Actinic keratosis (AKs) is one of the most common diagnoses patients receive from the dermatologist, and the medical cost to treat AKs is close to 2 billion dollars annually. AKs are treated with destructive procedures, such as cryotherapy, curettage, electrocautery, and chemical peels, to prevent malignant transformation, relieve patient symptoms, and improve quality of life …
Androgen-mediated cutaneous disorders (AMCDs) in women, such as acne, hirsutism, and female pattern hair loss (FPHL) are routinely treated with hormone-modulating therapies, both off-label and with FDA-approved medications. However, a recent review emphasized that despite the common use of these treatments, there should be more rigorous study of the evidence supporting their use. The authors …
Psoriasis has many effects on quality of life that extend beyond day-to-day management of the skin condition. A recent study sought to determine whether patients with psoriasis have a higher risk of sexual dysfunction (SD) or erectile dysfunction (ED) compared with the healthy population, and to review the available scientific evidence regarding the associations between …
Venous leg ulcerations (VLU) occur with chronic venous insufficiency and lead to increased pain, impaired sleep, and reduced mobility. Typically, VLU is treated with compression (i.e. multi-layered bandages). A recent review looked at whether adding prescribed exercises would have an impact on VLU healing. The authors identified 5 randomized clinical trials where both exercise and …
Acral melanomas (AM) are often misdiagnosed or there is a delay to appropriate diagnosis, leading to a possible delay in treatment and a corresponding poorer prognosis. Dermoscopy can be helpful for early detection by differentiating AM from benign acral melanocytic nevi. While depth of invasion is the most critical prognostic factor, a recent study hypothesized …
On the 3rd day of the 16th Annual Fall Dermatology Conference, Dr. Daniel Miller from the University of Minnesota Medical Center, presented a clinically relevant lecture on Biopsy Techniques: Getting the Most Out of Your Specimens. He started his lecture by highlighting that more than 2.2 million cutaneous biopsies are performed annually and that the …