Dermatology Week Fall: New Insights and Updates

Dermatology Week 2022 Fall hosted live “Ask the Experts” sessions, professional lectures from specialty experts, and networking opportunities during its recent 4-day run. The senior advisors for the meeting were Steven R. Feldman, MD, PhD, from Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC, and Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. The cochairs included Hilary Baldwin, MD; Jordan Carqueville, MD; Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR; Shawn Kwatra, MD; Roger S. Lo, MD, PhD; Mital Patel-Cohen, MD; and Ruth Ann Vleugels, MD, MPH, MBA.

Educational sessions covered numerous dermatologic developments, including:

• “Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Dermatology”

• “Photodermatoses: Diagnosis and Management”

• “Rosacea: What Is New and What Is Coming”

• “Laser Surgery: What You Need to Know”

• “Alopecia Areata: Clinical Challenges and Emerging Treatments”

• “Psoriatic Arthritis for the Dermatologist”

• “Actinic Keratosis: Optimizing the Use of Topical Treatment Options in Clinical Practice”

• “Cosmetic Surgery and its Impact on Quality of Life”

• “Challenging Acne Cases”

During his on-demand session, “Psoriatic Arthritis for the Dermatologist,” Joseph F. Merola, MD, MMSc, discussed the shared pathogenesis of psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), including the disease domains and clinical manifestations of PsA.1 He touched upon how to conduct screening for PsA in patients with PsO and formulate a treatment plan that considers disease domains and comorbidities. When reviewing the complete treatment of PsA, Dr Merola stated, “For PsA patients with PsO, optimal improvement in health-related quality of life as measured by select domains of patient-reported outcomes was dependent on successful treatment of both joint and skin symptoms.” He added, “Comorbidities make the management of PsA challenging but also meaningful for patients when we can align our therapies to address multiple comorbid conditions.”

Mark Lebwohl, MD, presented “Actinic Keratosis: Optimizing the Use of Topical Treatment Options in Clinical Practice,” on the second day of the conference.2 Dr Lebwohl reviewed precancerous and cancerous skin lesions and shared how physicians can begin the discussion with patients who have actinic keratosis (AK) on sun-exposed areas. He summarized a range of studies, highlighting various treatments for AK and even the cost of treatments such as tirbanibulin. He remarked, “The average price is $1191.24,” adding that physicians need “to check individual pharmacies to find out what the actual cost is.”

On the third day of the conference, Heidi B. Prather, MD, opened her session, “Cosmetic Surgery and its Impact on Quality of Life,” with the psychosocial and quality of life impacts commonly seen in cosmetic dermatology, particularly related to acne and pigmentary disorders.3 She elaborated that patients are often motivated by physical and psychosocial well-being, such as minimizing self-consciousness, enhancing confidence, reducing time and expense to conceal, and perceiving capabilities. Dr Prather posited, “This is profound that patients are looking at more than just vanity when they start looking at minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.”

Finally, on the last day of the conference, Hilary Baldwin, MD, presented the session “Challenging Acne Cases,” where she addressed various therapeutic options, handling the 2 types of isotretinoin flares, treating severe acne in female patients during pregnancy, isotretinoin treatment in patients with depression, and more.4 She noted, “The treatment of acne appears to actually ameliorate depressive symptoms.” While sharing a meta-analysis and systematic review of 20 studies, she stated, “The conclusion of the authors was that use of isotretinoin is actually associated with significantly improved depressive symptoms.”