Skin of Color Seminar Series to Provide Latest Research and Practical Pearls for Dermatologic Treatment of Skin of Color

By Media Coverage

Source: DermWire

Now in its tenth year, the Skin of Color Seminar Series (SOCSS) will be the largest medical education event of 2018 dedicated to providing dermatologists with evidence-based research and practical pearls in treating skin of color, including patients with multiracial backgrounds. SOCSS, which will take place May 5 and 6 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York, uses a didactic, case-based approach through lectures, hands-on-training, and live demonstrations. Series co-chairs and founders are dermatologists Andrew Alexis, MD and Eliot Battle, MD…

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Successful Treatment of Keloid With Fractionated Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Laser and Laser-Assisted Drug Delivery of Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment in an African-American Man

By SOC Manuscripts

Source: J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(9):925-927.

Ekaterina Kraeva MD, Derek Ho MD, and Jared Jagdeo MD MS

Keloids are fibrous growths that occur as a result of abnormal response to dermal injury. Keloids are cosmetically disfiguring and may impair function, often resulting in decreased patient quality-of-life. Treatment of keloids remains challenging, and rate of recurrence is high. We present a case of a 39-year-old African-American man (Fitzpatrick VI) with a 10-year history of keloid, who was successfully treated with eight sessions of fractionated carbon dioxide (CO2) laser immediately followed by laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) of topical triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) ointment and review the medical literature on fractionated CO2 laser treatment of keloids. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of successful treatment of a keloid using combination therapy of fractionated CO2 laser and LADD with topical TAC ointment in an African-American man (Fitzpatrick VI) with excellent cosmetic results sustained at 22 months post-treatment. We believe that this combination treatment modality may be safe and efficacious for keloids in skin of color (Fitzpatrick IV-VI) and other patients. This case highlights the ability of laser surgeons to safely use fractionated CO2 lasers in patients of all skin colors.

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Microneedling in All Skin Types: A Review

By SOC Manuscripts

Source: J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(4):308-314.

Lauren Meshkov Bonati MD, Gorana Kuka Epstein MD, and Tamara Lazic Strugar MD

Microneedling procedures are growing in popularity for a wide variety of skin conditions. This paper comprehensively reviews the medical literature regarding skin needling efficacy and safety in all skin types and in multiple dermatologic conditions. A PubMed literature search was conducted in all languages without restriction and bibliographies of relevant articles reviewed. Search terms included: “microneedling,” “percutaneous collagen induction,” “needling,” “skin needling,” and “dermaroller.” Microneedling is most commonly used for acne scars and cosmetic rejuvenation, however, treatment benefit has also been seen in varicella scars, burn scars, keloids, acne, alopecia, and periorbital melanosis, and has improved flap and graft survival, and enhanced transdermal delivery of topical products. Side effects were mild and self-limited, with few reports of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and isolated reports of tram tracking, facial allergic granuloma, and systemic hypersensitivity.

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Quality of Life in a Vitiligo Support Group

By SOC Manuscripts

Source: J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(4):344-350.

Saba Zabetian MD, Gordon Jacobson MS, Henry W. Lim MD, Melody J. Eide MD, and Richard H. Huggins MD

BACKGROUND: No study has examined the impact of vitiligo support group membership on vitiligo patient quality of life (QoL).

OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the QoL impact of vitiligo support groups by comparing QoL and associated patient characteristics between vitiligo patients who are and are not members of a vitiligo support group.

METHODS: Members of a Henry Ford Hospital-sponsored, Southeast Michigan Vitiligo Support Group were compared to non-member vitiligo patients recruited from a previous study cohort.17 Eligible patients were asked to complete the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and a study-specific questionnaire designed to collect relevant patient characteristics.

RESULTS: The mean DLQI scores for the support group members and non-members were similar (7.1 ± 5.4 and 6.0 ± 6.5, respectively; P-value 0.2), despite the support group members reporting more severe overall disease and increased disease severity in exposed portions of the body. The African-American: Caucasian ratio and the prevalence of unemployment were both significantly higher among the support group participants. Limitations: Small sample size may have limited the study’s ability to demonstrate the differences between the support group participants and the controls.

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