Utility and Micro-Costing Framework for TERT Promoter Mutation Analysis in Melanocytic Lesions of Uncertain Malignant Potential: A Retrospective Study in Dutch Local Clinical Practice.

The 2018 WHO edition on the classification of cutaneous melanocytic tumors recognizes eight evolutionary pathways of melanoma and describes tumors of uncertain malignant potential for each. When histology and immunohistochemistry do not support a confident conclusion about its malignant potential, a window of diagnostic uncertainty is created. Mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter (TERTp) are highly specific for melanoma and can be used as an ancillary technique to acquire a higher level of confidence in the diagnosis. However, little is known about the cost-effectiveness of testing for TERTp mutations. The aims of this study were to determine how often knowledge of the TERTp mutation status contributed to the final diagnosis and to develop a micro-costing framework to calculate cost-effectiveness. A retrospective analysis of all cutaneous melanocytic lesions that were discussed in the Noord-Nederland Melanoma Panel from January 2021 to October 2022 was performed to identify the cases in which the preliminary histopathological diagnosis was uncertain regarding malignancy (ambiguous, likely benign, or likely malignant). For cases in which a TERTp mutation analysis was performed, the final diagnoses were collected, and it was determined whether this impacted the overall conclusion. A micro-costing framework was established to model the financial impact of introducing TERTp mutation analyses and subsequent clinical procedures. The study included 367 cases, of which 175 diagnoses of uncertain malignant potential were initially reported. TERTp mutation analysis was performed for 151/175 (86%). In 38% of these cases, a higher level of confidence regarding malignant potential was obtained. The implementation of TERTp mutation analyses for cutaneous melanocytic proliferations with uncertain malignant potential can narrow the window of diagnostic uncertainty. For the patient group with an initial uncertain diagnosis, the increased cost for molecular testing (86.145 €) was compensated by a reduced overall treatment cost (-122.304 €). A microsimulation model to determine the cost-effectiveness of TERTp mutation analysis projected an overall saving for the healthcare system.

What do Patients Want to See on Social Media? Evidence From a Two-Year Experiment.

INTRODUCTION: Dermatological information on social media is dominated by misleading and potentially harmful content from nonexperts. Literature suggests that, to address this issue, dermatologists should develop an online presence. However, the successful presence of dermatologists on social media has been criticized for focusing on cosmetic dermatology and not representing the broad spectrum of the specialty. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to systematically analyze which dermatological topics interest the public most, and to find out whether it is feasible for a dermatologist to become influential on social media while presenting all dermatological topics equally. METHODS: The study was performed on an educational dermatology YouTube channel. The 101 videos published in a two-year period were divided into cosmetic (51 videos) and medical dermatology (50 videos). Student's t-test was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences in views. Medical dermatology videos were then classified into three categories: Acne, facial dermatoses (excluding acne) and other dermatological diseases. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare these three categories and cosmetic dermatology. RESULTS: When comparing cosmetic and medical dermatology, no significant differences were found. When comparing the four categories, cosmetic dermatology and acne were found to generate significantly more views that other dermatological diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The public seems to be particularly interested in cosmetic dermatology and acne. This might make it challenging to become successful on social media while presenting a balanced portrayal of dermatology. However, focusing on popular topics can provide a real chance to be influential and protect vulnerable people from misinformation.

Audience retention on educational dermatological videos: an exploratory study using a dermatologist-led experimental YouTube channel.

BACKGROUND: Patients increasingly search for dermatological information on YouTube; however, the successful presence of dermatologists on this platform is limited. Audience retention is essential to ensure success, as the YouTube algorithm considers it to rank videos. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in dermatology that focuses on audience retention on YouTube. It is based on a real-life dermatologist-led channel. AIM: To determine factors that influence audience retention on a dermatologist-led YouTube channel and provide insights that can help dermatologists create engaging content that becomes successful. METHODS: This research studied 137 videos. First, multiple linear regression was performed to test whether the specific video characteristics significantly predicted audience retention. Second, moments of peak retention (spikes) were identified, and their content was analysed to determine what was particularly interesting for viewers. As the videos were educational, spikes were classified into conceptual or procedural knowledge. RESULTS: The average audience retention was 41.7%. Longer video length and increasing number of days from release had a negative and significant effect on audience retention, with the effect of video length (ß = -0.6979; P < 0.001) being strong and that of days from release being weak (ß = -0.1948; P = 0.02). Spikes were observed in 76 videos (55.5%), 68.2% of which were classified as procedural knowledge. CONCLUSION: These data indicate that audience retention increases as video length decreases, and that viewers are essentially interested in practical information. Consequently, to increase audience retention, dermatologists should design succinct videos and deliver procedural knowledge that creates value for the public.

Benefits, drawbacks, and challenges of social media use in dermatology: a systematic review.

The presence of dermatological information on social media has grown exponentially over the last two decades. Consequently, the recent literature on this topic is abundant. Many authors have highlighted that social media constitutes a unique opportunity for patient education. Additionally, numerous other benefits of these platforms have been reported. However, other authors have focused on the potential risks that these networks involve. The main concerns are patient confidentiality, legal considerations, and ethical issues. Therefore, we stand at a crossroads where the many advantages of social media use in dermatology seem to be underestimated due to the presence of potential drawbacks. At this point, we propose that a systematic review of the positive and negative aspects of using social media in dermatology is necessary. We carried out a comprehensive systematic review dating from inception to July 2021. Finally, 161 articles were included. Fifteen benefits, 11 drawbacks and 10 challenges of social media use in dermatology were identified and discussed. Suggested strategies to address the identified drawbacks were provided. Overall, while there are risks to using social media, they are outnumbered by their benefits. Therefore, dermatologists should embrace this opportunity to educate patients and aim to create rigorous and engaging content.

Differentiating pagetoid Bowen disease from Paget disease on the nipple-areola complex: Two unique, challenging cases.

Pagetoid Bowen disease is a subtype of Bowen disease that accounts for 5% of Bowen disease. It is extremely rare for Bowen disease to appear on the nipple-areola complex, with only seven cases described in the previous literature. Of those seven cases, only one was of the pagetoid subtype. We report two cases of pagetoid Bowen disease on this location, one of them being the first case of pagetoid Bowen disease affecting the nipple reported to date. On this location, it is crucial to perform a meticulous differential diagnosis to rule out Paget disease, because of its contrasting therapeutic and prognostic implications. In order to do this, clinical and histopathological aspects must be considered. From a clinical point of view, previous literature has stated that nipple involvement can be a clue that points to Paget disease. However, one of our cases shows that this is not always true. Regarding histopathological analysis, a complete excision of the tumor might be necessary to observe clear features of Bowen disease, such as full-thickness atypia of the epidermis and intercellular bridges. An immunohistochemical panel comprising carcinoembryonic antigen, gross cystic disease fluid protein, epithelial membrane antigen, p63, CK34betaE12, periodic acid-Schiff, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor can be decisive in complicated cases.