Acne scars: Low-dose oral isotretinoin monotherapy vs. combined therapy with picosecond laser
In a prospective, randomized, split-face trial published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, the authors evaluated the clinical efficacy of low-dose isotretinoin with or without picosecond lasers for the treatment of acne scars. A total of 44 patients with atrophic acne scarring received two sessions of fractional picosecond laser treatments to one side of the face. The patients were also randomized to receive either low-dose isotretinoin or no oral therapy for three months. Acne scarring scores were significantly reduced in patients treated with isotretinoin. Picosecond laser and isotretinoin combination therapy showed the most significant improvement in acne scarring and had the highest patient satisfaction scores. There were no cases of hyper- or hypopigmentation or scarring.
Dermatologist experts discuss the latest advances in laser technology and offer tips on how to navigate the research and acquisition process. Read more in DermWorld.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: No longer flailing with Flegel disease
Flegel disease, also known as hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans, remains an enigma. I was a toddler in 1958 when Heinz Flegel described hyperkeratosis lenticularis perstans (HLP) in a 50-year-old man with persistent lesions on his dorsal feet and lower extremities. In the ensuing decades, other than the clinical and histologic depictions of Flegel disease (FD), what do we genuinely understand about the disorder? As my late grandmother Dora would say, “gornisht mit gornisht” (“nothing with nothing,” in Yiddish). Can we do better? Fortunately, perhaps we can. Pathogenic variants in the SPTLC1 gene affecting sphingolipid synthesis have been identified, possibly leading to novel therapies for this perplexing disorder. Keep reading!
Academy mourns the passing of former Academy executive director Brad Claxton
Bradford (Brad) Wayne Claxton passed away peacefully on April 9, at his Carmel, Indiana home. Claxton was the first executive director of the American Academy of Dermatology, serving in the role for 25 years. Claxton was born Sept. 26, 1934, in Teaneck, New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1956 and received his master’s degree from Temple University. He achieved numerous accolades and served as president of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), and the Chicago Society of Association Executives (CSAE). Read the full obituary.
DermWorld Young Physician Focus: Workplace ethos is of paramount importance
Since the COVID pandemic, it seems to me that businesses in nearly every sector of the economy are desperate for employees.It also seems that medicine is no exception.I am a new(er) dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, having entered practice just two months before the COVID pandemic began.Since I have no comparison, I don’t know if this is related to the pandemic or not — but finding, hiring, and retaining good employees is a never-ending and difficult pursuit. I am certainly no expert in practice management. But I do know from prior experience that no one — including me! — wants to work in a miserable environment. I discuss this with every single member of my staff on the day that I interview them. Read more from DermWorld Young Physician Advisor Bridget McIlwee, DO, FAAD.
Biden Administration labels fentanyl laced with xylazine as ‘emerging threat’
Last week, the Biden Administration announced that illicit fentanyl spiked with the animal tranquilizer xylazine is an ‘emerging threat,’ a designation that will allow the federal government to marshal resources to counteract the street drug combination found in most states, according to reporting from USA Today. This is the first time the United States has declared a drug such a threat.
Xylazine was approved by the FDA for veterinary use in 1972 and has been showing up in supplies of illicit drugs used by humans in major quantities in the past several years. Known as the street drug "tranq," "tranq dope," or "zombie heroin," xylazine depresses breathing, lengthens overdoses, and causes skin ulcers and sores that last for months. The skin ulcers and infection may even require limb amputations.
On Tuesday April 11, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice announcing the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will end its enforcement discretion for physicians and other covered entities using “non-public facing remote communication technologies” on Thursday, May 11, when the public health emergency (PHE) is currently scheduled to end. There will be a 90-day transition period where physicians and other covered health care entities will have until Aug. 9, 2023, to comply with the HIPAA rules. Additional guidance from HHS will be coming soon.
During the COVID 19 pandemic, physicians were allowed to use, in good faith with the physician’s medical judgment, popular applications that allow for video chats, including Apple FaceTime, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts video, Zoom, or Skype, to provide telehealth without risk that OCR might impose a penalty for noncompliance with the HIPAA rules. Members providing telehealth visits should prepare to use HIPAA-compliant platforms in the coming months.
Advertisement
The American Academy of Dermatology is a non-profit professional organization and does not endorse companies or products. Advertising helps support our mission.
