Characterization of the 2019 Micrographic Surgery and Dermatologic Oncology Standardized Letter of Recommendation.

BACKGROUND: Traditional letters of recommendation used for postgraduate medical training applications have multiple limitations, including a lack of clarity, inflated and overly flattering assessments, and low reliability between interpreting faculty. A micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology (MSDO) standardized letter of recommendation (SLOR) was created to improve the efficiency, validity, and stratification of applicants to dermatology fellowship training programs. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the MSDO SLOR for trends in grading based on letter-writer and applicant characteristics and to evaluate its ability to demonstrate differences between applicants. METHODS: Standardized letter of recommendations received by 4 fellowship programs from the 2019 San Francisco Match application cycle were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-nine SLORs were analyzed from 140 applicants. Grade inflation and limited variability in scores were evident. Higher scores correlated with the length of the relationships between letter-writers and applicants and with female letter-writer gender. There was no applicant gender or ethnicity bias detected. CONCLUSION: Despite score inflation, the MSDO SLOR allows for differentiation between fellowship applicants. Future studies are needed to further evaluate the reliability of the SLOR and find ways to improve its content.

Using a Multimedia Tool for Informed Consent in Mohs Surgery: A Randomized Trial Measuring Effects on Patient Anxiety, Knowledge, and Satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Multimedia educational materials have been found to improve aspects of informed consent, although data in the context of Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is limited. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a preoperative educational video decreases anxiety, increases comprehension, and improves overall satisfaction for patients undergoing same-day office consultation and MMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This single-center randomized controlled trial included patients above the age of 18 years undergoing MMS for skin cancer between October 2015 and December 2015. Patients were randomized to view a short preoperative video on MMS in addition to traditional informed consent versus informed consent without video viewing. Questionnaires were used to assess preoperative anxiety, knowledge, and satisfaction. RESULTS: From 231 consecutively enrolled subjects, there were no significant differences in anxiety (p = .626) or satisfaction (p = .065) between groups. Subjects receiving the intervention were able to more accurately recognize risks of MMS (88% vs 69% of controls, p < .001) and had improved subject-reported confidence in understanding procedural risks and benefits (89% vs 71% of controls, p = .049). Composite comprehension scores were similar between groups (p = .131). CONCLUSION: A preoperative MMS educational video increased recognition of procedural risks, but did not improve patient anxiety or satisfaction.

Survey of resident physician and attending physician feedback perceptions: There is still work to be done.

Feedback is essential for resident physician (RP) personal and professional growth. The goal of this study was to explore RP and attending physician (AP) perceptions of feedback. Two online surveys (one for RPs and one for APs) were distributed. One hundred twenty two responses were received, of which 67 were RPs and 55 were APs. Although the majority of RP and AP agree that feedback is essential for resident formation, there was a statistical difference between these groups, P=0.04 (RPs 91% versus APs 80%) with residents more likely to agree and strongly agree with this sentiment. Thirty one percent of APs report giving daily feedback, while only 9% of RPs report receiving daily feedback. Resident physicians are more dissatisfied with the quality of the feedback (40%) rather than the amount of feedback (34%). When providing feedback to their AP only 33% of RP versus 83% of APs provide honest and balanced feedback (P?0.001). RPs desire feedback that is specific, prompt, private, personalized and face-to-face. This knowledge and skills gap presents an important opportunity to incorporate feedback training into residencies to ensure that the dermatologists of the future are not only medically competent, but also competent in providing feedback to future generations.

Ulcerative C2 neurocutaneous dysesthesia (trigeminal trophic syndrome in an alternative distribution).

Trigeminal trophic syndrome is an uncommon condition characterized by paresthesia, itch, and self-inflicted wounds following the trigeminal dermatome(s). Similar processes adhering to cervical nerve distributions have been reported, calling into question the specificity of trigeminal trophic syndrome for the trigeminal network. Herein, we report patient with trigeminal trophic syndrome adhering to the C2 dermatome, a previously unreported distribution.

Spontaneous involution (regression) of a solitary cutaneous myofibroma in an adult patient.

Myofibromas are unusual benign tumors most commonly seen in infant children. Clinical involution of the tumor often occurs within the first few years of life. Solitary cutaneous myofibroma is the synonymous adult counterpart of infantile myofibromatosis. Although solitary myofibromas have been reported in patients of all ages, only the infantile variant is believed to regress spontaneously. There are only a few case reports of adolescent and young adult patients with regressing solitary lesions that have been described in the literature to date. We report a 71-year-old male with spontaneous regression of solitary cutaneous myofibroma. The residual lesion was excised and to date has not recurred. This report describes the historical, clinical and histopathological features of adult myofibromas and a novel manifestation that may guide future clinical considerations when approaching solitary tumors with regressive features.

Validation of a Parent-Reported Diagnostic Instrument in a U.S. Referral Population: The Childhood Eczema Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There is a paucity of validated tools for diagnosing atopic dermatitis (AD) in very young children that do not rely on clinical evaluation. The Childhood Eczema Questionnaire (CEQ)-a diagnostic tool for AD in children younger than 2 years that a caretaker can complete-was recently validated in Sweden. The objective of this study was to validate the tool in a U.S. POPULATION: As a substudy, we added an additional question that was independently assessed. METHODS: Children younger than 2 years old were recruited from a dermatology clinic. Their caretakers completed a questionnaire containing the original tool's three questions as well as a fourth question that increased the time frame measured from 1 week to 6 months. Questionnaires with all "yes" answers were considered positive and were compared with a dermatologist diagnosis of AD. RESULTS: A total of 283 subjects were recruited. The first three questions (the original CEQ) predicted a positive diagnosis of AD with a sensitivity of 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58, 0.82) and a specificity of 0.93 (95% CI 0.87, 0.95). In a separate analysis we included the first two questions and the fourth question and found that the sensitivity increased to 0.82 (95% CI 0.69, 0.90) with a specificity of 0.89 (95% CI 0.83, 0.93). CONCLUSION: This study validates a novel parental questionnaire for the diagnosis of AD in children younger than 2 years in a U.S. clinic population.

A systematic review of topical corticosteroid withdrawal ("steroid addiction") in patients with atopic dermatitis and other dermatoses.

BACKGROUND: The National Eczema Association has received increasing numbers of patient inquiries regarding "steroid addiction syndrome," coinciding with the growing presence of social media dedicated to this topic. Although many of the side effects of topical corticosteroids (TCS) are addressed in guidelines, TCS addiction is not. OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the current evidence regarding addiction/withdrawal. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of the current literature. RESULTS: Our initial search yielded 294 results with 34 studies meeting inclusion criteria. TCS withdrawal was reported mostly on the face and genital area (99.3%) of women (81.0%) primarily in the setting of long-term inappropriate use of potent TCS. Burning and stinging were the most frequently reported symptoms (65.5%) with erythema being the most common sign (92.3%). TCS withdrawal syndrome can be divided into papulopustular and erythematoedematous subtypes, with the latter presenting with more burning and edema. LIMITATIONS: Low quality of evidence, variability in the extent of data, and the lack of studies with rigorous steroid addiction methodology are limitations. CONCLUSIONS: TCS withdrawal is likely a distinct clinical adverse effect of TCS misuse. Patients and providers should be aware of its clinical presentation and risk factors.

Low-dose methotrexate in dermatology: the utility of serological monitoring in a real-world cohort.

When prescribing low-dose methotrexate, frequent serological testing is recommended in the dermatologic literature, although much of the supporting data is extrapolated from non-dermatologic conditions. We performed a retrospective cohort study to determine the cumulative incidence and timing of low-dose methotrexate-associated serological abnormalities over the first year of therapy, in a pragmatic cohort of patients with dermatologic compared to non-dermatologic diagnoses. Laboratory values recorded included white blood cell count, hemoglobin, platelet count, estimated glomerular filtration rate, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase. Among 1376 patients, there were no cases of methotrexate-associated grade 4/very severe lab abnormality or fatality. Baseline risk factors associated with moderate-to-severe lab abnormalities included non-dermatologic diagnoses, low hemoglobin, low estimated glomerular filtration rate, and elevated transaminases. The incidence of moderate-to-severe lab abnormalities was 4.4% among all patients, 3.1% among patients with dermatologic diagnoses, and 2.3% among patients with normal baseline lab values. Lab abnormalities led to discontinuation of therapy in 0.8% of patients. Serious changes did not occur in the first two weeks of therapy. We conclude that the cumulative incidence of low-dose methotrexate-associated lab abnormality was lower in patients with dermatologic diagnoses or normal baseline testing and these factors may be used to adjust monitoring practices.

Comparison of Three Diagnostic Frameworks for Pyoderma Gangrenosum.

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an inflammatory condition characterized by chronic cutaneous ulcerations. There are three proposed PG diagnostic frameworks (Su, PARACELSUS, Delphi); however, they lack consensus, and their performance has not yet been validated in a well-defined cohort of patients with PG. In this cross-sectional retrospective cohort study, we sought to evaluate and compare the concordance of these diagnostic frameworks within a single-institution cohort of patients with PG. There were 47 patients from an initial 76 identified by International Classification of Diseases-9 and/or International Classification of Diseases-10 codes, where two PG experts agreed in their diagnosis of PG on the basis of clinical descriptions, photographs, and pathology. This group was the PG cohort by which we evaluated the performance and concordance of the diagnostic frameworks. The PARACELSUS score identified the highest proportion of patients with PG (89% [42 of 47 patients]), followed by Delphi and Su criteria, each at 74% (35 of 47 patients). Assessment of multirater agreement found that the three criteria agreed in their diagnoses for 72% of the patients (95% confidence interval = 60-85%); chance-adjusted agreement was determined to be 0.44 (95% confidence = 0.16-0.68, Fleiss' kappa). Future research should seek to refine these diagnostic frameworks and identify targeted methods of testing to reduce rates of PG misdiagnosis and patient misclassification in clinical trials.

New and developing therapies for atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease. New understanding in disease pathogenesis has led to a considerable number of promising new drugs in development. New topical agents can be especially helpful for children, providing an alternative to the need for chronic topical corticosteroid use. While many patients with mild or moderate disease can be managed with topical treatments, there are unmet needs for recalcitrant and severe cases. New and developing therapies hold promise for real advances in management of this complex disease.

Modified PAS stain: A new diagnostic method for onychomycosis.

BACKGROUND: Onychomycosis is the most common nail disease and represents around 50% of nail disorders. Accurate diagnosis with adequate evidence is ideal before starting any treatment. Current diagnostic methods offer low specificity and sensitivity. AIMS: To create a new method for the diagnosis of onychomycosis, and to compare its sensitivity and specificity with the existing methods. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-two samples with clinical suspicion of onychomycosis were included and underwent modified PAS stain (M-PAS), KOH/chlorazol black (KOH/CB) and culture testing. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: In 152 out of 192 samples (79.2%) fungi structures were found in at least one of the three tests performed, and the patients were diagnosed with onychomycosis; 40 samples out of 192 (20.8%) were negative. Using M-PAS, filaments and/or spores were seen in 143 samples from the 152 positive (94%); 39 of them were negative to KOH/CB and positive to M-PAS (25.6%). With KOH/CB, filaments and/or spores were seen in 113 cases from the 152 positive samples (73.8% of the onychomycosis cases). Thirty-five cultures were positive, of which 77% were identified as Trichophyton rubrum; 117 onychomycosis cases were diagnosed despite the negative culture (76.9%). M-PAS showed 92.5% sensitivity and 55.55% specificity, a 67.5% positive predictive value and a 81.6% negative productive value. CONCLUSIONS: This procedure, a combination of the existing methods to diagnose onychomycosis, KOH/CB together with a nail clipping biopsy, proved to have high sensitivity, as well as being rapid, easy, inexpensive and readily available in most hospital settings. M-PAS allowed us to diagnose 39 cases (25.6% of the cases of onychomycosis) that were false negative using only KOH/CB and culture.

Prehydration is effective for rapid control of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Skin care remains a key component in atopic dermatitis (AD) management; there are no data available guiding optimal bathing recommendations. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine whether 15-minute to 20-minute baths followed by topical corticosteroid application (prehydration therapy) are effective for clearing moderate to severe AD. METHODS: In the Oregon Health & Science University outpatient dermatology clinic, a retrospective review was done of the health records of patients with AD seen first between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2011, who were then reevaluated within 1 to 3 weeks of starting the therapy. Qualifying patients underwent the prehydration regimen and were reevaluated. The primary outcome was therapeutic response using the Investigators' Global Assessment Scale. Secondary outcomes were measured using the dynamic Treatment Response Scale. Of 110 distinct electronic records, 35 patients were excluded. At the initial visit, 75 patients were evaluated with the Investigators' Global Assessment Scale. Forty-eight patients (64%) were severe, and 27 patients (36%) were moderate. All subjects began prehydration therapy followed by topical corticosteroid. At follow-up visit in 1 to 3 weeks when using the patient's or provider's assessment of treatment response, 59 patients (79%) had marked improvement, and 3 patients (4%) were clear. CONCLUSIONS: Prehydration followed by topical corticosteroid therapy seems to be a highly effective regimen that achieves rapid control of moderate to severe disease.

New and developing therapies for atopic dermatitis

Abstract: Atopic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin disease. New understanding in disease pathogenesis has led to a considerable number of promising new drugs in development. New topical agents can be especially helpful for children, providing an alternative to the need for chronic topical corticosteroid use. While many patients with mild or moderate disease can be managed with topical treatments, there are unmet needs for recalcitrant and severe cases. New and developing therapies hold promise for real advances in management of this complex disease.