Skin & Allergy News articles from June 2004

Skin & Allergy News archives from June 2004

Dermatopathology: will derms return?(News)
June 1, 2004... After years of pathologists dominating the field of dermatopathology, the tide may be beginning to turn. While interest in dermatopathology was once evenly split between dermatologists and pathologists, pathologists have outnumbered...

And then there were three: FDA okays etanercept: the approved dosing regimen is a sign the FDA is taking psoriasis seriously.(News)(Food and Drug Administration )
June 1, 2004... Watch out, psoriasis, there's a "new" treatment in town--officially. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the biologic agent etanercept (Enbrel) for the treatment of chronic moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients aged 18...

FDA backs Hylaform as second Hyaluronic filler: no skin test is required prior to injection.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
June 1, 2004... Hylaform gel, approved by the Food and Drug Administration in late April, is the newest injectable dermal filler and the second hyaluronic acid-based filler to reach the U.S. market. Hylaform, also called hylan B, contains cross linked...

Study: sunlight is linked to higher risk of cervical HPV infection.(News)(human papillomavirus)
June 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA -- A high level of sun exposure was associated with an increased rate of cervical infection with human papillomavirus, Dr. William J.M. Hrushesky reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. ...

FDA panel votes down new melanoma drug.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)
June 1, 2004... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The anti-sense agent oblimersen sodium, a targeted treatment intended to enhance the effects of chemotherapy by inhibiting a protein expressed by melanoma cells, did not receive support for approval as a treatment for...

New agents look like strong foes of fungus: the antifungal armamentarium is set to make major advances on the infection battlefield.(News)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Dermatologists can look forward to fighting fungal infections with new drugs that are effective against fluconazole-resistant strains, raise clinical efficacy, and provide improved safety profiles, judging by research presented...

Survey suggests urticarial drug reactions are underreported.(News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Urticarial drug reactions may be more common than has previously been reported, Dr. Vincent S. Beltrani said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Textbooks say that the most...

Got milk? Got acne? New research suggests link.(News)
June 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Milk intake may influence comedogenesis in adolescent acne, and hormones are likely to blame, Dr. William F. Danby said at the Atlantic Dermatological Conference. It's not just the raging hormones of puberty that are suspect,...

Community-acquired MRSA Rose in Philly kids.(News)(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The fraction of pediatric, community-acquired, soft tissue infections by Staphylococcus aureus that were caused by methicillin-resistant strains soared during 2002 and 2003 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. By 2003,...

FDA revises zafirlukast labeling.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Reports of life-threatening hepatic failure in people taking zafirlukast for asthma have been reported in patients on the asthma drug and the label has been revised to reflect these reports, according to a Food and Drug Administration Medwatch...

Watchdog: regulate supplements like drugs.(News)
June 1, 2004... The lack of federal regulation requiring safety and efficacy testing means that millions of Americans are unwittingly spending billions of dollars every year on dietary supplements that are at least dangerous and at worst deadly, Consumers...

Azithromycin in pregnancy appears safe for fetus.(News)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Gestational exposure to azithromycin was not associated with an increased risk above baseline for major fetal anomalies in a prospective, controlled trial of 369 pregnant women. The antibiotic had a safety profile comparable...

Ceftriaxone now preferred for gonorrhea in MSM.(News)(sex with men)
June 1, 2004... Fluoroquinolones should no longer be used to treat Neisseria gonorrhea in men who have sex with men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new recommendation comes after preliminary data showed that drug...

FDA adds new over-the-counter labeling rules.(News)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oral over the counter drugs containing specific levels of calcium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium must now include the amount of these ingredients in the labeling, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The new FDA rules require...

Early valacyclovir may suppress genital herpes.(News)
June 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- Early valacyclovir suppressive therapy, given within 60-120 days of initial infection, effectively reduces genital herpes recurrences and improves patients' psychological adjustment, according to results of a pilot study. ...

A successful career is not just skin deep.(Under My Skin)
June 1, 2004... I started practicing dermatology 25 years ago next month. The usual cliches apply: Yes, it seems like just yesterday, only it wasn't; and no, I don't know where the time went, but it did. Since my start, I've walked into an exam room and...

Anti-TNF outshines other psoriatic arthritis Tx.(Guest Editorial)
June 1, 2004... It's time to start considering tumor necrosis factor inhibiting agents as early therapy, if not first line therapy, for psoriatic arthritis. The inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) with biologic therapies is exceptionally attractive...

Too much technology?(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... We depend on technology, and our patients and their families expect the best care through the use of technology. If a physician chooses a more conservative route, he or she may convey an aura of obsolescence, inadequacy, or even inferiority....

A plan for better access.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... With the passage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, this country has a certain amount of momentum going toward getting all Americans better access to health benefits. In that spirit, I would like to make three concrete proposals to help...

Coping with economic credentialing.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... In communities all over the country, hospitals and hospital systems have taken strong defensive (or, from the physicians' perspective, offensive) actions to counter the conflicts of interest and economic threats posed by the physician owners of...

Bush's bioethics council lacks balance.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
June 1, 2004... Soon after taking office, President George W. Bush appointed the Council on Bioethics to help guide him and the nation through the rocky moral terrain that new biomedical technologies require Americans to navigate. Sadly, in recent months,...

Sun protection controversy.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... I read with much interest the article "Be Prepared for Patients' Sun Protection Questions," but I believe the answer to the question about UVA protection is incorrect (March 2004, p. 27). Dr. Vincent A. DeLeo's statement that all sunscreens...

Is it useful to label a patient with fibromyalgia?(Pro & Con)
June 1, 2004... YES Like Dr. Wolfe, I was part of the team that helped define fibromyalgia with the creation of the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. But unlike Dr. Wolfe, I believe that the label that these criteria define is...

FDA won't pull leflunomide from the market.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration denied a health advocacy group's request to remove the rheumatoid arthritis drug leflunomide from the market, rejecting the argument that the risks associated with the drug outweigh its benefits. After a...

Efalizumab maintained PASI results at 24 months.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Psoriasis Area and Severity Index)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The efficacy and safety of efalizumab does not appear to deteriorate during the long-term treatment of patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, said Dr. Mice B. Gottlieb at the annual meeting of the Society...

Model: etanercept cost effective if MTX fails.(Dermatologic Therapy)(methotrexate)
June 1, 2004... PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Etanercept appears to be a cost effective treatment for patients with chronic, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who have failed therapy with methotrexate, according to computer model data presented by Dr. Padma G....

Keep aggressive options on psoriasis Tx menu.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The social stigma and low quality of life faced by many patients with psoriasis should prompt more physicians to consider trying aggressive therapies, Dr. Norman Levine said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of...

Immunomodulators can help battle CTCL.(Dermatologic Therapy)(cutaneous T-cell lymphoma)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Normalizing the immune system with biologic response modifiers is perhaps the best hope for increasing disease-free intervals and improving quality of life for patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Evidence supports the...

Biologics show promise in severe dermatologic disorders.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Imiquimod and rituximab showed promise in the treatment of challenging dermatologic conditions in three recent studies, Dr. Daniel C. Sauder said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis. In an open-label...

Cyclosporin A is eventually as cost effective as UV Tx in atopic dermatitis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... Although UV therapy for severe atopic dermatitis may be cheaper up front, cyclosporin A appears to be just as cost effective in the long run. "In terms of direct health care costs, cyclosporin A is more costly than UVAB [combined UVA/UVB]...

St. John's wort.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
June 1, 2004... Before the advent of modern medicine, most medical treatments were herbal. Many of the compounds discussed in this column appear as a result of their "rediscovery" by contemporary medicine. Aloe is probably the most popular example. St. John's...

Herbal remedy Butterbur may help in allergic asthma.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Butterbur, an herbal remedy, seems to have anti-inflammatory activity in patients with atopic asthma, according to a poster presented by Fiona M. Robb at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and...

Provigil, Ketek.(New & Approved)
June 1, 2004... Provigil (modafinil, Cephalon) A "wakefulness-promoting agent" approved to improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA/HS) and shift work sleep disorder (SWSD)....

Rituximab, B-cell depletion eyed as SLE therapy.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- New data on rituximab are sparking enthusiasm that the anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody could provide safe and efficacious treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, Dr. David Wofsy said at a symposium sponsored by the American...

Biologics aren't all that's new in psoriasis Tx: a foam vehicle for betamethasone valerate and clobetasol propionate may enhance bioavailability.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Several promising new drugs for psoriasis patients are in development or en route to the United States, adding to the existing arsenal of nonbiologic treatment options, Dr. Charles Camisa said at a symposium sponsored by...

Tazarotene appears effective for basal cell carcinomas.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... A topical retinoid approved for psoriasis and acne also appears to be an effective treatment for basal cell carcinoma, inducing regression in about 77% of lesions and complete healing in 47% of lesions treated for 24 weeks, with no recurrence...

Steroid, nonsteroid combos work well for dermatoses.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Topical steroids remain the most widely prescribed treatment for inflammatory dermatoses, in part because they can easily be combined with nonsteroid treatments for added efficacy, Dr. Craig Elmets said at a symposium...

Enjoy the outdoors? Watch for fungal infections.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Warmer weather means more time outdoors for many people, but outside activities especially working in the garden--put some people at risk for fungal infections. Experts offered the following tips on diagnosis and treatment at...

Leishmaniasis is endemic in some military hot spots.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Clinicians should consider cutaneous leishmaniasis in the differential diagnosis of skin lesions in military personnel who were deployed to areas where the infection is endemic, say the authors of an update in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly...

Eye trauma may lead to fungal infection.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Any kind of damage to the ocular surface, such as that from contact lenses or dry eye disorders, makes the eyes vulnerable to fungal infection, Dr. Richard W. Yee said at a meeting on fungal infections sponsored by Imedex. ...

Wet work linked to high rate of eczema.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Exposure to wet work in early adulthood may be one reason for an increased incidence of hand eczema among young women, while childhood eczema, asthma, and hay fever appear to increase the incidence of the disorder in both men and women,...

Resolved peanut allergy may make a reappearance.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Children whose peanut allergy has resolved appear to have just a 4% risk of recurrence, and children who eat peanut products infrequently or in limited amounts may be at special risk, Dr. David M. Fleischer reported in a poster...

Curth's criteria for cancer-related dermatoses.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- The true relationship between unusual dermatoses and underlying malignancy can be assessed by using a specific set of criteria, said Dr. Jeffrey Callen at a dermatologic update sponsored by Tulane University. Curth's criteria,...

Severe streptococcal soft tissue infections sneak up on patients.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Excruciating, unremitting pain and systemic toxicity out of proportion to local findings on a swollen extremity may signal streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis, Dr. Alan L. Bisno said at a meeting on infectious diseases sponsored by...

Genetic test may shed light on melanoma development.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- Advances in the molecular genetic analysis of melanoma and melanocytic nevi have led to the possibility that dermatopathologists could help distinguish melanocytic nevi from nevi based on their chromosomal complement, Dr....

Contact allergy may be linked to intraoral SCC.(Clinical Rounds)(squamous cell carcinoma)
June 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Does contact allergy cause some oral lichen planus to evolve into squamous cell carcinoma? Maybe so, Dr. James Yiannias said at a meeting sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. Current thinking about a...

Anal cancer rates are on the rise in HIV-positive patients.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- People with HIV are three times more likely than the general population to develop anorectal cancer, and rates of anal cancer have increased dramatically among HIV-infected patients since the advent of potent anti-HIV drugs,...

Onycholysis Dx demands good medical detective: always consider the possibility of an underlying neoplasm with nonresolving cases in one finger or toe.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- The pathogenesis of chronic onycholysis is unclear, and often a careful history and an astute clinician are needed to ferret out the etiology, Dr. C. Ralph Daniel said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis....

Vaccinia transmission risks are low with proper hygiene.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... People vaccinated against smallpox have a very, very low risk of accidentally inoculating others, if they follow proper vaccination-site care and handwashing technique, reported Dr. Thomas Talbot and his colleagues at Vanderbilt University...

Tertiary contact vaccinia is possible in breast-fed babies.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... Breast-fed infants living in close contact with smallpox vaccinees are at risk for contact vaccinia, even if the vaccinee is not the breast-feeding mother, according to a case report. Physicians at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma,...

Let the sun shine on lymphoma?(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Higher levels of sun exposure were associated with protection against non Hodgkin's lymphoma, Bruce K. Armstrong, D.Phil., reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. The incidence of...

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma guidelines refined.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... HOLLYWOOD, FLA. -- New diagnostic recommendations and advice on when to use new agents and radiation therapy comprised most of the updates to treatment guidelines for non Hodgkin's lymphoma that were presented at a conference of the National...

Give all anaphylaxis patients consistent care.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Less than one-quarter of patients with anaphylaxis at a tertiary care hospital received the standard of care, Dr. Yuhung J. Tsai said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Over a...

Don't discard dust mite mattress covers yet.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Recent well-publicized studies have suggested that dust mite mattress covers are not effective for improving allergy and asthma. But before physicians tell their patients to throw away their mattress covers, they may want...

Off the couch! Pet allergens are ubiquitous in U.S. homes.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Virtually all U.S. homes contain detectable levels of dog and cat allergen, a survey representative of the nation's 96 million permanently occupied, noninstitutional housing units has revealed. Dog and cat allergen are...

New oral HIV rapid test expected by summer: all four tests detect antibodies, not the virus, so false negatives are possible in recent exposures.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI -- A new rapid test that detects HIV antibodies in oral fluid will for the first time eliminate the requirement that a blood sample be obtained for HIV screening. The OraQuick rapid HIV-1 antibody test for use with oral fluid, which...

Rapid HIV testing offers help in three clinical settings.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI -- The more immediate results that rapid HIV tests offer are particularly advantageous in three clinical scenarios, Lyn Stevens said at a conference sponsored by the American Foundation for AIDS Research. She cited these three...

Skin lesion clues lead to vasculitis diagnosis.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- The most straightforward way to differentially diagnose skin lesions is to analyze their morphology and distribution pattern. Biopsies provide additional information, but they must be timed properly for accurate interpretation of...

AntiVirus for handhelds, PDA cameras.(Digital Assistance)
June 1, 2004... Featured App: AntiVirus for Handhelds Recent news items or bulletins from system administrators have made us all too familiar with the increasing phenomena of computer viruses and Trojan horse programs. These small fragments of malicious...

Erectile dysfunction.(Drug Update)
June 1, 2004... Last year, sildenafil's 5-year reign as the unchallenged king of erectile dysfunction treatment came to an end when both vardenafil and tadalafil came onto the U.S. market. Before sildenafil's approval in 1998, drug treatment of erectile...

Suspicious newborn dermatoses? Think syphilis.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- If a newborn presents with desquamation, vesicobullous lesions, and / or condylomata lata, think congenital syphilis until proved otherwise, Dr. Patricia Treadwell said at a meeting sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics...

By age 4, 37% of kids lost sensitization to aeroallergens.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- More than a third of children who were sensitive to at least one aeroallergen at age 2 years lost that sensitization by age 4 years, Dr. Michael R. Simon reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy,...

Take tips to put pediatric derm patients at ease.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Lesson one for managing pediatric patients in an "adult" dermatology office: Put on your kid gloves. Eye contact, a gentle voice, and a reassuring smile can go a long way toward alleviating fear in both children and their parents,...

Partner with patients on ambiguous symptoms.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Acknowledging to concerned patients that you don't know the cause of their ambiguous symptoms does not doom the physician-patient interaction. In fact, a willingness to do so emerged as one of nine exemplary "relational"...

Comorbid pain, depression don't discriminate.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Depression and comorbid, activity-limiting pain are present in the elderly, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, said Jana Mossey, Ph.D., at the annual meeting (if the American Academy of Pain Medicine. Seeking to...

Unexpected sentinel nodes complicate melanoma.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... Patients with head and neck melanoma may have sentinel nodes in unexpected areas and may develop metastases in any sentinel node, reported Dr. Johannes H.W. de Wilt at the Sydney (Australia) Melanoma Unit and his colleagues. In the largest...

Facial areas prone to incomplete BCC excision.(Dermatologic Surgery)(basal cell carcinomas)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The risk for incomplete excision of basal cell carcinomas is determined almost solely by their location, with lesions on the eyelids being the most challenging, reported Dr. Alex Bogdanov-Berezovsky and his associates at Soroka University...

Temper expectations before using hyaluronic acid.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... MIAMI BEACH -- Physicians use different techniques to inject hyaluronic acid into lips and the perioral area, and several shared some common practical advice to optimize results at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of Dermatology and...

Use 'enhancements' to boost patient satisfaction with fillers.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Sometimes less is more, at least when it comes to fillers. You can always add more later and tell patients that you tried to use the least amount necessary to achieve the desired result, Dr. Naomi Lawrence said at a...

Fat transfer not transparent: processing methods debated.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- Centrifuge or sedimentation? The debate continues over the best way to prepare fat for a fat transfer procedure to augment tissue, and differing viewpoints were put forth at a recent symposium sponsored by the American...

Platelet gel a plus for fat transfer retention.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... INCLINE VILLAGE, NEV. -- A major drawback of cosmetic fat transfer is the swelling and pain it creates. But adding a little platelet gel, with its wound-healing properties, can significantly improve recovery, Dr. Marc M. Kerner said at a...

Put a new face on patients with micropigmentation.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- In the 1980s, many cosmetic physicians started doing makeup tattooing. It was a short-lived trend. Now may be the time to revive it, however, Dr. Stephen Bosniak said at a symposium sponsored by the American Society of...

Skeptics question benefits of platelet gel for some procedures.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... INCLINE VILLAGE, NEV. -- Is platelet gel with its wound-healing properties useful in clinical practice? That depends on whom you ask. Autologous platelet gel is extremely easy to use, and when it is used following a surgical procedure,...

Try combined approaches to boost patients' confidence.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... AMELIA ISLAND, FLA. -- Patients seeking cosmetic improvement usually desire a subtle change in appearance rather than a drastic Hollywood-style makeover, Dr. Naomi Lawrence said at a symposium sponsored by the Dermatology Foundation. ...

Digital scanning, protein analysis used to quantify nonablative treatment effect.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... DALLAS -- While clinicians are aware of high patient satisfaction for nonablative treatments for wrinkles, objective data of such improvements are rare, said Dr. David J. Goldberg. With that in mind, he and his colleagues sought to...

More data needed to flesh out fillers' performance.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... SNOWMASS, COLO. -- With so many fillers available for cosmetic procedures, it might seem difficult to keep track of them all and remember their advantages and disadvantages. But the truth is that for most of them, there isn't much to...

Straight talk prepares patients for RF therapy.(Dermatologic Surgery)(radiofrequency)
June 1, 2004... DALLAS -- Facial rejuvenation with the ThermaCool TC radiofrequency energy device can produce quick and dramatic results in some patients, but full disclosure to those considering treatment is essential, Dr. Alton Jay Burns said at the annual...

Some cosmetic techniques produce big hits.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Consider Botox and dermabrasion as consistent "home runs" for the cosmetic part of your dermatology practice, Dr. Henry H. Roenigk Jr. said at a meeting sponsored by the Skin Disease Education Foundation. He used...

Hand reconstruction scores success in scleroderma.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Scleroderma patients heal remarkably well and achieve meaningful improvement in their ability to function after surgical reconstruction of the hand, suggesting that the intervention should be considered an important component...

HIV alone is no impediment to good surgical outcomes.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- HIV status by itself should not be a reason to avoid operating on a patient, Dr. Michael A. Horberg said at the 11th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections. The largest study so far to compare surgical...

Extreme expectations.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Consumers need to have more realistic expectations about the risks and benefits of cosmetic surgery, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery said. The group warned that shows such as "Extreme Makeover" have given consumers a false...

New AAD leaders.(Policy & Practice)(American Academy of Dermatology)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Members of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology Association have elected new leaders for 2005. Dr. Stephen P. Stone, a professor of clinical medicine at Southern Illinois University, Springfield, was...

Indoor tanning restrictions.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration should ban the sale and use of tanning equipment for nonmedical purposes, the American Academy of Dermatology Association said. AADA supports the following requirements for indoor tanning facilities: prohibiting...

Cheap fares, more melanoma?(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Lower airfares, which allow more people to visit warm climates, are linked to increases in melanoma incidence, according to a poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Investigative Dermatology. Stanford (Calif.) University...