Dermatology

Coming next from Medicare: the ICD-10 Obmudsman. Billing under the dreaded new International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) coding system will get a bit less onerous under a deal brokered between Medicare and the American Medical Association.

Sanjey Gupta, MD, weighs in on the Affordable Care Act and its effect on emergency care.

This 69-year-old woman requested evaluation of scaling behind her left ear, which has been present for 8 months after she started a new shampoo.

MD Magazine recently reported on a study in JAMA Dermatology pointing to an alarming increase in the worldwide incidence of malignant melanoma (MM). The study, conducted in Denmark, shows that the incidence of MM has doubled during the past 25 years, despite targeted awareness campaigns and a focus within the dermatology community on early detection and treatment.

Patients with vitiligo have a choice of many treatment options, which run the gamut from applying make-up to depigmented areas, to light treatment, all the way up to surgery to move pigmented skin cells to affected areas. Yet, many patients elect not to treat the condition at all, despite the fact that the condition can be emotionally devastating and progressive.

Researchers have shown there is a connection between personality characteristics and certain dermatological conditions, most notably in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Incorporating the information into your practice involves being at least somewhat aware of psychological factors that may contribute to these conditions.

Individuals who regularly consume orange juice or grapefruit may have a higher risk of developing melanoma, according to research recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Study results presented at the 2015 Congress of the European League Against Rheumatism show treatment with apremilast can improve common, painful manifestations of psoriatic arthritis.

Sexual function data is not adequately reported in finasteride clinical trials, a treatment for male pattern baldness, according to an investigation published in JAMA Dermatology.

Psoriasis cost between $112 billion and $135 billion in 2013.

About a quarter of patients with acne did not fill prescriptions, according to a survey published in JAMA Dermatology.

The King v. Burwell US Supreme Court decision yesterday means that people who could have lost mental health insurance coverage don't have to worry.

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies in all 50 states was greeted warmly by major healthcare associations and by Wall Street. However, the decision in King vs. Burwell also served to reignite debate over the healthcare law, and the challenges that remain 5 years after its passage.

One of the lead characters in the HBO smash hit Game of Thrones has been told by several characters: "You know nothing, Jon Snow." Unfortunately, a similar quote could be used to describe patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). At the very least, the quote could be modified to, "You know very little."

A promising study published online by Molecular Cell has found that a high level of a protein called H2A.Z.2 can activate growth-promoting genes in melanoma cells. Blocking the body's production of H2A.Z.2, either alone or in combination with medications, can not only block tumor growth, it can also kill melanoma cells.

Vitamin B12 has been shown to trigger pimple-promoting chemicals in even normal skin bacteria called Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes).

The US Supreme Court has said residents of all 50 states are entitled to subsidies, regardless of whether they bought insurance through a federally run or state-run marketplace. The case centered on whether 2010's Affordable Care Act authorized subsidies to consumers who bought health insurance on non-state-run insurance marketplaces.

The potential link between oral erectile dysfunction medications and melanoma risk has been under scrutiny following publication of study results last year in the Journal of American Medical Association suggesting sildenafil use may be associated with an increased risk of developing melanoma.

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital recently announced they have discovered that an immune system protein, Absent in Melanoma 2 (AIM2), plays a role in determining the degree of aggressiveness of colon cancer.

Topical medications for skin ailments may be able to alleviate and reverse damage caused by multiple sclerosis.

A study that used data from the Danish Melanoma Group database shows the incidence of malignant melanoma has doubled during the past 25 years, despite targeted awareness campaigns and a focus within the dermatology community on early detection and treatment.

As summer quickly approaches, the products and procedures that claim to remove excess fat are seemingly endless. One of the latest trends – body sculpting treatments – is rapidly growing in popularity.

Sunscreen jargon may be proving to be too difficult to comprehend for many consumers.

Vitamin D insufficiency can be like the slippery suspect in a network procedural: It's probably up to no good on any number of counts, but pinning the crime on it with airtight evidence can still prove elusive.

The novel drug ixekizumab has been found to clear psoriasis symptoms, according to results from a clinical trial led by researchers from the University of Manchester.

Is the prevalence of undiagnosed PsA high enough to recommend dermatologists and other clinicians who treat patients with psoriasis to also screen those patients for psoriatic arthritis?

Researchers have identified a set of rules that determine which molecules can trigger immune system vulnerability to common autoimmune disorders like lupus and psoriasis.

Aerosol foam calcipotriol/betamethasone diproprionate (Enstilar/LEO Pharma) has been shown to successfully and rapidly relieve itchiness and improve itch-related sleep loss in patients suffering from psoriasis vulgaris (plaque psoriasis).

Results from a novel phase 3 study show treatment with adalimumab (Humira/AbbVie) produces favorable outcomes in young patients with plaque psoriasis.

This 25-year-old African-American man has had this papular rash for the last 2 years following a short haircut. Initially he had pustules, itching and inflammation but currently only has itching papules that are slowly enlarging. Triamcinolone 0.1% ointment has helped the itching. Past history and remainder of physical examination is noncontributory.