Robust password protection and encryption capabilities are at the core of this product. Those who manage individually...

Ash leaf--shaped patch only sign of tuberous sclerosis. (Two Cases).
January 1, 2003... BARCELONA -- Ash leaf-shaped hypomelanotic macules were the sole presenting sign of tuberous sclerosis in two children, Dr. J. Silva said in a poster session at the Congress of the European Society for Paediatric Dermatology. While skin...

Physician, heal thyself: MDs are lax about sun protection. (Doctors Do No Better Than Patients).
January 1, 2003... When it comes to fun in the sun, physicians may be no more likely than patients to follow recommended skin protection guidelines, a study has shown. In a teaching hospital survey, 45% of patient respondents and 47% of physicians claimed to...

Drug update: hormone replacement therapy. (Clinical Rounds).
January 1, 2003... Management of the menopausal woman is more of an art than a science. For patients plagued by urogenital atrophy or vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia, female hormones are among the most effective treatments. ...

CDC: trade hand washing for alcohol-based rubs. (Updated Hygiene Recommendations).
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- "Rub-a-dub-dub" is about to take on a whole new meaning for U.S. health care workers. New guidelines on hand hygiene released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promote the use of alcohol-based "rubs" that can...

Suppressive antiviral Tx reduces genital herpes. (First Evidence STD Spread is Interrupted).(treatment, sexually transmitted disease)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Once-daily valacyclovir halved transmission rates of herpes simplex virus 2 in the first randomized controlled trial to show that an antiviral medication can reduce the spread of a sexually transmitted disease. The results...

Vaccine may be 100% effective against HPV 16. (Strongest at 36 Months).(human papillomavirus)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- A human papillomavirus vaccine has shown 100% efficacy against carcinogenic type 16 HPV at 3 years, Laura A. Koutsky Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Merck's experimental...

Suggestion-based therapy may clear warts in children. (Noninvasive Alternative).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Simulated x-ray treatment led to full or partial remission of warts in children with verruca vulgaris, a limited study has shown. The investigation tested the effect of the purely suggestion-based therapy on nine children up to 12 years old...

Retinoid plus antibiotic equals acne clearance. (Combination Acne Therapy).
January 1, 2003... LAS VEGAS -- Topical retinoids improve inflammatory as well as noninflammatory acne, which explains why they boost the efficacy of topical antibiotics when the two types of drugs are used in combination, Dr. John E. Wolf Jr., said at the Fall...

Alternative Tx options work for inhalation anthrax. (Fluoroquinolones).(treatment)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Gatifloxacin and levofloxacin may be considered as alternatives for postexposure prophylaxis or treatment of anthrax, Dr. Duygu Esel reported in a poster presentation at the annual Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents...

Cosmeceutical critique: skin care suggestions for patients. (Dermatologic Therapy).
January 1, 2003... Many readers of this column have asked what skin care recommendations they should give to their patients. It is sometimes difficult to sift through the science (and exaggerated marketing claims) and answer the patient's simple question: "What...

Oral tazarotene put to test on severe, nodulocystic acne. (Seeking Treatment Alternatives).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- A preliminary study of oral tazarotene suggests that it has the potential to improve severe nodulocystic acne, perhaps with fewer side effects than other retinoids, Dr. Nicholas Lowe reported at the American Academy of Dermatology's...

Interleukin-12 trials generate regression in CTCL. (Phase I and Phase II Trials).(cutaneous T-cell lymphomas)
January 1, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Recombinant human interleukin-12 induces lesion regression in some cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, reported Dr. Alain H. Rook of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. The therapeutic cytokine produced significant...

CTCL tumor size reduced by temozolomide Tx. (Mycosis Fungoides).(cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, treatment)
January 1, 2003... CAMBRIDGE, MASS. -- Temozolomide therapy can decrease tumor size in mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome, and levels of DNA repair proteins in those tumors may help predict which patients will respond best. In a study correlating the...

Kids' dermatitis flares drop with pimecrolimus. (Large Trial in Infants and Children).
January 1, 2003... Two new trials of 1% pimecrolimus cream have established it as an effective way of reducing the number of atopic dermatitis flares in infants and children, which in turn reduces their corticosteroid exposure. In the largest trial to date...

Risks of inhaled corticosteroids rise with age and dosage. (More of a Problem in the Elderly).
January 1, 2003... SAN ANTONIO - Most adverse events associated with use of inhaled steroids in elderly asthma patients are dose related and do not rule out their use, according to Dr. Michael Schatz. Long-term use of high doses of inhaled steroids has been...

Reserve alkylating agents for severe bullous disease cases. (Prospective Study of 42 Patients).
January 1, 2003... ANNAPOLIS, MD. -- Most pediatric patients with bullous diseases will benefit from corticosteroid or immunosuppressant treatment, thereby reserving alkylating agents for patients with the most severe cases, Dr. Grant J. Anhalt said at the annual...

Shorter Tx course as effective for leishmaniasis. (Less Toxic Than 20-Day Regimen).(treatment)
January 1, 2003... A 10-day course of sodium stibogluconate for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis is as effective and less toxic than the standard 20-day course of pentavalent antimony, a randomized, double-blind study has shown. The study involved 38...

[beta]-lactams still most-prescribed antimicrobial. (Geographic Variations).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- [beta]-lactams still top the list of antimicrobial prescriptions, Katie J. Suda, Pharm.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. In a nationwide database analysis...

Topical diclofenac gel delivered improvement in actinic keratoses. (Two Randomized, Double-Blind Trials).
January 1, 2003... PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- Topical diclofenac gel effectively improves actinic keratoses and should be considered an alternative for patients refractory to 5-fluorouradil, according to a presentation at the 11th Congress of the European Academy...

Epithelial neoplasms respond favorably to imiquimod cream. (Transplant Patients Studied).
January 1, 2003... PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC -- Imiquimod cream effectively treats epithelial neoplasms that develop in transplant recipients, according to a study presented at the 11th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. ...

Related compound sought to desensitize patients to DNCB. (Prevent Contact Dermatitis).(dinitrochlorobenzene)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CLEVELAND -- Because an ingredient found in topical wart and alopecia treatments can cause contact dermatitis, researchers are looking to a similar compound to "prime" patients and prevent sensitization. Preliminary study results, however,...

Topical steroids may be best for radiation therapy dermatitis. (Compared to Dexpanthenol Cream).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Topical corticosteroid treatment, often used to manage radiation therapy dermatitis in breast cancer patients, may be superior to dexpanthenol cream or no treatment at all, according to a prospective, randomized trial. The trial compared...

Acute melanoma responds well to oral chemo Tx. (Thalidomide and Temozolomide Combo).(treatment)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Metastatic melanoma patients might do better with long-term, low-dose treatment using temozolomide plus thalidomide than with a dacarbazine-based chemotherapy regimen, reported Dr. Wen-Jen Hwu and colleagues at the Memorial Sloan Kettering...

Compounding pharmacies get low marks in FDA tests. (34% Failure Rate).(Food and Drug Administration)
January 1, 2003... SAN FRANCISCO -- Ten of 29 prescriptions obtained in a Food and Drug Administration survey of compounding pharmacies failed assays, Vaiyapuri Subramaniam, Pharm. D., reported at the annual meeting of the American College of Clinical...

Edible sunblock: photoprotection highest with vitamin E and C combo. (Stronger Together).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A combination of oral vitamin E and vitamin C creates more photoprotection than either vitamin ingested separately, said Dr. Homero Mireles-Rocha of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Colima, Mexico, and his colleagues. The...

Most hemangiomas respond well to laser Tx. (Particularly Superficial Ones).(treatment)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Laser therapy is effective for most hemangiomas, particularly for superficial hemangiomas, Dr. Arielle Kauvar said at the joint annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American College of Mohs...

Acne scars demand multifaceted treatment plan. (Combine Lasers With Other Modalities).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- When it comes to treating acne scars, one technique does not resurface all. Instead, the scar type determines the treatment, Dr. Naomi Lawrence said at the 11th International Symposium on Cosmetic Laser Surgery. Patients...

Pulsed dye lasers could help erase postsurgical scars. (Treat on Suture Removal Day).
January 1, 2003... New YORK -- Postsurgical scars are a common problem, and a common laser can improve them. The 585-nm pulsed dye laser is safe and effective in improving the appearance of scars, Dr. Keyvan Nouri said at the 11th International Symposium on...

Follow hair whorl to build better transplant density. (Five Common Patterns Seen).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Paying attention to the hair whorl in hair transplantation pays off. Identify the pattern of the central whorl of a patient's hair, and follow its direction to create a denser look, Dr. Craig Ziering said at the annual meeting...

Eliminating free radicals could help improve hair transplant outcomes. (Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Blamed).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Free radicals may inhibit the growth of transplanted hair, Dr. Jerry Cooley said at the annual meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Free radicals are generated by ischemia-reperfusion injury a...

Reap results by harvesting temporal hair. (Hair Transplant).
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Consider the temporal area as a source of hair for transplantation, Dr. Vance Elliot said at the annual meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Although harvesting hair from the temple has its...

Beware laser hair-removal pitfalls. (Patients Hear What They Want to Hear).
January 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- Patients' unrealistic expectations are the major pitfall of laser hair removal, Dr. Eric F. Bernstein said at the 11th International Symposium on Cosmetic Laser Surgery. In the context of laser hair removal, very intelligent...

Try Myobloc in patients resistant to Botox. (For Glabellar Lines).
January 1, 2003... CHICAGO -- Myobloc is a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of facial rhytides in patients resistant to Botox, Dr. Jason R. Lupton said at the joint annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and the American...

Precise Dx key with nasal valve disorder. (Review of 53 Patients).(diagnosis)
January 1, 2003... SAN DIEGO -- Precise diagnosis is essential in treating nasal valve dysfunction, especially distinguishing internal nasal valve dysfunction from the external form, Dr. Albert Jen said at the annual fall meeting of the American Academy of Facial...

Water-jet technology eases liposuction effort. (Suitable for Beginners).
January 1, 2003... WESTMINSTER, COLO. -- Water jet-assisted liposuction may be the next wave. Having done more than 100 liposuction cases using the investigational technique, Dr. Thomas B. Tork is convinced water jet-assisted liposuction offers several major...

Liposuction, fat transfer procedures may produce better results in men. (Outcomes From Series of 53 Men).
January 1, 2003... WESTMINSTER, COLO. -- The Y chromosome is an ideal indication for liposuction, Dr. Steven B. Hopping said at the World Congress on Liposuction. Indeed, liposuction outcomes are consistently better in men than women, added Dr. Hopping of...

Oscillating liposuction cannula tops conventional device in prospective study. (Less Operator Fatigue).
January 1, 2003... WESTMINSTER, COLO. -- Sucking fat is hard physical work. The vigorous back-and-forth arm motion entailed in directing the cannula to harvest subcutaneous fat during a liposuction procedure takes a toll in terms of physician fatigue, said...

Congress may stall on Medicare fee schedule fix. (CMS Remains Optimistic).(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
January 1, 2003... WASHINGTON -- A fix to the physician fee schedule is unlikely outside of the context of comprehensive Medicare reform, congressional staffers said at a meeting sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform. "We'd like to see the physician...