Utility and tolerability of the long-pulsed 1064-nm neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (LP Nd:YAG) laser for treatment of symptomatic or disfiguring vascular malformations in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Vascular malformations manifest with pain, bleeding, disability, and disfigurement in a subset of children. There are scant data available on the utility and tolerability of laser surgery for symptomatic or disfiguring non-port-wine stain vascular malformations in children. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the utility and tolerability of the 1064-nm long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (LP Nd:YAG) laser for treatment of symptomatic or disfiguring vascular malformations in children. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 29 pediatric patients with non-port-wine stain vascular malformations who were treated with the LP Nd:YAG laser at our institution. We report patient characteristics, treatment parameters, outcomes, and complications. RESULTS: Blinded assessment of clinical efficacy revealed good to excellent results in 66.7% of patients treated and poor to fair results in 25%. The overall rate of complications was 27%, with minor skin breakdown and blistering being the most common. LIMITATIONS: Our conclusions are limited by small sample size, pretreatment and posttreatment photographs in only a subset of patients, and lack of long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: The LP Nd:YAG laser is a well-tolerated and effective treatment modality for a variety of non-port-wine stain vascular malformations in children.

Ossifying fibroma in Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome.

Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome represents an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by connective tissue nevi and osteopoikilosis. Cutaneous lesions may contain either predominantly elastic fibers or predominantly collagen fibers or may show both connective tissue components. The disease results from mutations in LEMD3 (MAN1), which lead to enhanced transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling and resultant changes in fibroblast function. TGF-ß alterations have been implicated in a number of fibrotic disorders, and it is therefore not surprising that a range of cutaneous and skeletal abnormalities have been associated with Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome. Herein, we report a novel association between ossifying fibroma and Buschke-Ollendorff syndrome and discuss how these conditions are likely to be mechanistically linked.

Topical antimicrobial treatment of acne vulgaris: an evidence-based review.

Topical antimicrobial treatment is indicated for mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Our literature review includes searches of Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the databases of the Cochrane Library. A detailed search strategy is included. All searches were limited to controlled trials and systematic reviews. No year limits were applied to the searches, but we focused on trials, guidelines, and reviews published since 2004, the year that the last review of topical antimicrobials was published in this journal. Several controlled trials demonstrate that benzoyl peroxide, topical antibiotics, and topical retinoids used in combination provide the greatest efficacy and safety profile for the treatment of mild to moderate acne, but there are few trials directly comparing different combinations of these topical therapies with one another. Additionally, robust studies comparing cost and efficacy of generic combinations of the above agents with proprietary fixed-dose combination therapies that may increase compliance are also lacking. Although they have not been extensively studied, alternative agents including dapsone, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and zinc are safe and efficacious when combined with traditional therapies.

Acne vulgaris: pathogenesis, treatment, and needs assessment.

Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition with substantial cutaneous and psychologic disease burden. Studies suggest that the emotional impact of acne is comparable to that experienced by patients with systemic diseases, like diabetes and epilepsy. In conjunction with the considerable personal burden experienced by patients with acne, acne vulgaris also accounts for substantial societal and health care burden. The pathogenesis and existing treatment strategies for acne are complex. This article discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of acne vulgaris. The burden of disease in the United States and future directions in the management of acne are also addressed.

Infectious skin diseases: a review and needs assessment.

Infectious skin diseases pose considerable treatment challenges, especially given the recent appearance of several highly virulent pathogens as well as the rising number of immunocompromised patients in the United States. This article discusses common bacterial, fungal, and viral skin infections with an emphasis on cellulitis, dermatophyte infections, and herpes simplex viral infections. Disease pathogenesis, treatment, and cost of treatment are addressed with an emphasis on therapeutic needs and future research directions. Common priorities for all infectious skin disease categories include increased disease surveillance, study of existing treatments, and efforts in drug development.

Online videos to promote sun safety: results of a contest.

Seventy-percent of Americans search health information online, half of whom access medical content on social media websites. In spite of this broad usage, the medical community underutilizes social media to distribute preventive health information. This project aimed to highlight the promise of social media for delivering skin cancer prevention messaging by hosting and quantifying the impact of an online video contest. In 2010 and 2011, we solicited video submissions and searched existing YouTube videos. Three finalists were selected and ranked. Winners were announced at national dermatology meetings and publicized via a contest website. Afterwards, YouTube view counts were monitored. No increase in video viewing frequency was observed following the 2010 or 2011 contest. This contest successfully identified exemplary online sun safety videos; however, increased viewership remains to be seen. Social media offers a promising outlet for preventive health messaging. Future efforts must explore strategies for enhancing viewership of online content.