Dermatologists from around the world gathered in Orlando, FL, for the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to learn about the latest news and research in the field.
The busy meeting hosted medical and nonmedical personnel as well as international registrants and guest, press, and exhibitor attendees. The conference halls buzzed with research developments surrounding various conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, rosacea, and fungal infections, among others.
Plenary Highlights
The Plenary included expert dermatologists who presented scientific and clinical lectures on a variety of topics, on telemedicine, propranolol, cancer development, psoriasis, and the threat of Ebola. The Plenary also featured an address by out-going AAD President Abel Torres, MD, JD, MBA, and incoming President Henry Lim, MD.
Carrie L. Kovarik, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and an advisor to the AAD Telemedicine Task Force, delivered the Clarence S. Livingood, MD, Award and Lectureship titled “Telemedicine and the Future of Medicine,” in which she discussed the potential to improve access to health care through technology. She also explained how teledermatology can be used to improve outcomes, recommendations for standard practices to ensure quality, and the role of the specialty in telemedicine.
Dr Kovarik encouraged attendees to be more open to the use of telemedicine in dermatology and focus on the benefits to patients. Dermatologists can advocate or practice quality teledermatology that increases access to care—which is still a problem the United States—in a way that is responsible and accountable to the patients we serve, she said. Access to care is more than having insurance. It is about being able to receive quality diagnoses and treatment, she added.
She urged dermatologists, as a specialty, to be guided by their principles and show how teledermatology can be done for our patients in a good, quality way as opposed to the influx of burgeoning telemedicine businesses that use nondermatologists, telephone telemedicine, anonymous apps, and apps where the patients are encouraged to self-diagnose.
In addition, Dr Kovarik noted quality teledermatology must be used in a way that makes sense in their geographic area. For example, local groups can practice telemedicine best because they understand the needs of the population and are available to follow-up locally as needed. She added that establishing a teledermatology practice does not require a major investment and can often be executed with existing infrastructure.
In the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture, Christine Léauté-Labrèze, MD, presented “Propranolol in Infantile Hemangiomas: A Successful Drug Repurposing.” She is a pediatric dermatologist at Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. Dr Léauté-Labréze reviewed how physicians discovered the effect of propranolol on hemangiomas while treating an infant for corticosteroid-induced myocardiopathy.
For the Lila and Murray Gruber Memorial Cancer Research Award and Lectureship, Boris C. Bastian, MD, PhD, presented “How Moles Become Cancer.” He is a professor of dermatology and pathology at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr Bastian discussed research on the evolution of precursor lesions to melanoma and the molecular makeup of melanocytic neoplasms.
Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, who gave the Marion B. Sulzberger, MD, Memorial Award and Lectureship, discussed the relationship between psoriasis and other serious conditions in “Getting to the Heart (and Other Comorbidities) of Psoriasis.” He is a professor of dermatology and epidemiology and director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Gelfand presented new research that associates psoriasis in patients with major cardiovascular events, metabolism disorders, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, and mortality. For more with Dr Gelfand, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/multidisciplinary-treatment-approach-psoriasis.
Article continues on page 2
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Late-Breaking News
The Late-Breaking News sessions provided up-to-date data on clinical, surgical, and pediatric dermatology, as well as dermatopathology, therapeutics, and basic research. Some highlights include the following:
Sharon E. Jacobs, MD, section of editor of the Allergen Focus column in The Dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Loma Linda University, presented on contact dermatitis the during “The Truth About Pediatric Contact Dermatitis” talk at the meeting. Children and adults alike experience allergic dermatitis, which is frequently caused by chemicals in personal care products.
“There are over 4000 chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis, and only 35 of them are acknowledged by the Food and Drug Administration as allergens,” said Dr Jacobs, who is also founder/CEO of The Dermatitis Academy, an online information resource for patients and parents. “Children with persistent allergic contact dermatitis need patch testing just as much as adults do.”
She noted that data from the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry found that 48% of children tested were contact sensitized with 65% clinical relevance—rates nearly identical to published adult data. More recent data from a survey of 252 pediatric providers found that children with allergic dermatitis are 17 times more likely to have a positive patch test than children without allergic dermatitis and 110 times more likely to have generalized involvement.
Dr Jacobs emphasized that more children need to be tested so that they can receive help. “Patients with allergic dermatitis have a history of dermatitis for 3.5 years compared to 1.8 years for other patients.”
Preemptive avoidance strategy to remove the allergen is one of the most effective steps to treat allergic dermatitis. Top allergens include neomycin, balsam of Peru, fragrance mixes, lanolin, cocamidopropylbetaine, formaldehyde, corticosteroids, methylchlorisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, and benzalkonium chloride. Other common pediatric allergens include detergents, parthenolide/compositae, nickel, cobalt, colophene, chromates, glucoside, and p-phenylenediamine, or PPD.
These agents can be found in fragrances, cleaning products, cell phones, metal furniture, jewelry, foods, henna, medications, personal care, and other products commonly found in homes, schools, daycare centers, and parents’ skin.
Avoidance strategies include removing the product from the environment, such as a fragrance, or may mean covering items that cannot be avoided, such as putting duct tape over the rubber on soccer shin guards that are emitting allergens, she said.
Another talk in the Late-Breaking News sessions touched on an investigational treatment for molluscum contagiosum. The use of low-dose povidone-iodine in dimethyl sulfoxide gel was effective in treating molluscum contagiosum in a study of 12 patients over 8 weeks, according to Kara Capriotti, MD, a dermatologist at Bryn Mawr Skin and Cancer Institute. Dr Capriotti reported the results of the study in the “Late-Breaking Research: Procedural Dermatology” session.
Participants in the study were treated with the gel formulation twice a day and evaluated after 4 weeks. All 12 participants had complete or partial resolution of the condition. Of 115 lesions treated, 103, or 90%, had resolved at 8 weeks. Mild skin irritation and dryness were the only adverse effects reported, she said.
Dr Capriotti noted that the study results demonstrated success with this novel combination that has not been previously reported in the literature, warranting further investigation. “Our results may have far-reaching impact in dermatology, offering well-tolerated at-home treatment, along with eliminating morbidity from current treatments and frequent office visits,” she said.
Povidone-iodine is a resistance-free, broad-spectrum biocidal agent that eradicates microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, fungi, and protozoa. Dimethyl sulfoxide is an effective vehicle, greatly enhancing percutaneous penetration.
A new head-to-head study in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treated with ixekizumab (Taltz) demonstrated superior efficacy at 24 weeks compared to patients treated with ustekinumab (Stelara). For more on results from the IXORA-S study, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/study-ixekizumab-shows-high-response-rates-plaque-psoriasis.
Another Late-Breaking News session discussed data on a phase 2 trial of an epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) treatment that showed a long-term benefit. The placebo-controlled clinical trial for topical diacerein 1% (Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals) in the treatment of EBS demonstrated the investigational ointment provides sustainable long-term benefit in reduction of blister formation in EBS. For more on the results, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/data-phase-2-ebs-treatment-shows-long-term-benefit.
Up Next
The American Academy of Dermatology Summer Academy Meeting 2017 will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. For more information, please visit https://www.aad.org/meetings/summer-meeting.
Dermatologists from around the world gathered in Orlando, FL, for the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to learn about the latest news and research in the field.
The busy meeting hosted medical and nonmedical personnel as well as international registrants and guest, press, and exhibitor attendees. The conference halls buzzed with research developments surrounding various conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, rosacea, and fungal infections, among others.
Plenary Highlights
The Plenary included expert dermatologists who presented scientific and clinical lectures on a variety of topics, on telemedicine, propranolol, cancer development, psoriasis, and the threat of Ebola. The Plenary also featured an address by out-going AAD President Abel Torres, MD, JD, MBA, and incoming President Henry Lim, MD.
Carrie L. Kovarik, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and an advisor to the AAD Telemedicine Task Force, delivered the Clarence S. Livingood, MD, Award and Lectureship titled “Telemedicine and the Future of Medicine,” in which she discussed the potential to improve access to health care through technology. She also explained how teledermatology can be used to improve outcomes, recommendations for standard practices to ensure quality, and the role of the specialty in telemedicine.
Dr Kovarik encouraged attendees to be more open to the use of telemedicine in dermatology and focus on the benefits to patients. Dermatologists can advocate or practice quality teledermatology that increases access to care—which is still a problem the United States—in a way that is responsible and accountable to the patients we serve, she said. Access to care is more than having insurance. It is about being able to receive quality diagnoses and treatment, she added.
She urged dermatologists, as a specialty, to be guided by their principles and show how teledermatology can be done for our patients in a good, quality way as opposed to the influx of burgeoning telemedicine businesses that use nondermatologists, telephone telemedicine, anonymous apps, and apps where the patients are encouraged to self-diagnose.
In addition, Dr Kovarik noted quality teledermatology must be used in a way that makes sense in their geographic area. For example, local groups can practice telemedicine best because they understand the needs of the population and are available to follow-up locally as needed. She added that establishing a teledermatology practice does not require a major investment and can often be executed with existing infrastructure.
In the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture, Christine Léauté-Labrèze, MD, presented “Propranolol in Infantile Hemangiomas: A Successful Drug Repurposing.” She is a pediatric dermatologist at Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. Dr Léauté-Labréze reviewed how physicians discovered the effect of propranolol on hemangiomas while treating an infant for corticosteroid-induced myocardiopathy.
For the Lila and Murray Gruber Memorial Cancer Research Award and Lectureship, Boris C. Bastian, MD, PhD, presented “How Moles Become Cancer.” He is a professor of dermatology and pathology at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr Bastian discussed research on the evolution of precursor lesions to melanoma and the molecular makeup of melanocytic neoplasms.
Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, who gave the Marion B. Sulzberger, MD, Memorial Award and Lectureship, discussed the relationship between psoriasis and other serious conditions in “Getting to the Heart (and Other Comorbidities) of Psoriasis.” He is a professor of dermatology and epidemiology and director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Gelfand presented new research that associates psoriasis in patients with major cardiovascular events, metabolism disorders, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, and mortality. For more with Dr Gelfand, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/multidisciplinary-treatment-approach-psoriasis.
Article continues on page 2
{{pagebreak}}
Late-Breaking News
The Late-Breaking News sessions provided up-to-date data on clinical, surgical, and pediatric dermatology, as well as dermatopathology, therapeutics, and basic research. Some highlights include the following:
Sharon E. Jacobs, MD, section of editor of the Allergen Focus column in The Dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Loma Linda University, presented on contact dermatitis the during “The Truth About Pediatric Contact Dermatitis” talk at the meeting. Children and adults alike experience allergic dermatitis, which is frequently caused by chemicals in personal care products.
“There are over 4000 chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis, and only 35 of them are acknowledged by the Food and Drug Administration as allergens,” said Dr Jacobs, who is also founder/CEO of The Dermatitis Academy, an online information resource for patients and parents. “Children with persistent allergic contact dermatitis need patch testing just as much as adults do.”
She noted that data from the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry found that 48% of children tested were contact sensitized with 65% clinical relevance—rates nearly identical to published adult data. More recent data from a survey of 252 pediatric providers found that children with allergic dermatitis are 17 times more likely to have a positive patch test than children without allergic dermatitis and 110 times more likely to have generalized involvement.
Dr Jacobs emphasized that more children need to be tested so that they can receive help. “Patients with allergic dermatitis have a history of dermatitis for 3.5 years compared to 1.8 years for other patients.”
Preemptive avoidance strategy to remove the allergen is one of the most effective steps to treat allergic dermatitis. Top allergens include neomycin, balsam of Peru, fragrance mixes, lanolin, cocamidopropylbetaine, formaldehyde, corticosteroids, methylchlorisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, and benzalkonium chloride. Other common pediatric allergens include detergents, parthenolide/compositae, nickel, cobalt, colophene, chromates, glucoside, and p-phenylenediamine, or PPD.
These agents can be found in fragrances, cleaning products, cell phones, metal furniture, jewelry, foods, henna, medications, personal care, and other products commonly found in homes, schools, daycare centers, and parents’ skin.
Avoidance strategies include removing the product from the environment, such as a fragrance, or may mean covering items that cannot be avoided, such as putting duct tape over the rubber on soccer shin guards that are emitting allergens, she said.
Another talk in the Late-Breaking News sessions touched on an investigational treatment for molluscum contagiosum. The use of low-dose povidone-iodine in dimethyl sulfoxide gel was effective in treating molluscum contagiosum in a study of 12 patients over 8 weeks, according to Kara Capriotti, MD, a dermatologist at Bryn Mawr Skin and Cancer Institute. Dr Capriotti reported the results of the study in the “Late-Breaking Research: Procedural Dermatology” session.
Participants in the study were treated with the gel formulation twice a day and evaluated after 4 weeks. All 12 participants had complete or partial resolution of the condition. Of 115 lesions treated, 103, or 90%, had resolved at 8 weeks. Mild skin irritation and dryness were the only adverse effects reported, she said.
Dr Capriotti noted that the study results demonstrated success with this novel combination that has not been previously reported in the literature, warranting further investigation. “Our results may have far-reaching impact in dermatology, offering well-tolerated at-home treatment, along with eliminating morbidity from current treatments and frequent office visits,” she said.
Povidone-iodine is a resistance-free, broad-spectrum biocidal agent that eradicates microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, fungi, and protozoa. Dimethyl sulfoxide is an effective vehicle, greatly enhancing percutaneous penetration.
A new head-to-head study in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treated with ixekizumab (Taltz) demonstrated superior efficacy at 24 weeks compared to patients treated with ustekinumab (Stelara). For more on results from the IXORA-S study, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/study-ixekizumab-shows-high-response-rates-plaque-psoriasis.
Another Late-Breaking News session discussed data on a phase 2 trial of an epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) treatment that showed a long-term benefit. The placebo-controlled clinical trial for topical diacerein 1% (Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals) in the treatment of EBS demonstrated the investigational ointment provides sustainable long-term benefit in reduction of blister formation in EBS. For more on the results, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/data-phase-2-ebs-treatment-shows-long-term-benefit.
Up Next
The American Academy of Dermatology Summer Academy Meeting 2017 will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. For more information, please visit https://www.aad.org/meetings/summer-meeting.
Dermatologists from around the world gathered in Orlando, FL, for the 75th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) to learn about the latest news and research in the field.
The busy meeting hosted medical and nonmedical personnel as well as international registrants and guest, press, and exhibitor attendees. The conference halls buzzed with research developments surrounding various conditions, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, skin cancer, rosacea, and fungal infections, among others.
Plenary Highlights
The Plenary included expert dermatologists who presented scientific and clinical lectures on a variety of topics, on telemedicine, propranolol, cancer development, psoriasis, and the threat of Ebola. The Plenary also featured an address by out-going AAD President Abel Torres, MD, JD, MBA, and incoming President Henry Lim, MD.
Carrie L. Kovarik, MD, an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania and an advisor to the AAD Telemedicine Task Force, delivered the Clarence S. Livingood, MD, Award and Lectureship titled “Telemedicine and the Future of Medicine,” in which she discussed the potential to improve access to health care through technology. She also explained how teledermatology can be used to improve outcomes, recommendations for standard practices to ensure quality, and the role of the specialty in telemedicine.
Dr Kovarik encouraged attendees to be more open to the use of telemedicine in dermatology and focus on the benefits to patients. Dermatologists can advocate or practice quality teledermatology that increases access to care—which is still a problem the United States—in a way that is responsible and accountable to the patients we serve, she said. Access to care is more than having insurance. It is about being able to receive quality diagnoses and treatment, she added.
She urged dermatologists, as a specialty, to be guided by their principles and show how teledermatology can be done for our patients in a good, quality way as opposed to the influx of burgeoning telemedicine businesses that use nondermatologists, telephone telemedicine, anonymous apps, and apps where the patients are encouraged to self-diagnose.
In addition, Dr Kovarik noted quality teledermatology must be used in a way that makes sense in their geographic area. For example, local groups can practice telemedicine best because they understand the needs of the population and are available to follow-up locally as needed. She added that establishing a teledermatology practice does not require a major investment and can often be executed with existing infrastructure.
In the Eugene J. Van Scott Award for Innovative Therapy of the Skin and Phillip Frost Leadership Lecture, Christine Léauté-Labrèze, MD, presented “Propranolol in Infantile Hemangiomas: A Successful Drug Repurposing.” She is a pediatric dermatologist at Universitaire de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. Dr Léauté-Labréze reviewed how physicians discovered the effect of propranolol on hemangiomas while treating an infant for corticosteroid-induced myocardiopathy.
For the Lila and Murray Gruber Memorial Cancer Research Award and Lectureship, Boris C. Bastian, MD, PhD, presented “How Moles Become Cancer.” He is a professor of dermatology and pathology at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr Bastian discussed research on the evolution of precursor lesions to melanoma and the molecular makeup of melanocytic neoplasms.
Joel M. Gelfand, MD, MSCE, who gave the Marion B. Sulzberger, MD, Memorial Award and Lectureship, discussed the relationship between psoriasis and other serious conditions in “Getting to the Heart (and Other Comorbidities) of Psoriasis.” He is a professor of dermatology and epidemiology and director of the Psoriasis and Phototherapy Treatment Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr Gelfand presented new research that associates psoriasis in patients with major cardiovascular events, metabolism disorders, diabetes, end-stage renal disease, and mortality. For more with Dr Gelfand, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/multidisciplinary-treatment-approach-psoriasis.
Article continues on page 2
{{pagebreak}}
Late-Breaking News
The Late-Breaking News sessions provided up-to-date data on clinical, surgical, and pediatric dermatology, as well as dermatopathology, therapeutics, and basic research. Some highlights include the following:
Sharon E. Jacobs, MD, section of editor of the Allergen Focus column in The Dermatologist and professor of dermatology at Loma Linda University, presented on contact dermatitis the during “The Truth About Pediatric Contact Dermatitis” talk at the meeting. Children and adults alike experience allergic dermatitis, which is frequently caused by chemicals in personal care products.
“There are over 4000 chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis, and only 35 of them are acknowledged by the Food and Drug Administration as allergens,” said Dr Jacobs, who is also founder/CEO of The Dermatitis Academy, an online information resource for patients and parents. “Children with persistent allergic contact dermatitis need patch testing just as much as adults do.”
She noted that data from the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry found that 48% of children tested were contact sensitized with 65% clinical relevance—rates nearly identical to published adult data. More recent data from a survey of 252 pediatric providers found that children with allergic dermatitis are 17 times more likely to have a positive patch test than children without allergic dermatitis and 110 times more likely to have generalized involvement.
Dr Jacobs emphasized that more children need to be tested so that they can receive help. “Patients with allergic dermatitis have a history of dermatitis for 3.5 years compared to 1.8 years for other patients.”
Preemptive avoidance strategy to remove the allergen is one of the most effective steps to treat allergic dermatitis. Top allergens include neomycin, balsam of Peru, fragrance mixes, lanolin, cocamidopropylbetaine, formaldehyde, corticosteroids, methylchlorisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone, propylene glycol, and benzalkonium chloride. Other common pediatric allergens include detergents, parthenolide/compositae, nickel, cobalt, colophene, chromates, glucoside, and p-phenylenediamine, or PPD.
These agents can be found in fragrances, cleaning products, cell phones, metal furniture, jewelry, foods, henna, medications, personal care, and other products commonly found in homes, schools, daycare centers, and parents’ skin.
Avoidance strategies include removing the product from the environment, such as a fragrance, or may mean covering items that cannot be avoided, such as putting duct tape over the rubber on soccer shin guards that are emitting allergens, she said.
Another talk in the Late-Breaking News sessions touched on an investigational treatment for molluscum contagiosum. The use of low-dose povidone-iodine in dimethyl sulfoxide gel was effective in treating molluscum contagiosum in a study of 12 patients over 8 weeks, according to Kara Capriotti, MD, a dermatologist at Bryn Mawr Skin and Cancer Institute. Dr Capriotti reported the results of the study in the “Late-Breaking Research: Procedural Dermatology” session.
Participants in the study were treated with the gel formulation twice a day and evaluated after 4 weeks. All 12 participants had complete or partial resolution of the condition. Of 115 lesions treated, 103, or 90%, had resolved at 8 weeks. Mild skin irritation and dryness were the only adverse effects reported, she said.
Dr Capriotti noted that the study results demonstrated success with this novel combination that has not been previously reported in the literature, warranting further investigation. “Our results may have far-reaching impact in dermatology, offering well-tolerated at-home treatment, along with eliminating morbidity from current treatments and frequent office visits,” she said.
Povidone-iodine is a resistance-free, broad-spectrum biocidal agent that eradicates microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, fungi, and protozoa. Dimethyl sulfoxide is an effective vehicle, greatly enhancing percutaneous penetration.
A new head-to-head study in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treated with ixekizumab (Taltz) demonstrated superior efficacy at 24 weeks compared to patients treated with ustekinumab (Stelara). For more on results from the IXORA-S study, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/study-ixekizumab-shows-high-response-rates-plaque-psoriasis.
Another Late-Breaking News session discussed data on a phase 2 trial of an epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) treatment that showed a long-term benefit. The placebo-controlled clinical trial for topical diacerein 1% (Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals) in the treatment of EBS demonstrated the investigational ointment provides sustainable long-term benefit in reduction of blister formation in EBS. For more on the results, see https://www.the-dermatologist.com/content/data-phase-2-ebs-treatment-shows-long-term-benefit.
Up Next
The American Academy of Dermatology Summer Academy Meeting 2017 will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York. For more information, please visit https://www.aad.org/meetings/summer-meeting.
