Isotretinoin exposure and risk of adverse male sexual health outcomes in acne patients
A study published in the International Journal of Dermatology evaluated whether isotretinoin exposure is associated with sexual dysfunction in male patients with acne. In this cohort study that assessed data from 13,600 patients with acne treated with isotretinoin versus a matched group comprising 13,600 patients with acne treated with tetracycline-class antibiotics, there were no significant differences in the risk of sexual health outcomes, including erectile dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, decreased libido, or PDE5 inhibitor use between the two groups.
Similar results were observed when comparing patients treated with isotretinoin with those with acne treated without systemic medications. The authors conclude that isotretinoin exposure does not appear to affect male sexual health in patients with acne.
Can oral nutraceuticals reduce isotretinoin side effects? Read more.
DermWorld Insights and Inquiries: Sparking the interest in Spark nevus
The late A. Bernard Ackerman has described and named a variety of dermatologic entities, expanding the lexicon of dermatology over his career. He has been known to come up with catchy and playful names for dermatologic entities such as jentigo and compendigo, a melanocytic nevus that has combined histopathologic features of simple lentigo and junctional or compound melanocytic nevus. He has been credited also for introducing the term Spark nevus for a melanocytic nevus with combined histopathologic features of Spitz nevus and Clark/dysplastic nevus. In 2009, the term was formally introduced in the literature by Ko and colleagues in a case series of 27 examples of the nevi. Rare case reports and case series have been published subsequently. In 2021, a case series of 12 lesions was published and, more recently in 2023, Massone and coworkers published a series of 20 cases with an emphasis on the dermatoscopic findings.Keep reading!
Metronidazole for patients with oral lichen planus?
A study published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology investigated the efficacy of metronidazole in treating patients with oral lichen planus. This retrospective cohort study included 30 patients with oral lichen planus with concomitant use of topical treatments. Overall, at least partial response was noted in 60% of the patients treated with 500 mg twice daily with complete response noted in 33% of the patients. The authors conclude that oral metronidazole may be a relatively well-tolerated treatment option for patients with oral lichen planus who have failed treatment with first-line topical corticosteroids.
Expertise, degree of oversight at U.S. medical spas
According to a study in Dermatologic Surgery, among medical spas owned by physicians, 80% are non-core aesthetic specialties. In this study from Chicago, secret shoppers reviewed 127 medical spas based on a standardized telephone interview. The most common procedures provided were facials and laser hair removal (85%), neuromodulator injections (83.5%), and dermal filler injections (82.7%). Aestheticians and registered nurses performed the consultations and cosmetic procedures at most locations. A total of 16.5% of the spas confirmed that a supervising MD/DO was always on-site, and 65% of the spas reported informing clients that the physician was not on-site. According to the authors, individuals considering cosmetic procedures should be aware of the inconsistent levels of training, experience, and supervision at medical spas and that improved regulation and guidelines are needed for client safety.
The Academy has defeated many scope of practice expansion bills in 2023 with more to follow in 2024. Read more in DermWorld.
Impact of automatic release of dermatology test results on patient emotions, trust
Authors of a JAAD research letter aimed to determine the impact of automatically releasing test results on dermatology patient message volume and content. Overall, 505 messages were analyzed. On average, there were 9.2 and 10.2 messages-per-dermatologist in pre- and post-mandate periods, respectively, with a 10.8% increase between periods.
Fewer messages expressed anger (2.2% vs. 3.6%), disgust (2.2% vs. 5.2%), fear (5.4% vs. 10.1%), and sadness (4.5% vs. 7.9%), were negative (8.5% vs. 12.6%), while more expressed trust (17% vs. 12.6%), anticipation (17% vs. 13.9%), and were positive (26.9% vs. 18.0%) before versus after mandate, respectively. There were no differences in message proportion per sentiment category between time intervals, with messages stratified by test result category.
In a survey of 225 dermatology patients with benign diagnoses, only 12% correctly identified their diagnosis from dermatopathology reports and most (92.4%) were somewhat/very worried. According to the authors, automatic release of dermatology test results is associated with increased negative emotions and decreased trust.
Will a new federal regulation create an era of health care transparency or leave dermatologists and their patients in the dark?Read more in DermWorld.
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