Skin & Allergy News articles from November 2004

Skin & Allergy News archives from November 2004

Online skin salves: caveat medicus.
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Internet "cures" for superficial non-melanoma skin cancers sometimes result in excruciating and disfiguring sequelae, proving far more destructive than any modality offered by conventional dermatologists, John K. Geisse, M.D., said...

FDA: tazarotene is 'nonapprovable' for psoriasis Tx: but critics say the FDA's advisory panel was biased against the oral retinoid.
November 1, 2004... The Food and Drug Administration has declared oral tazarotene "nonapprovable" for the treatment of psoriasis, a move that drew criticism from experts and a promise from the drug's manufacturer to continue pursuing FDA approval. The news...

State battles intensify over outpatient derm surgery: safety and politics spur state regulations.
November 1, 2004... SAN DIECO -- A growing number of state legislatures and medical boards are restricting dermatologists" ability to perform outpatient dermatologic surgery, Ronald Wheeland, M.D., said--and dermatologists' political inaction could make the...

FDA warns of hematologic problems with infliximab.(News)
November 1, 2004... Centocor Inc., the manufacturer of the tumor necrosis factor antagonist infliximab, has added information to the product's label to reflect concerns about hematologic and neurologic adverse events. The labeling changes were prompted by...

Employer-based coverage down, uninsured rise.(News)
November 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The number of people in the United States without health insurance rose to 45 million in 2003, U.S. Census Bureau data show. The increase from 2002 to 2003 amounted to 1.4 million uninsured Americans, with the percentage of...

New label warns adalimumab users of Ca risk.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Data from clinical trials suggest an increased risk of lymphoma for patients taking adalimumab, prompting label changes for the biologic rheumatoid arthritis treatment. According to the new labeling, 10 lymphomas were observed in 2,468...

Try, try again to find a vaccine for melanoma: failure to achieve results leaves some researchers pessimistic about prospects for the future.(News)
November 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Three decades of attempts to develop a vaccine therapy for melanoma have yielded results best characterized as "disappointing," Georg Stingl, M.D., declared at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research....

Rapamycin may ward off skin ca after organ transplant.(News)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- A novel peptide with immunosuppressive and antineoplastic properties may hold hope for reducing skin cancers in solid organ--transplant patients, Sarah B. Weitzul, M.D., said at the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2004...

Psoriasis panel moves biologics to front of Tx line.(News)
November 1, 2004... VIENNA -- The time has come to abandon the traditional stepwise therapeutic approach to psoriasis in light of the biologic agents' well-documented advantages over older systemic therapies, according to a new international consensus statement by...

Approving generic biologics could be complex.(News)
November 1, 2004... ROCKVILLE, MD. -- With several biologics expected to come off patent over the next 5 years, the Food and Drug Administration is already struggling to figure out how to regulate in the uncharted territory of generic versions as well as me-too...

ABD sets dates, deadlines for certification exams in 2005.(News)(American Board of Dermatology )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The American Board of Dermatology has announced exam dates and registration deadlines for 2005. The certifying examination of the American Board of Dermatology (ABD) will be held at the Holiday Inn O'Hare International in Rosemont, Ill.,...

FDA okays duloxetine for diabetic neuropathy.(News)
November 1, 2004... After a 6-month priority review, the Food and Drug Administration approved duloxetine for managing pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a symptom of nerve damage that affects up to 5 million Americans with diabetes. The...

Adolescent males.(Under My Skin)
November 1, 2004... "Doctor, this is Hortense Smith. My son Monte is your patient. Please don't tell him I called." "OK, I won't." "Monte is seeing you in 2 weeks to follow up on his ache treatment. He takes the antibiotics you prescribed, Doctor, but--he...

The values debate in health care.(Guest Editorial)
November 1, 2004... Most developed countries face similar challenges in attempting to stem rising health care costs. The common threes driving utilization and costs include medical technology advancement, demanding consumers, and an aging population. The...

Why should physicians adopt EHRs?(Guest Editorial)(Electronic health records )
November 1, 2004... Information technology can make a difference in the quality of health care. It's not the whole story; it's not a panacea, but it can help us deliver better care. The evidence that electronic health records offer benefits falls in several...

Are We Ready for EHRs?(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Electronic health record systems are promoted seemingly more for the sake of acquiring and using the technology than for specific benefits that cannot be gained in some other way ("Incentives Identified to Spread Adoption of EHR," September,...

Not user friendly.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... I see two barriers to using electronic health records: * Typing. I can't type fast enough to be productive. * Platforms. There are too many of them. The variety of proprietary software products precludes ease of use for review and...

Barriers to EHRs.(Letters)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Regarding barriers to using electronic health records in medical practice ("Incentives Identified to Spread Adoption of EHR," September, 2004, p. 5), I would list these: * My practice is rather small and can't afford a $30,000, or even a...

Training future academic leaders.(Guest Editorial)
November 1, 2004... Over the last few years, the field of academic dermatology has experienced increasing difficulty in recruiting young people into its ranks. And perhaps even more importantly, we haven't been able to retain many of our talented faculty. ...

Reactions to cosmetics can escape diagnosis.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- Adverse reactions to cosmetics take a variety of forms, Patricia Engasser, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. Irritant reactions are surprisingly common, because many products...

Immunostaining may help sort out DFSP, DF.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Two recently elucidated immunohistochemical markers may improve the ability of dermatopathologists to distinguish dermatofibroma from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, Hayes B. Gladstone, M.D., said at the American Academy of...

Test for allergies by applying food to skin.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... ROME -- Food allergy testing by direct contact of fresh food under a Finn chamber is a viable alternative for young children with atopic dermatitis, Arnold Oranje, M.D., said at the 10th World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology. Results of...

Mucosal melanoma data help predict outcomes: because the disease is diagnosed so infrequently, identifying prognostic variables has been difficult.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Older age and disease location appear to contribute to the generally poor prognosis of patients who have mucosal melanoma, according to two retrospective studies reported at the Sixth International Conference on Head and Neck...

Positive sentinel nodes don't mean Spitz nevus is melanoma.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... VICTORIA, B.C. -- The experts are making too much of Spitz nevi that are found to have positive sentinel nodes, James Fitzpatrick, M.D., said at the annual conference of the Canadian Dermatology Association. With the advent of sentinel node...

Skin may warn of antiphospholipid syndrome: a new study may be the first dermatologic assessment of the scope of skin manifestations in APS.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... DOSSELDORF, GERMANY -- Antiphospholipid syndrome, the set of conditions that is marked by vascular thrombosis or recurrent miscarriages, manifests as a skin disease up to half the time, according to a French group. Early recognition of...

Scratch beneath the surface to diagnose unusual itches.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. -- Not all itches arise from skin problems, Jeffrey Bernhard, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. A few neurologic anomalies and systemic disorders can get patients scratching,...

Smoking cessation.(Drug Update)
November 1, 2004... Nicotine addiction is a chronic condition with a very high rate of relapse. Pharmacologic agents significantly increase a person's chances of quitting, particularly when used as part of a comprehensive plan that also includes counseling and...

Asthma common in children with early atopic dermatitis.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... Early atopic dermatitis was seen in nearly one-quarter of children younger than 2 years, but more than 40% of these children were in remission by their second birthday, according to an observational, population-based birth cohort in Germany....

Diet & exercise assistant, PDA GPS.(Digital Assistance)
November 1, 2004... Featured App: Diet & Exercise Assistant Extra Halloween candy, Thanksgiving turkey and gravy, Christmas treats--these are only a few of the delicacies we have to look forward to in this rapidly approaching holiday season. But New Year's...

Derms may be first to see HAART's skin side effects.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- Dermatologists are often the first line of defense against retroviral therapy's side effects on HIV patients, Ciro Martins, M.D., said at a dermatology seminar sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. Highly active...

HPV may play role in nonmelanoma skin care.(Clinical Rounds)(Papillomavirus infections)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... VIENNA -- Cutaneous human papillomavirus infection may play a role in the development of skin cancer, Ingo Nindl, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. Infection by the same HPV variants was...

Kaposi's can flare at start of HAART.(Clinical Rounds)(Highly active antiretroviral therapy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... BETHESDA, MD. -- Kaposi's sarcoma can flare sharply when HIV-positive patients initiate or change highly active antiretroviral therapy, or when they resume HAART after an interruption in treatment, David Aboulafia, M.D., said at an...

Sunscreens don't affect reproductive hormones.(Clinical Rounds)
November 1, 2004... Although the chemicals in sunscreens are systemically absorbed and excreted in urine, they don't appear to have any impact on reproductive hormone levels in adults, even when used in amounts far exceeding the recommended application, Nadeem...

Use corneosderal protection when lasers are near the eyes.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Make sure to use corneoscleral protective lenses when treating the eyelids or the area immediately adjacent to the eyes with lasers whose energy is highly absorbed by pigment, Brian Biesman, M.D., advised at the 13th International...

Blindness after injections: rare but real threat.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- The incidence of sudden blindness following injection of particulate matter into the head and neck is estimated to be 1 in 15,000, but the actual incidence in dermatology-related procedures is probably much less, Gerald Bernstein,...

Know your filler repertoire: demand on the rise: careful selection is key for finding the appropriate filler from among the plethora of available products.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Expect your patients to start asking you more questions about non-FDA-approved fillers intended for soft tissue augmentation in the perioral area and nasolabial folds, Seth L. Matarasso, M.D., said at the 13th International...

Experts elucidate the art of filler placement.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- With new fillers quickly entering the marketplace and advertising hype filling waiting rooms with patients eager to try them, dermatologists face a steep learning curve in mastering the art and science of filler placement. This...

Facelift technology advances with Aptos thread.(Dermatology Surgery)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- About 90% of patients who underwent seamless facelift with the Aptos thread experienced correction of the buccozygomatic area, results from a yearlong study suggest. "For the past 20 years, sagging of the face has been...

Three-part therapy enhances facial healing.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- An active program that combines surgical supplements, lymphobiology, and a platelet gel minimizes adverse effects and promotes healing following facial aesthetic surgery, according to a report presented at the annual meeting...

Coumadin: preop check prevents postop problems.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Patients on coumadin therapy should be carefully assessed before proceeding with dermatologic surgery, Scott Podnos, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgeons. Dr. Podnos cited the...

'Jury Still Out' on long-term merits of Thermage.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Radiofrequency-based facial rejuvenation remains a work in progress, with experts sharply divided about its long-term safety and efficacy. Patients have been clamoring for non-ablative ThermaCool (Thermage, Hayward, Calif.)...

Expert sees potential for hair removal system.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- Some dermatologists "love to bash" the Aurora hair removal system, claming that it does not work, Jerome M. Garden, M.D., said at the 13th International Symposium on Cosmetic Laser Surgery. "I've been to meetings where people...

Know hair transplant challenges in black women.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- Hair transplants in women of African descent present unique challenges, Valerie D. Callender, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the National Medical Association. For one thing, androgenetic alopecia, the primary reason for...

Photoepilation for light hair achieved with combo TX.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Combining radiofrequency and optical energy may provide a means of photoepilation for white and blond hairs, David J. Goldberg, M.D., said at the annual fall meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive...

Laser hair removal: manage patient expectations.(Dermatologic Surgery)
November 1, 2004... LAS VEGAS -- YOU can get excellent results from laser hair removal if you treat the appropriate patients and don't create epidermal damage. Most important, "Don't create expectations--manage them," Melanie C. Grossman, M.D., said at the...

Advances boost efficacy of silver dressings.(Dermatologic Therapy)
November 1, 2004... PARIS -- Silver dressings are all the rage for wound care these days, and for good reason: These bandages have several characteristics that promote healing, Robert H. Demling, M.D., said at a meeting of the World Union of Wound Healing...

Chronic wounds play host to variety of bacterial infections.(Dermatologic Therapy)
November 1, 2004... PARIS -- Chronic wounds, such as leg ulcers, are chronic for a reason--usually infection, wound expert Gary Sibbald, M.D., said at a meeting of the World Union of Wound Healing Societies. With chronic ulcers, "you really need to treat the...

Zelnorm, Cymbalta.(New & Approved)
November 1, 2004... Zelnorm (tegaserod, Novartis) A 5-H[T.sub.4] receptor partial agonist for treating chronic idiopathic constipation in women and men younger than 65. Approved in 2002 for constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in women. ...

Oatmeal.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
November 1, 2004... Like many botanical products, the common or wild oat (Avena sativa) has a long history of traditional folk use, particularly in poultices or soaks. The use of oats in skin care dates back to 2000 B.C. in Egypt and the Arabian peninsula....

Mitomycin C restricted keloid recurrence.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Surgical excision of keloids followed by topical application of mitomycin C appears to be an effective method for treating lesions with a very low rate of recurrence, Charles Stewart, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the American...

Vitiligo in children improved with combo Tx.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Combined treatment with calcipotriene and topical corticosteroids led to repigmentation of vitiligo lesions in 10 of 12 young patients, reported Lisa B. Travis, M.D., and Nanette B. Silverberg, M.D., of the department of dermatology, St....

Tacrolimus beat steroids as vitiligo Tx.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MONTEREY, CALIF. -- Tacrolimus 0.1% ointment results in substantial repigmentation, especially on the face and neck, of patients with vitiligo, Pearl E. Grimes, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the California Society of Dermatology and...

Inadequate Tx, poor options vex psoriasis patients.(Dermatologic Therapy)
November 1, 2004... TORONTO -- Psoriasis patients are largely unaware about new biologic therapies for their disease and are frustrated with the lack of efficacy of their current therapy, according to recent survey results from the National Psoriasis Foundation....

Efalizumab: no safety concerns up to 2 years.(Dermatologic Therapy)
November 1, 2004... VICTORIA, B.C. -- Pooled data from company trials of efalizumab show no safety concerns with up to 2 years of continuous use, the longest anyone has taken the drug, Charles W. Lynde, M.D., said at the annual conference of the Canadian...

Bowen's patients cleared better with metvix PDT.(Dermatologic Therapy)
November 1, 2004... BELFAST -- Photodynamic therapy using the photosensitizing agent methyl aminolevulinate was similar in efficacy to standard treatments for Bowen's disease but gave better cosmetic results, Colin A. Morton, M.D., said at the annual meeting of...

Physician groups support clinical trials registry.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The pharmaceutical industry's new Web-based database on U.S. clinical drug trial results doesn't eliminate the need for required trial registration, physician groups claim. On Oct. 1, the Pharmaceutical Researchers and...

Appointment Scheduling.(Managing Your Dermatology Practice)
November 1, 2004... The efficient scheduling of appointments is a crucial factor in the overall success of any practice, but particularly so for dermatologists, who schedule large numbers of patients for relatively brief visits. Time spent waiting for late...

Preparing for maternity and paternity leave.(The Rest of Your Life)
November 1, 2004... Justin Woodhouse, M.D., was just a few weeks into his first-year dermatology residency at the Cleveland Clinic when his second child was born. But the thought of not taking 2 weeks of paternity leave never occurred to him. "Paternity leave...

California issues tanning ban.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... California recently banned the use of artificial tanning devices by children under age 14. The law (AB 2193) will go into effect in January of 2005. The law also mandates that teens aged 14-18 years must have signed consent from a parent or...

Psoriasis drugs lead market growth.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The dermatology drug market will grow about 8% per year through 2008, according to analyses by the health care research firm Decision Resources Inc. The psoriasis market will drive most of this growth, with the atopic dermatitis market seeing...

AAD names executive director.(Policy & Practice)(American Academy of Dermatology )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The American Academy of Dermatology has appointed Ronald A. Henrichs as its new executive director. Prior to joining AAD, Mr. Henrichs served as executive director of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for 15 years....

NIH opens clinical research center.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The National Institutes of Health dedicated the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center in September. The 870,000-square-foot hospital is connected to NIH's 51-year-old Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, making the new complex the...

IT use varies among practices.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... There is wide variation in the adoption of information technology (IT) across physician practices, according to a new study from the Center for Studying Health System Change. IT adoption rates range 8%-50% among physicians in settings such as...

Premiums continue to rise.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums continued to grow at double-digit rates in 2004, slowing down slightly from previous years, but at a rate of more than five times the rate of inflation, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's...

NIH proposes 1-year ban on consulting ties.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2004... The National Institutes of Health plans to impose a 1-year moratorium on all consulting arrangements between its employees and pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. The action comes after months of congressional hearings that...

High health care costs blamed for rise in fraud: last year, fraud cost an estimated $85 billion out of the $1.7 trillion this country spent on health care.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Health care fraud continues to grow, fueled largely by rising health care expenditures, several experts said at a forum sponsored by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. "Unfortunately, health care fraud is alive and...

Beware 'Top 10' list of actions linked to fraud prosecution.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- There are 10 things doctors can do--or avoid doing--to help prevent themselves from being prosecuted by the federal government for fraud, D. McCarty Thornton said at a forum sponsored by the American Health Lawyers Association. ...

Physicians want more Medicare drug choices.(Practice Trends)
November 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- The Medicare Part D drug benefit should cover a broader selection of drugs than is currently suggested in draft model guidelines, physicians and patient advocates said at a public forum sponsored by the Centers for Medicare and...

Case of the month.
November 1, 2004... BELFAST -- Eight weeks after the exam, the patient became acutely confusional, and a CT scan showed space-occupying lesions in the right cerebral hemisphere, hydrocephalus, and a midline shift. Multiple skin biopsies showed noncaseating...

Allergic asthma resource.(FYI)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The "Allergic Asthma for Dummies" booklet provides information on recognizing and managing allergic asthma. The booklet includes a section on managing asthma at school. For more information, contact Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of...

Help older adults manage meds.(FYI)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... "As You Age" is a brochure aimed at helping older Americans manage prescription medications and avoid the dangers of mixing some medications with alcohol. For more information, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services...

Free health care newsletters.(FYI)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The Medicare Rights Center offers three weekly newsletters providing news on health care issues for the elderly and disabled: "Dear Marci," "Asclepios," and "Medicare Watch." All are free. For more information, www.medicarerights.org/...

Centers to study research implications.(FYI)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... The National Human Genome Research Institute will be awarding $20 million in grants over the next 5 years to fund Centers for Excellence in Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Research. The first four centers will be located in Cleveland;...