Skin & Allergy News articles from January 2005

Skin & Allergy News archives from January 2005

Tx elusive for cancer drug rash.(side effects of signal transduction inhibitors)
January 1, 2005... One of the hottest recent treatment advances in oncology has spawned an unwelcome dermatologic side effect. Signal transduction inhibitors, a new class of cancer drugs targeting solid tumors without the toxic side effects of chemotherapy,...

Mandatory FDA restrictions on the way for isotretinoin: voluntary programs deemed ineffective.
January 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration will scrap isotretinoin's handful of voluntary risk management programs in favor of one mandatory, more restrictive system like that used for thalidomide. Although many dermatologists are relieved that...

Advances bring clarity to genodermatoses diagnosis.
January 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- A decade of remarkable progress in molecular genetics has brought new clarity to the diagnosis of skin diseases, providing important information to clinicians and offering families predictions about potentially lethal...

Repeated Botox injections deemed safe in long-term study.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- No untoward long-term effects were seen with repeated Botox injections, even among patients who underwent 30 injection sessions over a period of almost 9 years, Alastair Carruthers, M.D., and Jean D.A. Carruthers, M.D.,...

Vital signs.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Most Americans Do Not Trust Online Prescription Drug Market Online purchasing less safe than pharmacy 62% Online purchasing as safe as pharmacy 20% Don't know/depends 18% Note: Table made from pie chart....

Vaccine prevents HPV 16-associated cervical Ca.(News)(cervical intraepithelial neoplasia )
January 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- An experimental monovalent vaccine against human papillomavirus strain 16 prevents cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grades 2 and 3 in young women, Constance Mao, M.D., reported at the annual Interscience Conference on...

Psoriatic arthritis indication backed for infliximab.(News)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted Centocor Inc.'s application to approve infliximab (Remicade) for the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. Already approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease in North...

Extina is no-go for seborrheic dermatitis.(News)
January 1, 2005... Extina, a formulation of 2% ketoconazole in a proprietary foam vehicle, has been deemed nonapprovable for seborrheic dermatitis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The FDA's Nov. 23, 2004, letter concluded that Extina was not...

Community--acquired MRSA hit L.A. children.(News)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus )
January 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- A clonal outbreak of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Los Angeles County led to a high rate of hospitalizations among children in 2003, Elizabeth Bancroft, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual...

What are the biggest health policy issues of 2005? Medicare reimbursement, liability reform, and access to isotretinoin rank as dermatologists' top concerns.(News)
January 1, 2005... While medical liability and health care reform remain the top issues for many physicians this year, of particular urgency is a fix to Medicare's flawed payment formula, which threatens cuts of up to 5% in 2006 and cumulative cuts of 30% through...

Priorities at the AADA for 2005.(News)(American Academy of Dermatology Association )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Fixing physician reimbursement under Medicare, reforming medical liability, and maintaining access to isotretinoin are the top three priorities for the American Academy of Dermatology Association this year. Without a change in the way...

Doctors in the House and Senate.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Physicians are heading to Capitol Hill this month and not just to lobby. Below are the results of last year's House and Senate races in which a physician ran for office. House of Representatives Arkansas, 2nd District: * Vic Snyder,...

New psoriasis outcome measure bests PASI 75.(Safe Psoriasis Control)
January 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Look for clinical trials of new psoriasis therapies to make increasing use of a novel comprehensive outcome measure known as Safe Psoriasis Control. Safe Psoriasis Control was developed in response to the well documented...

The way we were.(Under My Skin)
January 1, 2005... A jammed sharps container doesn't sound like the kind of thing to trigger a nostalgic reverie, but the other day one of them did just that. Back in 1981, after my first day in my current office building, my secretary called me at home to...

We're not just 'dentists'.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2005... The ruckus about restrictions on dermatologists' ability to perform outpatient procedures largely concerns cosmetic surgery and is propagated primarily by competing specialties ("State Battles Intensify Over Outpatient Derm Surgery," November...

The pitfalls of regulating Academia.(Guest Editorial)(Column)
January 1, 2005... The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and multiple other national, state, and local agencies are very, very busy, ensuring quality of care. No one can argue with the desired...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2005... The article "Psoriasis Panel Moves Biologics to Front of Tx Line" (SKIN & ALLERGY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2004, p. 7) should have identified Alan Menter, M.D., of the Texas Dermatology Research Institute, Dallas, as a member of the international panel...

Tumescent lipo preferred for localized adiposity.(Dermatologic Surgery)
January 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Tumescent liposuction is one of the safest office-based cosmetic procedures, and probably the most effective way to manage localized adipose deposits, said Naomi Lawrence, M.D., chief of procedural dermatology, Cooper University...

Laser treatment an option for some leg veins.(Dermatologic Surgery)
January 1, 2005... MONT-TREMBLANT, QUE. -- Although sclerotherapy remains the standard for the treatment of leg veins, it is rivaled by laser therapy in a few select cases, according to several experts. Superficial, small vessels (less than 1.5 mm) in skin...

Digital sympathectomy eased Raynaud's pain in small study.(Dermatologic Surgery)
January 1, 2005... NEW YORK -- Digital sympathectomy appeared highly effective for pain relief in patients with severe, longstanding Raynaud's phenomenon associated with limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, Andrew D. Thomas, M.D., said at the annual meeting of...

Chin-jowl implants better than chin only: combined implants are anchored laterally and are better retained over time than chin implants alone.(Dermatologic Surgery)
January 1, 2005... SPOKANE, WASH. -- Combined chin-jowl implants give a better, longer-lasting cosmetic result than central chin implants alone, Greg S. Morganroth, M.D., said at the annual Pacific Northwest Dermatological Conference. Central chin implants...

New treatment algorithm improves thermage results.(Dermatologic Surgery)
January 1, 2005... MONT-TREMBLANT, QUE. -- A new treatment algorithm for the ThermaCool radiofrequency energy device is producing improved cosmetic results with a reduction in pain and adverse events, Michael Kaminer, M.D., said at a symposium on cutaneous laser...

Objective measures needed for cosmetic care.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- When it comes to charting the success of various cosmetic procedures, dermatologists rely too much on standard clinical photos, ill-defined measurement scales, and other subjective measures, Albert M. Kligman, M.D., declared at the...

Psoriasis: expert offers pearls on efalizumab use.(Dermatologic Therapy)
January 1, 2005... VIENNA -- A good understanding of how to manage flare and rebound is essential to the effective use of efalizumab in psoriasis patients, Kim A. Papp, M.D., said at a satellite symposium held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the...

Penicillins topped oral antibiotic Rx in 2001-2003.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... WASHINGTON -- During 2001-2003, penicillins were the most commonly prescribed oral antibiotics in the United States, followed closely by macrolides, based on data from nine managed care plans. But the pattern of antibiotic prescriptions was...

Quercetin.(Cosmeceutical Critique)(Column)
January 1, 2005... Polyphenols comprise a dynamic group of approximately 8,000 compounds that are widely distributed in plants used for food. Within the class of polyphenols are the flavonoids, naturally occurring plant pigments that are also known as...

Hemangioma: let location determine treatment course.(Clinical Round)
January 1, 2005... SPOKANE, WASH. -- The top three reasons to consider treatment of a neonatal hemangioma are the same as the top three determinants of value in real estate: location, location, location, explained Howard B. Pride, M.D. While most neonatal...

Special care protocols urged for infants with EB.(Clinical Rounds)(epidermolysis bullosa )
January 1, 2005... FLORENCE, ITALY -- Genetic skin disease specialists in England no longer recommend transferring newborns with epidermolysis bullosa (EB) to high-level care nurseries, opting instead to send dermatology nurse specialists to rural and community...

Vesicare, Tarceva.(New & Approved)
January 1, 2005... Vesicare (solifenacin succinate, Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co.) A muscarinic receptor antagonist for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. *...

European database providing information on fabry's disease.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2005... BELFAST -- Important new data on the heritability patterns, prevalence, diagnosis, and clinical manifestations of Fabry's disease are emerging from a European database, Care H. Orteu, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the British Association...

HHS to import flu vaccine for high-risk groups.(Clinical Rounds)(United)
January 1, 2005... Federal health officials continue to seek solutions to the U.S. influenza vaccine shortage, including procuring up to 4 million doses from GlaxoSmithKline, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said at a press conference. ...

Endocrinologic factors linked to acne severity.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Severity of acne in postpubertal women appears to depend on peripheral hyperandrogenism, with a negative relationship between the acne severity and serum sex hormone-binding globulin levels, according to results from a large study of Italian...

Some 'adult' diseases don't discriminate by age.(Clinical Rounds)
January 1, 2005... LAS VEGAS -- You may think of perioral dermatitis as an adult-only disease, but it affects children as well, Patricia M. Witman, M.D., said at a dermatology seminar sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. "Perioral dermatitis is one...

Corticosteroids promote good outcome in SJS/TEN.(Clinical Rounds)(Stevens-Johnson syndrome )(toxic epidermal necrolysis )
January 1, 2005... VIENNA -- Corticosteroid therapy for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis received a big boost from two observational studies presented at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. Juergen...

E-mail could replace some patient visits.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Don't take this personally, but... "Patients really don't want to see you," John Bachman, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Family Physicians. That's one reason why e-mail communication between...

Buyer beware.(Policy & Practice)(cosmetic procedures)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery is warning consumers to be careful when undergoing cosmetic procedures. And the group is asking physicians to talk to their patients about the risks of invasive cosmetic procedures performed by...

A spot in the shade.(Policy & Practice)(grants to nonprofit organizations )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The American Academy of Dermatology is providing seven grants to nonprofit organizations that build permanent shade structures over outdoor locations such as playgrounds, pools, and eating areas. 'As the number of hours people spend outdoors...

New surgical marker.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration cleared for marketing a first-of-its-kind external surgical marker that could minimize the potential for wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-patient surgeries. The device uses radio frequency identification...

Retiree health benefits.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... It's still too early to say what the impact of the 2006 Medicare prescription drug benefit will be on retiree health benefits, Jon Gabel, vice president for health systems studies at the Health Research and Educational Trust told the Medicare...

Anthem-WellPoint merger finalized.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi has approved the $16.4 billion merger of Anthem Inc., a for-profit BlueCross BlueShield subsidiary with plans in nine states, with WellPoint Health Networks, a Blues plan serving California and...

Medicare settlement.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Temple University Physicians has agreed to pay more than $1.8 million to settle civil charges arising from an investigation into its Medicare Part B billing practices. The Department of Health and Human Services audited Medicare Part B claims...

New Zealand offers no-fault compensation model.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... ALEXANDRIA, VA. -- In New Zealand, all physicians pay $700 a year for indemnity insurance, and it's nearly impossible to sue a physician. That's because New Zealand has had a no-fault injury compensation system in place for the last 30...

Electronic health records reduced clinic visit length.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... SAN FRANCISCO -- Adopting an electronic health records system reduced the mean length of visits at five outpatient clinics by 4 minutes per patient, a difference that was not statistically significant but that should allay physicians' fears...

Online physician prescribers targeted by feds.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... Federal investigators are targeting physicians who help Internet sites sell drugs to buyers without legitimate prescriptions. "The Internet has brought drug dealers from the back alleys directly into every American home wired for e-mail and...

Liability risk is only a click away.(Practice Trends)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2005... Physicians caught in Internet prescribing activities that result in patient injury face a number of liability scenarios. Those who prescribe over the Internet could be sued for malpractice "if you're prescribing medication for someone who...

The horizontal filing cabinet.(Managing Your Dermatology Practice)
January 1, 2005... Do you have stacks and stacks of "important" tasks piled on your desk? If so, you're far from alone. A majority of the physicians' desktops I've seen are littered with letters, folders, journals, charts, mail, books, and other paraphernalia,...

FDA to allow radio frequency tags in drug labels.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- The Food and Drug Administration has reassured pharmaceutical companies that they can use radio frequency identification technology in product packaging without running afoul of agency rules, at least through 2007. ...

FDA plans to strengthen drug safety program.(Practice Trends)
January 1, 2005... In the wake of the withdrawal of rofecoxib and the addition of a black box warning for antidepressants, the Food and Drug Administration last month announced a plan aimed at strengthening its safety program for drugs. A main component of...

Broadening friendships beyond medicine.(The Rest of Your Life)
January 1, 2005... Michael Myers, M.D., often hears physicians say they'd like to expand their circle of friends beyond their colleagues in medicine, but they're not sure how to go about it. They say, "I realize there's a whole other world out there" or "I...

Some N.Y. bodegas, shops peddle OTC antibiotics.(over the counter antibiotics)
January 1, 2005... BOSTON -- The availability of antibiotics without a prescription in some Hispanic grocery stores in New York suggests that the effort to reduce antibiotic misuse requires an expanded strategy, according to Elaine L. Larson, Ph.D. "Efforts...

Case of the month.
January 1, 2005... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- A punch biopsy at the referring physician's office revealed the 77-year-old patient had a malignant neoplasm. Immunohistochemical stains for cytokeratin (AE1/3), neuron-specific enolase, and synaptophysin were each positive,...

Therapy for dry feet.(Products)
January 1, 2005... Borage dry skin therapy foot cream contains borage oil, a source of gammalinolenic acid, an essential fatty acid in the prevention of water loss. The cream is available in a 4.2-oz. tube in natural-food stores and pharmacies. For more...

Gel for excessive sweat.(Products)
January 1, 2005... DriOff gel can be used to reduce uncontrolled perspiration on feet, the palms of hands, under arms, and in skin folds. The gel comes in sets of two 37.5-g tubes retailing for $23. For more information, contact Hill Dermaceuticals Inc. at...

Examination light series.(Products)
January 1, 2005... The HM series of examination lights offers vented shades and finger guards. The lights provide 2,000 footcandles of illumination with 20-W or 35-W halogen bulbs. The swivel head allows 360-degree rotation. For more information on this product,...