Public interest in dermatologic symptoms, conditions, treatments, and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from Google Trends.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had substantial effect both on daily life and medical practice. Internet data have been used to analyze the trends in public interest in various medical conditions and treatments. The aim of this study is to analyze the public interest in dermatologic symptoms, conditions, treatments, and procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Google Trends was queried for a total of 120 dermatological search queries. Three periods of 2020 ([March 15-May 9], [May 10-July 4], and [July 5-October 31]) were compared with the previous 4 years (2016-2019). A significantly decreased interest in skin cancers and certain dermatologic conditions (eg, pityriasis rosea and scabies) was observed throughout the study period. Whereas a significant increase of interest in dry skin, hair shedding, oily hair, atopic dermatitis, and hand eczema was detected during the study. An initial decrease in interest was followed by a significant increase for acne, comedones, melasma, rosacea, botox, dermaroller, and peeling. The study demonstrated a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public interest in dermatology. The present results would help to create healthcare policies and information sources, which can meet the public demand. The reasons for the observed trends and their effect on patient outcomes might be of interest for future studies.

The efficacy and safety of targeted narrowband UVB therapy: a retrospective cohort study

Background/aim: Phototherapy is a safe and effective treatment modality for numerous dermatological conditions. Recently, targeted phototherapy modalities have gained importance due to their advantages over conventional phototherapy.This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted narrowband UVB phototherapy in patients with dermatological disorders Materials and methods: This single-center study included 173 patients who were treated with targeted narrowband UVB phototherapy. Demographic features, phototherapy parameters, and adverse effects were evaluated in all patients, and the treatment response was assessed in patients who attended at least one follow-up visit. Results: A total of 173 patients (102 females; 71 males) with vitiligo, alopecia areata, lichen simplex chronicus, palmoplantar psoriasis, and psoriasis vulgaris were included in the study. Among 73 patients, with whom the treatment was finalized by physician, an excellent response was obtained in 10%, 52.9%, 53.8%, 28.6%, and 40% of patients with vitiligo, alopecia areata, lichen simplex chronicus, palmoplantar psoriasis, and psoriasis, respectively. The treatment was generally well tolerated and was discontinued in only two patients due to adverse effects. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that targeted narrowband UVB therapy is a safe and effective treatment alternative, particularly for alopecia areata, lichen simplex chronicus, and palmoplantar and plaque-type psoriasis.