Journal of Drugs in Dermatology articles from April 2003

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology archives from April 2003

A letter from the editor.(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... Each year, I find that the practice of Dermatology becomes a more gratifying and rewarding specialty. The respect and admiration that Dermatology is now garnering is at its highest level since its inception. Simultaneously, the specialty has...

Errata.(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2003... ERRATA ONE OF THE WINNING CASE REPORTS PUBLISHED IN THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL (PLANTAR WART TREATMENT WITH COMBINATION IMIQUIMOD AND SALICYLIC ACID PADS) INCORRECTLY OMMITTED TWO SENTENCES. THE COMPLETE CASE REPORT IS...

Antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of endocarditis in dermatologic surgery: sources of controversy and directions for future research.
April 1, 2003... Abstract Whether and when to use prophylaxis for the prevention of endocarditis has been a subject of debate among dermatologic surgeons for over 20 years. The available literature and current recommendations are reviewed. Areas of...

Atopic dermatitis: a new treatment paradigm using pimecrolimus.
April 1, 2003... Abstract Atopic dermatitis (AD), often called eczema, is a disease characterized by intense pruritus, erythema, dry skin, and inflammation. Pimecrolimus is a novel steroid-free treatment for An. Consistently positive results have been...

Contact irritant dermatitis and anti-pruritic agents: the need to address the itch.
April 1, 2003... Abstract Contact irritant dermatitis can be defined by four interrelated elements: skin barrier disruption, epidermal skin changes, cytokine release, and nerve ending changes. The predominant symptom of eczema relates to the fourth...

A promising new treatment for solar lentigines.
April 1, 2003... Abstract The purpose of this open-label study was to determine the adverse event rate of topical 4HA/tretinoin when used twice daily for up to 24 weeks with concomitant sunscreen in the treatment of solar lentigines and related...

Bexarotene gel: a new skin-directed treatment option for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas.
April 1, 2003... Abstract Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are a relatively uncommon group of lymphoproliferative disorders in which a malignant population of T cells is localized to the skin at presentation. Of the 4 classic CTCL phases (patches,...

Intralesional use of 5-FU in subcutaneous fibrosis.
April 1, 2003... Introduction 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolic cytostatic drug that inhibits DNA formation. It is potentially toxic for the dysplasic epithelium, and it has therefore been used successfully as an antineoplastic for the treatment of...

Sunscreens.(Focus On)(history and efficacy of sunscreens)
April 1, 2003... Prior to the 1920's, skin color was an important indicator of one's social status in European and eastern Asian countries. Dark skin resulting from exposure to the elements was generally associated with outdoor manual labor, thus evoking a...

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention: a report. (Skin Cancer Foundation Update(.
April 1, 2003... In 1997, at the request of the United States Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) invited organizations concerned about skin cancer to a meeting in Washington, DC, to form a coalition and the National Council on Skin...

Worsening injection site reactions with continued use of etanercept.(Case Report Contest)
April 1, 2003... Abstract We report the case of a patient with persistent and worsening injection site reactions associated with subcutaneous etanercept therapy. Injection site reactions are well documented to occur early in therapy; however they typically...

Diffuse ulcerations due to disseminated histoplasmosis in a patient with HIV.(Case Reports)
April 1, 2003... Disseminated histoplasmosis is a serious disease that affects the skin, lungs, and internal organs. It is one of the diseases that characterize acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and in endemic areas is one of the more commonly observed...

Acute pustular psoriases complicated by leukocytoclastic vasculitis.(Case Reports)
April 1, 2003... Acute pustular psoriasis is characterized by fiery-red erythema followed by formation of pustules. Precipitating factors include drugs, infections, pregnancy, solar irradiation, and psychological stress. We present a case of a woman who...

Hypertrophic herpes simplex virus in HIV patients.(Case Reports)
April 1, 2003... Introduction Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the most frequent sexually transmitted disease (STD) among persons seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (1). The typical presentations of cutaneous HSV are well known and rarely...

A case of co-incident phenylketonuria, pemphigus foliaceus, and tinea amiantacea treated with tetracycline and nicotinamide.(Case Reports)
April 1, 2003... I report a patient with phenylketonuria who presented with pemphigus foliaceus or tinea amiantacea. The rash resolved with treatment with tetracycline and niacinamide. This article outlines the uses and mechanisms of this therapy with...

Pipeline previews.
April 1, 2003... Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) 76-329 Approval date: 11/6/02 Name: Amcinonide Lotion USP, .1% Type: Generic approval for Cyclocort Applicant: Altana, Inc. OTC/RX status: RX Indication of Use: Synthetic...

Patients with psoriasis prefer solution and foam vehicles.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The aim of this study was to determine psoriasis patients' preferences for a topical therapy. Focus group sessions were conducted to determine patient perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of different topical therapies currently...

A new microsphere-based formulation of .5% fluorouracil topical cream (Carac) shows effectiveness in treatment of actinic keratoses while only producing mild to moderate facial irritation.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... In this randomized, double-blinded, vehicle controlled, multicenter study, a new microsphere-based formulation of .5% fluorouracil topical cream (Carac) was compared to vehicle control in order to assess its efficacy of safety in the treatment...

Clearance of erythrokeratodermia variabilis with acitretin in a child.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Acitretin has been documented as an effective treatment for erythrokeratodermia variabilis (EKV) in adults; however, its use in children has not been previously documented. This case report discusses the use of acitretin in a 9-year old girl...

Fixed drug eruption to nimesulide, a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with cross-reactivity to sulfonamides.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Nimesulide is a new nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that has been widely used in Europe and recently introduced in India. This case report discusses the occurrence of a fixed drug eruption in a child following intake of Nimesulide....

Lithium gluconate ointment as a safe and effective therapy for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-control study studies the effects of 8% lithium gluconate ointment in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. Sixty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive the active drug, while 63...

Psoriasis unresponsive to topical corticosteroids improvised with high concentration tacalcitol ointment.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... In this prospective, multicenter, open-label non-controlled study, the use of high concentration (20[micro]g/g) tacalcitol ointment was tested in psoriasis that had previously been unresponsive to topical corticosteroids. Tacalcitol is one of...

Tea tree oil reduces histamine-induced skin inflammation.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... This study tests topical tree oil (TTO) on histamine-induced weal and flare. Twenty seven patients participated in this non-blinded trial. All patients were injected intradermally in the inner forearm skin of both arms with 50 [micro]L of...

Fungal cultures and direct microscopy early in the course of oral antifungal agents may predict success of onychomycosis treatment.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In this study, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis is performed to determine the prognostic factors which may be associated with non-response of onychomycosis to conventional oral antifungal agents. The information obtained...

Clinical clearance of basal cell carcinoma with topical cidofovir.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In this case report, four patients are described with basal cell carcinomas (BCC) treated with 1% topical cidofovir. Cidofovir is a purine nucleotide analog, effective against a wide number of DNA viruses. However, this drug may also have...

Treatment of hyperhidrosis with botulinum toxin type-A improves quality of life.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The objective of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients with hyperhidrosis before and after treatment with botulinum toxin type-A (BTX-A). Three-hundred and twenty adult patients with persistent, bilateral primary...

Occlusion with imiquimod 5% cream does not improve efficiency in the treatment of superficial and nondular basal cell carcinomas.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... Two separate studies were conducted to examine the effect of imiquimod 5% cream with occlusion for the treatment of basal cell cancers (BCC). Patients diagnosed with BCCs were enrolled into either the superficial or nodular study, depending on...

Intralesional recombinant interferon beta-1a effective in the treatment of basal cell carcinomas.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In this open-label, multicenter study involving 139 patients, recombinant interferon beta-1a (rIFN-B-1a) was evaluated in for response and relapse in the treatment of basal cell carcinomas. Eligible participants either had refused surgery or...

Imiquimod successful in treating basal cell carcinomas in the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... This case report describes the successful treatment of basal cell carcinomas in three patients with the nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) with topical 5% imiquimod. NBCCS is an inherited autosomal dominant disease with variable...

Study indicates physicians should be cautious in assessing advertisement claims.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The pharmaceutical industry incorporates bibliographical references to clinical trials that endorse their products in their advertisements to cater to the growing evidenced-based medicine movement in physician's prescribing behaviors. This...

585-nm pulsed-dye laser is effective and safe in treating surgical scars.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... The optimal time frame to improve the quality and cosmetic appearance of scars by laser therapy has not been well established. The objective of this investigation was to determine the efficacy of the 585-nm pulsed-dye laser (PDL) in the...

585-nm pulsed-dye laser provides clinical and histologic improvement in hypertrophic scars with or without using corticosteroids.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... Pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment and intralesional corticosteroids have both been reported to be effective in reducing hypertrophic scar bulk and symptoms. This investigator compared the efficacy of combination PDL and intralesional...

Exergenous estrogen may not promote wound healing.(Washington Whispers)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... It has been suggested by recent studies that exogenous estrogen may promote wound healing. Many patients undergoing laser skin resurfacing (LSR) use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Theses investigators...

Blinded study results comparing botulinum toxin subtypes A and B.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... Types A and B of the obligate bacterium Clostridium botulinum are commercially available and used for the treatment of dynamic facial rhytides. In all, C. botulinum produces exotoxins (A, B, C-1, C-2, D, E, E and G) that are serologically and...

810-nm diode laser demonstrates effectiveness in hair removal.(Washington Whispers)(Author Abstract)
April 1, 2003... This investigation evaluated the clinical and histologic efficacy of a new 810-nm diode laser in the treatment of unwanted hair in individuals with Fitzpatrick skin types II-IV. Twenty-four female subjects with skin types II-IV and light to...

Clinical trial review.
April 1, 2003... 1. TO ASSESS PREVENTION OF BONE LOSS IN WOMEN WITH LUPUS RECEIVING TREATMENT WITH GLUCOCORTICOIDS Sponsored by: Genelabs Technologies Purpose: The purpose of this clinical trial is to study the effects of GL701 (which contains DHEA, a...