Paired Treatment Using Radiofrequency Microneedling and 755-nm Picosecond Laser With Fractionated Lens Array for Facial Rejuvenation.

BACKGROUND: Patients frequently complain about fine lines, wrinkles, dyschromia, and photoaging, for which lasers and energy-based devices can treat each of these. Pairing various devices in a single treatment session can be safe and effective, but different technologies, mechanisms, histologies, parameters, and techniques must be considered. OBJECTIVE: To examine the utility of a paired treatment regimen using radiofrequency microneedling and 755-nm picosecond laser with fractionated lens array to improve the clinical appearance of facial wrinkles and photoaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective clinical study investigated this paired treatment regimen using 4 monthly sessions. RESULTS: Twenty-five subjects were enrolled, while 18 subjects completed 3-month follow-up. The mean age was 54 years, and 92% were women. Fitzpatrick Skin Types I to IV were represented. Assessments compared baseline with the 3-month follow-up. Two of 3 blinded reviewers agreed in identifying pretreatment and post-treatment photographs for 94.4% of cases. For physician Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale, 100% of subjects had clinical improvement. Overall, 88.9% of subjects were considered to be satisfied with their treatment. No serious or unanticipated adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION: Paired treatment using radiofrequency microneedling and 755-nm picosecond laser with fractionated lens array can safely and effectively improve facial wrinkles and photoaging.

Weekly Pulsed Dye Laser Treatments for Port-Wine Birthmarks in Infants.

Importance: Early treatment of port-wine birthmark (PWB) can be life-altering and is often associated with improved outcomes and quality of life. There is growing evidence that shorter treatment intervals may play a role in more rapid PWB clearance; however, the optimal treatment interval has not been established. Objective: To describe the outcomes of once-weekly pulsed dye laser (PDL) treatments for PWB in infants. Design, Setting, and Participants: This case series analyzed the medical records of patients with PWB who received once-weekly PDL treatments between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, at the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of New York. These patients were younger than 6 months. Before-and-after treatment photographs were independently assessed and graded 2 months after initiation of treatment. Intervention: Once-weekly PDL treatments. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the percentage improvement of PWB, which was graded using the following scale: 0% (no improvement), 1% to 25% (mild improvement), 26% to 50% (moderate improvement), 51% to 75% (marked improvement), 76% to 95% (near-total clearance), and 96% to 100% (total clearance). Results: Of the 10 patients (6 males [60%]; median [range] age at first treatment, 4 [<1 to 20] weeks) included, 7 (70%) had experienced either near-total clearance (76%-95%) or total clearance (96%-100%) of their PWB with once-weekly PDL treatments after 2 months. The other 3 patients all saw marked improvement (51%-75%) and subsequently went on to achieve near-total clearance with additional treatments. The median (range) duration of treatment and number of treatments to achieve near-total or total clearance in all patients were 2 (0.2-5.1) months and 8 (2-20) treatments, respectively. No adverse events were noted. Conclusion and Relevance: This case series found that once-weekly PDL treatments for PWB in the first few months of life was associated with near-total or total clearance of PWB with no reported adverse events, suggesting improved outcomes can be achieved with shorter overall treatment duration. Further investigation into this novel decreased treatment interval of 1 week is warranted.

Social Media in Aesthetic Dermatology: Analysis of the Users Behind the Top Filler Posts.

BACKGROUND: Within the aesthetic realm, the influence of social media is quite prominent, with a growing percentage of patients using this technology to seek out health care recommendations and education. OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the most accurate representation of what our patients may encounter on social media, we sought to characterize the top posts on the most popular visually-based social media platform (Instagram). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We queried Instagram with variations of hashtags related to filler to determine which hashtags had the greatest number of posts associated with them. We then reviewed the top 100 posts associated with the top 9 hashtags, making note of whether the poster was a physician or nonphysician and whether an off-label procedure was performed or discussed. RESULTS: Most (85.6%) of the 900 reviewed posts were written by nonphysicians, and most (84.6%) of the posts focused on off-label procedures were posted by nonphysicians. Among the physician posters, the most common specialties were Plastic Surgery and Family Medicine, followed by Dermatology. CONCLUSION: At a time when patients are increasingly turning to social media for health care recommendations and education, most "top" content related to soft tissue augmentation is being provided by nonphysicians, many of whom are performing off-label procedures.

A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study and Systematic Review of Necrobiotic Xanthogranuloma With Proposed Diagnostic Criteria.

Importance: Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma (NXG) is a non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis classically associated with paraproteinemia attributable to plasma-cell dyscrasias or lymphoproliferative disorders. Despite the morbidity of NXG, the literature is limited to case reports and small studies, and diagnostic criteria are lacking. Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of NXG and propose diagnostic criteria. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted at tertiary academic referral centers and followed by a systematic review and a consensus exercise. The multicenter cohort included patients with NXG diagnosed at the Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals (2000-2018), the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (2000-2018), and the University of Pennsylvania Health System (2008-2018). The systematic review was conducted in 2018 and included patients with NXG identified in the Cochrane, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The consensus exercise was conducted by 8 board-certified dermatologists to identify diagnostic criteria. Main Outcomes and Measures: Demographic factors, comorbidities, clinical features, and treatment response. Results: Of 235 included patients with NXG (34 from the multicenter cohort and 201 from the systematic review results), the mean (SD) age at presentation was 61.6 (14.2) years; 147 (62.6%) were female. Paraproteinemia was detected in 193 patients (82.1%), most often IgG-κ (117 patients [50.0%]). A malignant condition was detected in 59 patients (25.1%), most often multiple myeloma (33 patients [14.0%]). The overall rate of paraproteinemia and/or a malignant condition was 83.8% (197 patients). In the multicenter cohort, evolution of paraproteinemia into multiple myeloma was observed up to 5.7 years (median [range], 2.4 [0.1-5.7] years) after NXG presentation. Cutaneous lesions consisted of papules, plaques, and/or nodules, typically yellow or orange in color (113 of 187 [60.4%]) with a periorbital distribution (130 of 219 [59.3%]). The eye was the leading site of extracutaneous involvement (34 of 235 [14.5%]). In the multicenter cohort, intravenous immunoglobulin had the best treatment response rate (9 of 9 patients [100%]), followed by antimalarial drugs (4 of 5 patients [80%]), intralesional triamcinolone (6 of 8 patients [75%]), surgery (3 of 4 patients [75%]), chemotherapy (8 of 12 patients [67%]), and lenalidomide or thalidomide (5 of 8 patients [63%]). The consensus exercise yielded 2 major criteria, which were (1) clinical and (2) histopathological features consistent with NXG, and 2 minor criteria, consisting of (1) paraproteinemia, plasma-cell dyscrasia, and/or other associated lymphoproliferative disorder and (2) periorbital distribution of cutaneous lesions. In the absence of foreign body, infection, or another identifiable cause, fulfillment of both major and at least 1 minor criterion were proposed to establish the diagnosis of NXG. Conclusions and Relevance: Necrobiotic xanthogranuloma is a multisystem disorder associated with paraproteinemia and malignant conditions. The proposed diagnostic criteria may advance clinical research and should be validated.

Clinical Features and Comorbidities of Patients With Necrobiosis Lipoidica With or Without Diabetes.

Importance: Necrobiosis lipoidica (NL) is a rare granulomatous condition. Current knowledge of its key features is based on a limited number of studies and case reports, leading to wide variability in the characterization of its defining features, with limited comparison of patients with or without diabetes. Objective: To evaluate the epidemiologic characteristics, clinical features, and disease associations of NL in patients with or without type 1 or 2 diabetes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This multicenter retrospective review included 236 patients aged 15 to 84 years who were evaluated and received a diagnosis of NL at the University of Pennsylvania Health System between January 1, 2008, and July 15, 2018; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics between January 1, 2000, and June 15, 2018; and Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital between January 1, 2000, and February 15, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures: Patient demographics, clinical features, medical comorbidities, and biopsy status. Results: Of the 236 patients with NL, 200 were women and 36 were men, and 182 were white, with a median age at presentation of 50.0 years (interquartile range, 33.0-59.0 years). The diagnosis was biopsy proven in 156 patients (66.1%). Of the 230 patients with location specified, 225 (97.8%) had NL on the lower legs. A total of 138 patients with NL (58.5%; 95% CI, 52.7%-65.3%) had diabetes. The median hemoglobin A1c for patients with diabetes was 8.00% (interquartile range, 6.68%-9.50%) (to convert hemoglobin A1c to proportion of total hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01). Patients with diabetes were significantly younger than patients without diabetes (median age, 45.0 vs 52.0 years; P = .005), and slightly less likely to be female (112 of 138 [81.2%] vs 87 of 96 [90.6%]; P = .046), but lesion characteristics were otherwise comparable. Other notable comorbidities included obesity in 95 of 184 patients (51.6%; 95% CI, 44.4%-58.9%), hypertension in 104 of 230 patients (45.2%), dyslipidemia in 98 of 225 patients (43.6%), and thyroid disease in 56 of 229 patients (24.5%). Conclusions and Relevance: This study of NL supports its associations with diabetes as well as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and thyroid disease. Younger age and female sex were observed more frequently in patients with diabetes. Otherwise, NL lesions in patients with or without diabetes shared many clinical features, suggesting that risk factors outside of elevated blood glucose may play an important role in the disease. Future studies should evaluate these associations with the goal of further elucidating NL's underlying pathophysiologic characteristics.