Is the oral contraceptive pill associated with frontal fibrosing alopecia?
According to a study published in JAMA Dermatology, women who use contraceptive pills (OCP) may be at a higher risk for frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA). The researchers collected data on 489 women with FFA, 75.7% of which had a history of OCP use. These women were matched with 34,254 controls, 91% of which reported previous OCP use. Results showed that the presence of the risk allele in CYP1B1 was associated with FFA risk. Women who previously used OCPs were 1.9 times more likely to experience the association, whereas women without a history of OCPs were not. “The findings suggest that OCP use may represent an environmental exposure that is associated with increased FFA risk,” the authors concluded.
Dermatologist hair experts share insights on what may play a role in frontal fibrosing alopecia and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. Read more.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Advances in therapy for the Cronkhite-Canada syndrome have increased survival — And that’s the way it is
Part of the folklore at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine when I rotated as a fourth-year medical student in dermatology was that a prior resident made the correct diagnosis of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS). The constellation of findings was seared in my cerebral cortex so I could make the diagnosis one day. In life, I have never seen it, but I was thrilled to instantly diagnose CCS after reading Case 39-2023 of the New England Journal of Medicine, titled “A 43-year-old woman with chronic diarrhea, hair loss, and nail and skin changes.” It has been 45 years since I thought about CCS. It is high time for a refresher course. Keep reading!
Academy mourns passing of James Alastair Carruthers, MD
The Academy recently learned with sorrow of the passing of James Alastair Carruthers, MD, on Aug. 19. Dr. Carruthers attended medical school at the University of Oxford in Brasenose College. His initial training was in internal medicine in Vancouver and Liverpool followed by dermatology training at St. Thomas’s Hospital and St. John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in London. In 1983, he brought Mohs surgery to Canada, which he learned during his fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. He was instrumental in setting up the Canadian Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
He was president of the Canadian Dermatology Association from 1999-2000 and the first Canadian president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) from 2006-2007.
Dr. Carruthers, along with his wife, Dr. Jean Carruthers, led the discovery of the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin A. In 1987, Jean, an ophthalmologist, used a dilute solution of botulinum toxin to manage a patient with uncontrollable blinking. After the treatment, they discovered the wrinkle-relaxing effects of the toxin.
In 2012, with his wife Jean, he received the Philip Frost and Eugene Van Scott Leadership award from the American Academy of Dermatology.
Excision margins for optimal cure rates of melanoma in situ on the head, neck
A retrospective cohort study published in JAAD assessed data from patients with melanoma in situ on the head and neck treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Overall, 62% of the tumors were cleared with a 5-mm margin. A total of 15-mm margins were required to achieve a 97% clearance rate. The factors associated with requiring a >5-mm margin for tumor clearance included tumor location on the cheek and a larger preoperative size. When MMS is not possible, excision margins of ≥10 mm are likely necessary for head and neck tumors, the authors stated.
U.S. judge strikes down ban on worker ‘noncompete’ agreements
A federal judge in Texas barred a U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule from taking effect that would ban employers from requiring their workers to sign noncompete agreements. The ban, which had been scheduled to go into effect Sept. 4, is now effectively blocked.
[FTC votes to ban noncompete agreements for most workers. Read more.]
U.S. District Judge Ada Brown in Dallas said that even if the FTC had the power to adopt the rule, the agency had not justified banning virtually all noncompete agreements.
[FTC narrowly passes final rule prohibiting non-compete clauses. Read more.]
The FTC approved the ban on noncompete agreements in a 3-2 vote in May. The commission and supporters of the rule say the agreements are an unfair restraint on competition that violate US antitrust law and suppress workers’ wages and mobility.
MIPS EUC policy for Florida clinicians
CMS announced that the MIPS automatic Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstances (EUC) policy will apply to MIPS eligible clinicians in designated affected counties in Florida. This decision was made in response to the FEMA disaster declaration due to Hurricane Debby. MIPS eligible clinicians in the specified counties will have all performance categories reweighted to 0% for the 2024 period, resulting in a neutral payment adjustment for 2026.
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