Assessing Skin Biopsy Rates for Histologic Findings Indicative of Nonpathological Cutaneous Disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent increase in skin biopsies has been attributed to an epidemic of skin cancer. This may be avoidable, with potential savings. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the increase in skin biopsies is attributable to increasing frequency of biopsies associated with histology lacking pathological cutaneous disease. Pathological cutaneous disease was defined as (1) a malignancy, precancerous lesion, or lesion of uncertain behavior; or (2) disease symptomatic or associated with adverse quality of life impact. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study, 2006 to 2013 of dermatology practice serving Florida and Ohio. Data were a consecutive sample of skin biopsies for diagnosis of dermatologic disease. RESULTS: A total of 267,706 biopsies by an average of 52 providers per month from January 06 to December 13 were analyzed. Number of biopsies per visit increased 2% per year (RR: 1.02, CI: 1.00-1.04). Likelihood of biopsy associated with histology indicative of nonpathological cutaneous disease did not increase over time (OR: 0.99, CI: 0.95-1.03, p = .6302). CONCLUSION: Rates of biopsies associated with nonpathological cutaneous disease is not increasing. Overall biopsy rates per visit have gradually increased; this seems attributable to greater rates of detection of pathological dermatologic disease.

A Systematic Review of Completeness of Reporting in Randomized Controlled Trials in Dermatologic Surgery: Adherence to CONSORT 2010 Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for comparing safety and effectiveness of surgical interventions. Reporting guidelines are available for conveying the results of such trials. OBJECTIVE: To assess adherence to standard reporting guidelines among randomized controlled trials in dermatologic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic review. Data source was randomized controlled trials in the journal Dermatologic Surgery, per PubMed search, 1995 to 2014. Studies were appraised for the number of the 37 CONSORT 2010 Checklist criteria reported in each. Analysis included comparison of reporting across 4 consecutive periods. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty-three studies were eligible. The mean number of items reported per study increased monotonically from 14.5 in 1995 to 1999 to 16.2 in 2002 to 2004, 17.7 in 2005 to 2009, and 18.0 in 2010 to 2014 (p < .0001). A limitation was that study procedures may have been performed without being reported. CONCLUSION: Completeness of reporting in randomized controlled trials in dermatologic surgery has improved significantly during the preceding 2 decades. Some elements are still reported at lower rates.

Safety of Local Intracutaneous Lidocaine Anesthesia Used by Dermatologic Surgeons for Skin Cancer Excision and Postcancer Reconstruction: Quantification of Standard Injection Volumes and Adverse Event Rates.

BACKGROUND: Intracutaneous lidocaine is used for anesthesia in dermatologic surgery for skin cancer excision and repair with exceedingly low incidence of reported adverse events. OBJECTIVE: To measure (1) the quantity of lidocaine typically used for facial skin cancer excision and reconstruction; and (2) the frequency and character of associated adverse events. METHODS: Survey study of dermatologic surgeons with longitudinal reporting. Reported practice during 10 business days: (1) mean volume of 1% lidocaine per skin cancer excision; (2) maximum per excision; (3) mean per reconstruction; and (4) maximum per reconstruction. RESULTS: A total of 437 of 1,175 subjects contacted (37.2%) responded. Mean per excision was 3.44 mL (SD: 2.97), and reconstruction 11.70 mL (10.14). Maximum per excision was 6.54 mL (4.23), and reconstruction was 15.85 mL (10.39). No cases of lidocaine toxicity were reported, diagnosed, or treated. Incidence of adverse events possibly anesthesia related was >0.15%, with most (0.13%) being mild cases of dizziness, drowsiness, or lightheadedness from epinephrine tachycardia. CONCLUSION: Toxicity associated with local anesthesia other than lidocaine was not studied. Volumes of lidocaine in skin cancer excision and repair are modest and within safe limits. Lidocaine toxicity is exceedingly rare to entirely absent. For comparable indications, lidocaine is safer than conscious sedation or general anesthesia.

Effect of Needle Size on Pain Perception in Patients Treated With Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Transcutaneous injection through smaller hollow-bore needles may decrease patient discomfort, but current evidence is equivocal. OBJECTIVE: To compare injection discomfort in patients treated with botulinum toxin type A with 30- and 32-gauge needles. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Split-face, patient- and injector-blinded randomized clinical trial at the dermatology service of an urban university medical center. The 20 participants were women aged 25 to 70 years in good health and with moderate dynamic forehead and glabellar wrinkles. Data were collected from November 20, 2013, through January 16, 2014. Follow-up was complete on January 16, 2014. Data from the per-protocol population were analyzed from July 1 to July 31, 2014. INTERVENTIONS: One side of each patient'sforehead received botulinum toxin type A in saline injected with a 32-gauge needle; the other side received the same treatment injected with a 30-gauge needle. In addition, each patient received randomized injections of saline only to both upper inner arms with the same types of needles. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Primary outcomes included the patient-reported pain rating on a visual analog scale (VAS) on either side of the face and arms and the proportion of patients whose VAS ratings corresponded with more than moderate (ie, clinically significant) pain. The secondary outcome consisted of patient-reported information about the character of the pain at both sites using the expanded and revised version of the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire. RESULTS: All 20 patients completed the study. Overall, facial and arm injections were nominally but not significantly more painful with 30-gauge needles (mean [SD] VAS ratings for the face, 4.16 [2.55] vs 3.41 [2.31], P = .34; for the arm, 1.66 [2.07] vs 1.21 [1.65], P = .45). For facial injections, the likelihood of clinically significant pain (VAS rating, ≥5.4) was significantly greater with 30-gauge needles, which were associated with such pain in 8 patients (40%) compared with the 32-gauge needles, which were associated with such pain in 3 patients (15%) (odds ratio, 3.80 [95% CI, 1.05-13.78]; P = .04). No difference was found in the character of pain associated with needle bore (P > .05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: For facial injections of neurotoxin in saline, 30-gauge needles were associated with greater incidence of clinically significant pain than 32-gauge needles. For patients prone to experience clinically significant pain with facial injections, use of 32-gauge needles may minimize this discomfort. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01981174.

Quantitative comparison of topical aluminum salt solution efficacy for management of sweating: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies objectively comparing the efficacy of topical antiperspirants in reducing sweat. OBJECTIVE: To objectively and quantitatively compare the efficacy of two aluminum salt solutions for the reduction of induced sweating. METHODS: A subject, rater, and statistician-blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Nineteen subjects were exposed to a standardized heat challenge for 3 h. Topical agent A (20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate) was randomized to either axilla, and topical agent B (1% aluminum acetate) assigned to the contralateral side. A sauna suit induced sweating during three 30-min heat intervals: (1) with no study agents (pre); (2) with both study agents, one on each side; and (3) after the agents were washed off (post). Sweat levels were measured by securing Whatman(®) filter paper to each axilla and measuring the paper weight after each heat interval. The difference in paper weight following each heat interval between Study Agent A and Study Agent B was measured by a gravimetric scale. RESULTS: Topical agent A had a significantly greater effect at reducing axillary sweating than B (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: In a sweating simulation, 20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate quantitatively and objectively appeared to reduce sweat more effectively than 1% aluminum acetate.