Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Dermatology for February 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Pulsed Dye Laser Effective on Port-Wine Stains in Infants
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatment at two-, three-, and four-week intervals is effective for infants with facial port-wine stains (PWS), with minimal short-term side effects, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Dose-Response Link Between Tanning Bed Use, Skin Cancer
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Use of tanning beds, especially in high school and college, is associated with an increased risk of skin cancer, according to a study published online Feb. 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Allergy-Related Diseases Affect Majority of Children
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Eczema, asthma, and rhinitis affect more than 50 percent of children up to age 12, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in Allergy.
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UVB Preferred for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Ultraviolet B (UVB) is preferred by dermatologists for first-line treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in both healthy male and female patients, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Male Pattern Baldness Linked to Prostate Symptoms
FRIDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Early-onset of male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia [AGA]) may be a marker of male urinary symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Cancer Risk Up in Bilateral Retinoblastoma Survivors
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- For survivors of bilateral retinoblastoma (Rb), family history is associated with an increased risk of second cancers (SCs), especially melanoma, according to a study published online Feb. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Stability Predicts Treatment Success for Vitiligo
THURSDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with vitiligo, a depigmenting disorder characterized by loss of melanocytes from the epidermis, melanocyte transplantation is more likely to be successful in patients whose disease has been stable for longer periods, according to a study published online Feb. 13 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Metastatic Melanoma Responds to Vemurafenib
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- For more than 50 percent of patients with metastatic melanoma with V600 mutations in the serine-threonine protein kinase B-RAF (BRAF V600-mutant metastatic melanoma), treatment with vemurafenib is associated with clinical response, according to a phase 2 trial published in the Feb. 23 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Abortive Acupuncture Reduces Allergen-Induced Itch
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Acupuncture and cetirizine both reduce type I hypersensitivity itch better than placebo or no intervention, according to an article published online Feb. 8 in Allergy.
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Skin Cancer Frequency in Chronic Leg Ulcers >10 Percent
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) that don't heal after three months of appropriate treatment have an overall skin cancer frequency of 10.4 percent, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Archives of Dermatology.
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Dermatologist Density Linked to Melanoma Mortality Rates
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Melanoma mortality rates are significantly lower in U.S. counties with 0.001 to 2.0 dermatologists per 100,000 people, compared to those with no dermatologist, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
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Plastic Surgery Gives Younger Appearance to Aging Face
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Aesthetic facial plastic surgery results in a reduction in perceived age, with the effect more substantial for those who undergo multiple procedures, according to a study published online Feb. 20 in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
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Transplanted Leg Hair Can Soften Hairline Appearance
TUESDAY, Feb. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Transplantation of leg hair follicles can soften the appearance of the hairline in patients receiving hair transplants, according to a study published in the February issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
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Improved Availability of Sunscreen Increases Usage
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Improving college female athletes' access to sunscreen by placing it in golf bags and locker rooms increases its use, according to research published online Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Laser Treatment Could Target Sebaceous Glands
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Laser treatments targeting the sebaceous glands may potentially be used for the treatment of acne, according to a study published in the February issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
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Daily Finasteride Treatment Increases Hair Growth
FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Over a two-year period, finasteride increased hair growth in all four areas of the scalp affected by male pattern baldness and reduced hair loss in two or more of these areas, depending on patient age, according to research published online Feb. 13 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Topical Corticosteroids Impair Restoration of Skin Barrier
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Topical corticosteroids offer a more potent anti-inflammatory effect for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), but they may impair the restoration of the skin barrier and can induce skin atrophy, making topical calcineurin inhibitors more suitable for long-term treatment of the disease, according to a study published in the March issue of Allergy.
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New Staging System IDs cSCC Risk in Transplant Patients
TUESDAY, Feb. 14 (HealthDay News) -- The newly updated seventh edition American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system accurately predicts the risk of recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in high-risk heart and lung transplant recipients, according to a study published online Jan. 30 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Dermoscopy Aids Diagnosis of Inflammatory Skin Conditions
FRIDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Inflammatory skin conditions, including plaque psoriasis (PP), dermatitis, lichen planus (LP), and pityriasis rosea (PR), each exhibit a characteristic dermoscopic pattern, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Geographic Pattern of Lyme Disease Mapped in Eastern U.S.
THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Two Lyme disease risk foci have been identified in the Northeast and upper Midwest of the United States, according to a study published in the February issue of The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
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