HIV: Inflammatory dermatoses.

Patients living with HIV may experience a variety of inflammatory dermatoses, ranging from exacerbations of underlying conditions to those triggered by HIV infection itself. This article presents a current literature review on the etiology, diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pityriasis rubra pilaris, lichen planus, seborrheic dermatitis, eosinophilic folliculitis, pruritic papular eruption and pruritus, in patients living with HIV.

The Role of Sex and Gender in Dermatology - From Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications.

BACKGROUND: Sex and gender have increasingly been recognized as significant risk factors for many diseases, including dermatological conditions. Historically, sex and gender have often been grouped together as a single risk factor in the scientific literature. However, both may have a distinct impact on disease incidence, prevalence, clinical presentation, severity, therapeutic response, and associated psychological distress. OBJECTIVES AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The mechanisms that underlie differences in skin diseases between males, females, men, and women remain largely unknown. The specific objectives of this review paper are:To highlight the biological differences between males and females (sex), as well as the sociocultural differences between men and women (gender) and how they impact the integumentary system.To perform a literature review to identify important sex- and gender-related epidemiological and clinical differences for various skin conditions belonging to a range of disease categories and to discuss possible biological and sociocultural factors that could explain the observed differences.To discuss dermatological skin conditions and gender-affirming treatments within the transgender community, a population of individuals who have a gender identity which is different than the gender identity they were assigned at birth. FUTURE IMPACT: With the rising number of individuals that identify as non-binary or transgender within our increasingly diverse communities, it is imperative to recognize gender identity, gender, and sex as distinct entities. By doing so, clinicians will be able to better risk-stratify their patients and select treatments that are most aligned with their values. To our knowledge, very few studies have separated sex and gender as two distinct risk factors within the dermatology literature. Our article also has the potential to help guide future prevention strategies that are patient-tailored rather than using a universal approach.

The Use of Teledermatology in Medical Education.

Certain aspects of medical education have transitioned to virtual platforms since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This commentary explores advantages and barriers to teledermatology in medical education, which has the potential to reach an extensive pool of learners and preceptors but may be limited by logistical and security considerations of a virtual platform. Dermatology in particular lends itself to an online platform as a highly visual specialty, although clinical exam would be highly dependent on quality of images captured. With teledermatology, learners can begin developing an approach to delivering care remotely, and becoming accustomed to virtual platforms.

Medical Student and Resident Dermatology Education in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic [Formula: see text].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent physical distancing recommendations created major gaps in traditional dermatologic undergraduate and postgraduate medical education delivery. Nevertheless, the educational consequences of various public health restrictions have indirectly set aside the inertia, resistance, and risk averse approach to pedagogical change in medicine. In Canada, rapid collaboration and innovation in dermatologic education has led to novel programs including the implementation of a range of internet-facilitated group learning activities and a dramatic expansion of digital telehealth and virtual care. Going forward, three key issues arising from these developments will need to be addressed: the ongoing assessment of these innovations for efficacy; sustaining the momentum and creativity that has been achieved; and, determining which of these activities are worth maintaining when traditional "tried and true" learning activities can be resumed.

Early Introduction of Dermatology Clinical Skills in Medical Training.

BACKGROUND: Skin diseases are among the most common diseases encountered by healthcare professionals. Despite this, dedicated dermatology teaching is limited in most Canadian medical school training programs. This is especially true of clinical skills training. OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of early introduction of dermatology clinical skills in Canadian undergraduate medical training. Secondary objectives included examining the impact of having sessions co-led by a clinician with expertise in the field of dermatology. METHODS: A half-day dermatology clinical skills session was introduced in the University of Toronto preclerkship medical school during the dermatology week. Sessions were co-led by staff or resident dermatologists. Sessions were evaluated using student pre- and postclinical skills test scores, as well as experience questionnaires completed by both tutors and students. RESULTS: The clinical skills session was well received by both students and tutors, with no cumulative score less than 4.34 on a 5-point Likert scale. The majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that the introduction of clinical skills in the early years of the curriculum facilitated learning consolidation (99.5%). Comparison of pre- and post-test scores showed that students' dermatology comprehension improved by an average of 12.1% following completion of the session. In questionnaire responses, students and nondermatology co-tutors emphasized the impact of having an expert in the field of dermatology co-lead the session. CONCLUSIONS: Students valued early clinical skills exposure to dermatology and felt it enhanced their knowledge and abilities. This study demonstrates learning consolidation when dermatologic didactic teachings are paired with practical clinical skills sessions.

Antepartum intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in refractory pemphigoid gestationis: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: pemphigoid gestationis is an autoimmune blistering disease affecting pregnant women. Treatment often consists of topical corticosteroids, oral antihistamines, and oral prednisone followed by immunosuppressants. Refractory cases in antepartum patients present a particular therapeutic challenge as the majority of second-line agents are contraindicated until the patient has delivered. OBJECTIVE: the following report describes the case of a 34-year-old woman pregnant for the third time at 16 weeks' gestation. Her previous two pregnancies were complicated by pemphigoid gestationis but were successfully managed with oral prednisone and topical agents. During her third pregnancy, the initial lesions were controlled with oral prednisone, but attempts to decrease her dose resulted in disease flare. CONCLUSION: monthly infusions of intravenous immunoglobulin (40 g intravenously for 3 consecutive days for 120 g total) proved to be successful in reducing the dose of oral prednisone required to maintain disease remission. A healthy baby was delivered at 37.5 weeks.