Dermatology

Atopic dermatitis, sometimes referred to as baby eczema, affects more than three million infants in the United States every year. While there are no established preventive measures, researchers have been making strides in coming up with effective treatment strategies.

How expensive? Study results show that families with children who are allergic to staple food items pay out thousands of extra dollars each year in direct and indirect costs.

Earlier this year, a skin patch designed to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis and other severe reactions to peanuts became the first allergy treatment ever granted a Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA.

A retrospective review suggests that patients who have cervicofacial rhytidectomy (face lift) after radiotherapy are likely to have increased complication rates over patients who have not had radiotherapy.

Studies show that laser- and light-based therapies can be effective as adjunct therapy in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. Originally introduced to reduce the size of pores in acne treatment, laser- and light-based therapy is showing potential in other forms of dermatologic treatment.

New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells remains in a New York hospital in serious condition following the discovery of a severe infection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in his ankle.

Researchers reported that treatment with isotretinoin is not only associated with significant clinical improvement in patients with moderate to severe acne, but it also did not cause worsening of depression or suicidal thoughts in any of the patients in the study.

Chronic paronychia is probably a form of hand dermatitis associated with prolonged wet work, suggests a study in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology, and Leprology. It is among a series of recent studies that have determined that chronic paronchia is not an infection resulting from Candida, a genus of yeasts that is the most common cause of fungal infections. The distinction is important, because it may make a difference in how the condition is treated.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recently released new recommendations encouraging physicians to thoroughly inform patients of their options when it comes to dermatologic medications and procedures.

Safe and effective tattoo removal has a sketchy history, but a new study in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine suggests that a new technique can clear unwanted ink more rapidly than conventional methods. The technique involves a combination approach to a well-known and widely accepted technique – removal with Q-switched lasers – with a perfluorodecalin (PFD)-infused silicone patch.

Researchers have developed a new rinse-off, hypertolerant shampoo specifically designed for the hypersensitive and problematic scalp.

What can the length of a woman's fingers tell us about their susceptibility to acne vulgaris (AV)? Plenty, it turns out, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. The study suggests that a more masculine second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio may predict sebum levels and, therefore, the potential for developing AV.

Science and medicine have licked some of the nastiest afflictions the world has ever seen. But if a child has eczema, should he or she drink milk? The answer is still unknown.

When women present clinically with acne, hirsutism, and androgenetic alopecia, the likelihood is that the causative hormone is androgen. Collectively, these symptoms signal cutaneous hyperandrogenism.

A review in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology strongly reinforces the idea that diet can play a particularly large role in acne prevalence and severity, alongside other factors such as hormones, stress, sleep levels, good skin care, and geography.

Skin-picking disorder (SPD) is a serious and poorly understood condition similar to hair-pulling disorder and severe nail biting, among other body-focused repetitive behaviors, in which a patient causes harm to themselves or their appearance. SPD is much more than a cosmetic problem, as repetitively touching, rubbing, scratching, or picking at the skin can lead to severe tissue damage, disfigurement, and even significant infection in some cases.

Collaboration between dermatologists and oncologists is crucial.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.