Continuous high-dose treatment was slightly more effective, but lower and intermittent doses were also effective against moderate acne.

Isotretinoin effectively treats acne vulgaris. The standard dose is 0.5 mg to 1.0 mg/kg/day for 16 to 32 weeks, usually aiming for a total dose of 120 mg/kg. Lower doses work, too. Investigators conducted a prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial to compare results with the traditional dose and two lower-dose regimens.

A split-face study of methyl aminolevulinate plus red light shows improvement in photodamage, but time and pain are considerations.

Several reports have suggested that aminolevulinic acid plus blue or intense pulsed light has photorejuvenating benefits beyond the treatment of actinic keratoses. In this split-face, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study funded by the manufacturer, 48 women with photodamage received two treatments, 3 weeks apart, of methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) plus red light on one half of the face and placebo plus red light on the other. The MAL was incubated for 3 hours under occlusion before an 8-minute red-light irradiation. One month after the second treatment, a blinded investigator assessed improvement of photodamage using the 5-point Dover global photodamage scale. One point was considered improvement, and improvement of more than one point was considered success. Subsequently, the subjects underwent two split-face treatments in which the treatment sides were reversed.

Long-term corticosteroid treatment, onset in infancy, and family history of AD increase risks for cataracts in children.

Ocular complications of atopic dermatitis (AD) include herpes simplex, conjunctivitis, keratoconus, retinal detachment, and subcapsular cataracts (SCs). Both posterior and anterior SCs have been described in AD patients, but the related risk factors and pathogenesis of their formation are largely unknown.

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Takes the Stage

Highlights of the new risk-stratification scheme, with a focus on tumor characteristics

Dermatologist diagnosis of leg cellulitis ensures appropriate care and allows many patients to avoid hospitalization.

Leg cellulitis is a common reason for hospitalization, but the diagnosis is often erroneous, and even among those with genuine cellulitis, many can be treated as outpatients. Investigators in a British hospital established a clinic, staffed by dermatologic nurses and physicians, to evaluate and treat patients referred from primary care and hospital physicians for presumptive severe leg cellulitis. The goals were to have dermatologists establish the proper diagnosis, treat any underlying cutaneous disorders, avoid hospitalization if possible, and prescribe appropriate antibiotics.

Patients with certain neurological and psychiatric disorders have an increased risk for developing bullous pemphigoid.

The autoantibodies associated with bullous pemphigoid (BP180 or BPAg1) often react with the intercellular part of the hemidesmosome. Patients with certain neurologic diseases have increased levels of these autoantibodies in serum. The authors of two recent studies identified a possible clinical link between bullous pemphigoid and neurologic disease.

Aspirin and NSAIDs Are Potential Chemopreventive Agents for Melanoma

Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was associated with a decreased risk.

Development of Anti-Adalimumab Antibodies Linked to Decreased Treatment Effect

About one third of adalimumab recipients developed antibodies within 28 weeks.

Studies have shown that patients who developed anti–tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antibodies during TNF inhibitor treatment were more likely to have lower levels of the drug in their bodies and to respond less well to therapy. In an industry-supported trial, investigators studied the effects of adalimumab on disease activity, serum drug levels, and anti-adalimumab antibodies in 272 patients receiving the drug for rheumatoid arthritis over a 3-year period.

Griseofulvin vs. Terbinafine for Tinea Capitis: Which Is Ahead?

Each agent has its uses in this common fungal infection in children.

Tacrolimus Ointment Might Be a Useful Adjuvant for Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus

Provided patients can use the topical application properly outside the laboratory.

Indications from individual case reports and small, open-label case series suggest the effectiveness of tacrolimus or pimecrolimus for lesions of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Investigators conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of tacrolimus ointment 0.1% in 30 patients with various forms of CLE (14, discoid LE; 11, LE tumidus; 4, subacute CLE; and 1, acute CLE) who had received no benefit from topical corticosteroids and who were or were not receiving antimalarial therapy. The scoring system resembled the system used in psoriasis studies, but with measurement of erythema, edema, hypertrophy/desquamation, and dysesthesia.