Doug Brunk

Individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) face a significantly increased risk for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, an analysis of national data showed.

“Clinicians should actively screen for eating disorders,” particularly bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, in patients with HS,” lead study author Christopher Guirguis, DMD, a student at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, told this news organization in advance of the annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurative Advances, where the study was presented during an oral abstract session. “The significant psychological burden in these patients requires a holistic approach that integrates both dermatologic and psychosocial care. Addressing their mental health needs is essential for improving overall patient outcomes and quality of life,” he added.

Chrisopher Guirguis

In collaboration with fellow Georgetown medical student and first author Lauren Chin and Mikael Horissian, MD, a dermatologist and director of the HS Clinic at Gesinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, Guirguis drew from the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program to identify 1653 individuals with a diagnosis of HS and a control group of 8265 individuals without a diagnosis of HS. They used the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership to identify anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder, unspecified. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was also included because of its association with bulimia. They used statistical models to compare cohorts and comorbidities. “What makes this work unique is its focus on the link between HS and eating disorders, a relationship previously underexplored,” he said.

The mean age of the overall study cohort was 46.8 years, and 78.6% were female. Univariate analysis revealed that, compared with controls, individuals in the HS cohort showed significantly increased diagnoses of bulimia, binge eating disorder, OCD, and eating disorder, unspecified, by 2.6, 5.48, 2.50, and 2.43 times, respectively (P < .05 for all associations). After adjusting for age, race, sex, and ethnicity, the researchers observed that patients with HS were 4.46 times as likely to have a diagnosis of binge eating disorder and 3.51 times as likely to have a diagnosis of bulimia as those who did not have HS (P < .05 for both associations).

Guirguis said that the absence of body dysmorphic disorder diagnoses in the HS cohort was unexpected. “Given HS’s known association with body image issues, we anticipated a higher prevalence of BDD,” he said. “This discrepancy may reflect underreporting or diagnostic overshadowing, where the physical symptoms of HS dominate clinical attention, potentially masking or complicating the identification of psychological conditions like BDD.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including the potential for variations in documentation practices in the database. “Additionally, there may be bias due to underrepresentation of certain demographic groups or underreporting of psychological comorbidities, which could influence the findings.”

Patricia M. Richey, MD, assistant professor of dermatology, at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, who was asked to comment on the study, said the results “should affect how physicians discuss lifestyle recommendations in those already at increased risk of psychiatric disease and disrupted body image.” The findings should also “prompt physicians to screen this patient population more thoroughly for eating disorders as we know they are an underrecognized and often undertreated entity,” she added.

Neither the study authors nor Richey reported having relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) face a significantly increased risk for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, an analysis of national data showed.

“Clinicians should actively screen for eating disorders,” particularly bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, in patients with HS,” lead study author Christopher Guirguis, DMD, a student at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, told this news organization in advance of the annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurative Advances, where the study was presented during an oral abstract session. “The significant psychological burden in these patients requires a holistic approach that integrates both dermatologic and psychosocial care. Addressing their mental health needs is essential for improving overall patient outcomes and quality of life,” he added.

Chrisopher Guirguis

In collaboration with fellow Georgetown medical student and first author Lauren Chin and Mikael Horissian, MD, a dermatologist and director of the HS Clinic at Gesinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, Guirguis drew from the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program to identify 1653 individuals with a diagnosis of HS and a control group of 8265 individuals without a diagnosis of HS. They used the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership to identify anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder, unspecified. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was also included because of its association with bulimia. They used statistical models to compare cohorts and comorbidities. “What makes this work unique is its focus on the link between HS and eating disorders, a relationship previously underexplored,” he said.

The mean age of the overall study cohort was 46.8 years, and 78.6% were female. Univariate analysis revealed that, compared with controls, individuals in the HS cohort showed significantly increased diagnoses of bulimia, binge eating disorder, OCD, and eating disorder, unspecified, by 2.6, 5.48, 2.50, and 2.43 times, respectively (P < .05 for all associations). After adjusting for age, race, sex, and ethnicity, the researchers observed that patients with HS were 4.46 times as likely to have a diagnosis of binge eating disorder and 3.51 times as likely to have a diagnosis of bulimia as those who did not have HS (P < .05 for both associations).

Guirguis said that the absence of body dysmorphic disorder diagnoses in the HS cohort was unexpected. “Given HS’s known association with body image issues, we anticipated a higher prevalence of BDD,” he said. “This discrepancy may reflect underreporting or diagnostic overshadowing, where the physical symptoms of HS dominate clinical attention, potentially masking or complicating the identification of psychological conditions like BDD.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including the potential for variations in documentation practices in the database. “Additionally, there may be bias due to underrepresentation of certain demographic groups or underreporting of psychological comorbidities, which could influence the findings.”

Patricia M. Richey, MD, assistant professor of dermatology, at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, who was asked to comment on the study, said the results “should affect how physicians discuss lifestyle recommendations in those already at increased risk of psychiatric disease and disrupted body image.” The findings should also “prompt physicians to screen this patient population more thoroughly for eating disorders as we know they are an underrecognized and often undertreated entity,” she added.

Neither the study authors nor Richey reported having relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) face a significantly increased risk for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, an analysis of national data showed.

“Clinicians should actively screen for eating disorders,” particularly bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, in patients with HS,” lead study author Christopher Guirguis, DMD, a student at Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, told this news organization in advance of the annual Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurative Advances, where the study was presented during an oral abstract session. “The significant psychological burden in these patients requires a holistic approach that integrates both dermatologic and psychosocial care. Addressing their mental health needs is essential for improving overall patient outcomes and quality of life,” he added.

Chrisopher Guirguis

In collaboration with fellow Georgetown medical student and first author Lauren Chin and Mikael Horissian, MD, a dermatologist and director of the HS Clinic at Gesinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania, Guirguis drew from the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program to identify 1653 individuals with a diagnosis of HS and a control group of 8265 individuals without a diagnosis of HS. They used the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership to identify anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, body dysmorphic disorder, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder, unspecified. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was also included because of its association with bulimia. They used statistical models to compare cohorts and comorbidities. “What makes this work unique is its focus on the link between HS and eating disorders, a relationship previously underexplored,” he said.

The mean age of the overall study cohort was 46.8 years, and 78.6% were female. Univariate analysis revealed that, compared with controls, individuals in the HS cohort showed significantly increased diagnoses of bulimia, binge eating disorder, OCD, and eating disorder, unspecified, by 2.6, 5.48, 2.50, and 2.43 times, respectively (P < .05 for all associations). After adjusting for age, race, sex, and ethnicity, the researchers observed that patients with HS were 4.46 times as likely to have a diagnosis of binge eating disorder and 3.51 times as likely to have a diagnosis of bulimia as those who did not have HS (P < .05 for both associations).

Guirguis said that the absence of body dysmorphic disorder diagnoses in the HS cohort was unexpected. “Given HS’s known association with body image issues, we anticipated a higher prevalence of BDD,” he said. “This discrepancy may reflect underreporting or diagnostic overshadowing, where the physical symptoms of HS dominate clinical attention, potentially masking or complicating the identification of psychological conditions like BDD.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including the potential for variations in documentation practices in the database. “Additionally, there may be bias due to underrepresentation of certain demographic groups or underreporting of psychological comorbidities, which could influence the findings.”

Patricia M. Richey, MD, assistant professor of dermatology, at Boston University School of Medicine in Massachusetts, who was asked to comment on the study, said the results “should affect how physicians discuss lifestyle recommendations in those already at increased risk of psychiatric disease and disrupted body image.” The findings should also “prompt physicians to screen this patient population more thoroughly for eating disorders as we know they are an underrecognized and often undertreated entity,” she added.

Neither the study authors nor Richey reported having relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

On October 1, 2024, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) took effect for the first time, a development characterized as a critical advancement in the field of hair loss disorders.

“CCCA and FFA are conditions that require early diagnosis and intervention to prevent irreversible hair loss,” Maria Hordinsky, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a member of the Board of Directors, Scarring Alopecia Foundation (SAF), said in an interview.

Ms. Jefferson

For her part, Jefferson said that she will continue to advocate for patients with scarring alopecia as a medical student and when she becomes a physician. “I hope in the near future we will see an externally led FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting for both CCCA and FFA, further advancing care and research for these conditions,” she said in an interview.

McMichael, Hordinsky, and Jefferson had no relevant disclosures to report.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

On October 1, 2024, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) took effect for the first time, a development characterized as a critical advancement in the field of hair loss disorders.

“CCCA and FFA are conditions that require early diagnosis and intervention to prevent irreversible hair loss,” Maria Hordinsky, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a member of the Board of Directors, Scarring Alopecia Foundation (SAF), said in an interview.

Ms. Jefferson

For her part, Jefferson said that she will continue to advocate for patients with scarring alopecia as a medical student and when she becomes a physician. “I hope in the near future we will see an externally led FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting for both CCCA and FFA, further advancing care and research for these conditions,” she said in an interview.

McMichael, Hordinsky, and Jefferson had no relevant disclosures to report.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

On October 1, 2024, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes for central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) and frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) took effect for the first time, a development characterized as a critical advancement in the field of hair loss disorders.

“CCCA and FFA are conditions that require early diagnosis and intervention to prevent irreversible hair loss,” Maria Hordinsky, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a member of the Board of Directors, Scarring Alopecia Foundation (SAF), said in an interview.

Ms. Jefferson

For her part, Jefferson said that she will continue to advocate for patients with scarring alopecia as a medical student and when she becomes a physician. “I hope in the near future we will see an externally led FDA Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting for both CCCA and FFA, further advancing care and research for these conditions,” she said in an interview.

McMichael, Hordinsky, and Jefferson had no relevant disclosures to report.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

US veterans were nearly three times more likely to develop skin cancer than the general population, according to a large cross-sectional analysis of recent national data.

“US veterans are known to have increased risk of cancers and cancer morbidity compared to the general US population,” one of the study authors, Sepideh Ashrafzadeh, MD, a third-year dermatology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, told this news organization following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where the results were presented. “There have been several studies that have shown that US veterans have an increased prevalence of melanoma compared to nonveterans,” she said, noting, however, that no study has investigated the prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which include basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, compared with the general population.

Dr. Ashrafzadeh

To address this knowledge gap, the researchers performed a national cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years or older from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Surveys to examine the prevalence of melanoma and NMSCs among veterans compared with the general US population. They aggregated and tabulated the data by veteran status, defined as having served at any point in the US armed forces, reserves, or national guard, and by demographic and socioeconomic status variables. Next, they performed multivariate logistic regression for skin cancer risk adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, and disability status.

The study population consisted of 14,301 veterans and 209,936 nonveterans. Compared with nonveterans, veterans were more likely to have been diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives (7% vs 2.4%; P < .001); had a higher mean age of skin cancer diagnosis (61.1 vs 55.8 years; P < .001); were more likely to have been diagnosed with melanoma (2.8% vs 0.9%; P < .001), and were more likely to have been diagnosed with NMSC (4.4% vs 1.6%; P < .001).

The researchers found that older age, White race, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and veteran status were all associated with higher odds of developing NMSCs, even after adjusting for relevant covariates. Specifically, veterans had 1.23 higher odds of developing NMSC than the general population, while two factors were protective for developing NMSCs: Living in a rural setting (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.78) and receiving supplemental security income or disability income (aOR, 0.69).

In another part of the study, the researchers evaluated demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with developing melanoma among veterans. These included the following: Male (aOR, 1.16), older age (50-64 years: aOR, 6.82; 65-74 years: aOR, 12.55; and 75 years or older: aOR, 16.16), White race (aOR, 9.24), and non-Hispanic ethnicity (aOR, 7.15).

“Veterans may have occupational risks such as sun and chemical exposure, as well as behavioral habits for sun protection, that may contribute to their elevated risk of melanoma and NMSCs,” Ashrafzadeh said. “Therefore, US veterans would benefit from targeted and regular skin cancer screenings, sun protective preventative resources such as hats and sunscreen, and access to medical and surgical care for diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.”

Christine Ko, MD, professor of dermatology and pathology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, who was asked to comment on the findings, said that a key strength of the study is that it drew from a nationally representative sample. “A limitation is that skin cancer was self-reported rather than based on documented medical histories,” Ko said. “The study confirms that skin cancer risk is higher in older individuals (> 75 as compared to < 50) and in individuals of self-reported white race and non-Hispanic ethnicity,” she added.

Neither the researchers nor Ko reported having relevant disclosures.
 

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

US veterans were nearly three times more likely to develop skin cancer than the general population, according to a large cross-sectional analysis of recent national data.

“US veterans are known to have increased risk of cancers and cancer morbidity compared to the general US population,” one of the study authors, Sepideh Ashrafzadeh, MD, a third-year dermatology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, told this news organization following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where the results were presented. “There have been several studies that have shown that US veterans have an increased prevalence of melanoma compared to nonveterans,” she said, noting, however, that no study has investigated the prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which include basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, compared with the general population.

Dr. Ashrafzadeh

To address this knowledge gap, the researchers performed a national cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years or older from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Surveys to examine the prevalence of melanoma and NMSCs among veterans compared with the general US population. They aggregated and tabulated the data by veteran status, defined as having served at any point in the US armed forces, reserves, or national guard, and by demographic and socioeconomic status variables. Next, they performed multivariate logistic regression for skin cancer risk adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, and disability status.

The study population consisted of 14,301 veterans and 209,936 nonveterans. Compared with nonveterans, veterans were more likely to have been diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives (7% vs 2.4%; P < .001); had a higher mean age of skin cancer diagnosis (61.1 vs 55.8 years; P < .001); were more likely to have been diagnosed with melanoma (2.8% vs 0.9%; P < .001), and were more likely to have been diagnosed with NMSC (4.4% vs 1.6%; P < .001).

The researchers found that older age, White race, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and veteran status were all associated with higher odds of developing NMSCs, even after adjusting for relevant covariates. Specifically, veterans had 1.23 higher odds of developing NMSC than the general population, while two factors were protective for developing NMSCs: Living in a rural setting (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.78) and receiving supplemental security income or disability income (aOR, 0.69).

In another part of the study, the researchers evaluated demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with developing melanoma among veterans. These included the following: Male (aOR, 1.16), older age (50-64 years: aOR, 6.82; 65-74 years: aOR, 12.55; and 75 years or older: aOR, 16.16), White race (aOR, 9.24), and non-Hispanic ethnicity (aOR, 7.15).

“Veterans may have occupational risks such as sun and chemical exposure, as well as behavioral habits for sun protection, that may contribute to their elevated risk of melanoma and NMSCs,” Ashrafzadeh said. “Therefore, US veterans would benefit from targeted and regular skin cancer screenings, sun protective preventative resources such as hats and sunscreen, and access to medical and surgical care for diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.”

Christine Ko, MD, professor of dermatology and pathology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, who was asked to comment on the findings, said that a key strength of the study is that it drew from a nationally representative sample. “A limitation is that skin cancer was self-reported rather than based on documented medical histories,” Ko said. “The study confirms that skin cancer risk is higher in older individuals (> 75 as compared to < 50) and in individuals of self-reported white race and non-Hispanic ethnicity,” she added.

Neither the researchers nor Ko reported having relevant disclosures.
 

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

US veterans were nearly three times more likely to develop skin cancer than the general population, according to a large cross-sectional analysis of recent national data.

“US veterans are known to have increased risk of cancers and cancer morbidity compared to the general US population,” one of the study authors, Sepideh Ashrafzadeh, MD, a third-year dermatology resident at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, told this news organization following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where the results were presented. “There have been several studies that have shown that US veterans have an increased prevalence of melanoma compared to nonveterans,” she said, noting, however, that no study has investigated the prevalence of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which include basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas, compared with the general population.

Dr. Ashrafzadeh

To address this knowledge gap, the researchers performed a national cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years or older from the 2019-2023 National Health Interview Surveys to examine the prevalence of melanoma and NMSCs among veterans compared with the general US population. They aggregated and tabulated the data by veteran status, defined as having served at any point in the US armed forces, reserves, or national guard, and by demographic and socioeconomic status variables. Next, they performed multivariate logistic regression for skin cancer risk adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, urbanicity, and disability status.

The study population consisted of 14,301 veterans and 209,936 nonveterans. Compared with nonveterans, veterans were more likely to have been diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives (7% vs 2.4%; P < .001); had a higher mean age of skin cancer diagnosis (61.1 vs 55.8 years; P < .001); were more likely to have been diagnosed with melanoma (2.8% vs 0.9%; P < .001), and were more likely to have been diagnosed with NMSC (4.4% vs 1.6%; P < .001).

The researchers found that older age, White race, non-Hispanic ethnicity, and veteran status were all associated with higher odds of developing NMSCs, even after adjusting for relevant covariates. Specifically, veterans had 1.23 higher odds of developing NMSC than the general population, while two factors were protective for developing NMSCs: Living in a rural setting (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.78) and receiving supplemental security income or disability income (aOR, 0.69).

In another part of the study, the researchers evaluated demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with developing melanoma among veterans. These included the following: Male (aOR, 1.16), older age (50-64 years: aOR, 6.82; 65-74 years: aOR, 12.55; and 75 years or older: aOR, 16.16), White race (aOR, 9.24), and non-Hispanic ethnicity (aOR, 7.15).

“Veterans may have occupational risks such as sun and chemical exposure, as well as behavioral habits for sun protection, that may contribute to their elevated risk of melanoma and NMSCs,” Ashrafzadeh said. “Therefore, US veterans would benefit from targeted and regular skin cancer screenings, sun protective preventative resources such as hats and sunscreen, and access to medical and surgical care for diagnosis and treatment of skin cancers.”

Christine Ko, MD, professor of dermatology and pathology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, who was asked to comment on the findings, said that a key strength of the study is that it drew from a nationally representative sample. “A limitation is that skin cancer was self-reported rather than based on documented medical histories,” Ko said. “The study confirms that skin cancer risk is higher in older individuals (> 75 as compared to < 50) and in individuals of self-reported white race and non-Hispanic ethnicity,” she added.

Neither the researchers nor Ko reported having relevant disclosures.
 

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Punch excision (PE) followed by immediate cryotherapy could be a viable and simpler alternative to core excision (CE) for the treatment of recalcitrant keloids, according to the results of a small retrospective study.

The method “offers similar efficacy, faster healing, and fewer complications,” one of the study authors, Jinwoong Jung, MD, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the study results during an oral abstract session.

For the study, Jung, a dermatologist at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 22 patients with recalcitrant keloids treated with cryotherapy immediately following either PE or CE between May 2019 and March 2024. They used the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) to assess treatment efficacy.

Of the 22 patients, 16 underwent treatment with CE and 6 underwent treatment with PE. Pretreatment VSS scores showed no significant differences between the groups (P = .535). The CE group had a reduction in the VSS score from 8.13 to 4.00, while the PE group had a reduction from 7.83 to 3.67, but these declines did not differ significantly (P = .737). The PE group exhibited a shorter healing time than the CE group (a mean of 43.5 vs 63.87 days, respectively), though this difference was not statistically significant (P = .129).

“The uniqueness of this work lies in its simplified use of PE for recalcitrant keloids, which demonstrated efficacy comparable to CE, with the potential advantage of faster healing times,” Jung said. “Future studies with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods could help establish this approach as a standard treatment method.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the lack of long-term follow-up data. The researchers reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Punch excision (PE) followed by immediate cryotherapy could be a viable and simpler alternative to core excision (CE) for the treatment of recalcitrant keloids, according to the results of a small retrospective study.

The method “offers similar efficacy, faster healing, and fewer complications,” one of the study authors, Jinwoong Jung, MD, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the study results during an oral abstract session.

For the study, Jung, a dermatologist at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 22 patients with recalcitrant keloids treated with cryotherapy immediately following either PE or CE between May 2019 and March 2024. They used the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) to assess treatment efficacy.

Of the 22 patients, 16 underwent treatment with CE and 6 underwent treatment with PE. Pretreatment VSS scores showed no significant differences between the groups (P = .535). The CE group had a reduction in the VSS score from 8.13 to 4.00, while the PE group had a reduction from 7.83 to 3.67, but these declines did not differ significantly (P = .737). The PE group exhibited a shorter healing time than the CE group (a mean of 43.5 vs 63.87 days, respectively), though this difference was not statistically significant (P = .129).

“The uniqueness of this work lies in its simplified use of PE for recalcitrant keloids, which demonstrated efficacy comparable to CE, with the potential advantage of faster healing times,” Jung said. “Future studies with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods could help establish this approach as a standard treatment method.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the lack of long-term follow-up data. The researchers reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Punch excision (PE) followed by immediate cryotherapy could be a viable and simpler alternative to core excision (CE) for the treatment of recalcitrant keloids, according to the results of a small retrospective study.

The method “offers similar efficacy, faster healing, and fewer complications,” one of the study authors, Jinwoong Jung, MD, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the study results during an oral abstract session.

For the study, Jung, a dermatologist at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea, and colleagues retrospectively analyzed 22 patients with recalcitrant keloids treated with cryotherapy immediately following either PE or CE between May 2019 and March 2024. They used the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) to assess treatment efficacy.

Of the 22 patients, 16 underwent treatment with CE and 6 underwent treatment with PE. Pretreatment VSS scores showed no significant differences between the groups (P = .535). The CE group had a reduction in the VSS score from 8.13 to 4.00, while the PE group had a reduction from 7.83 to 3.67, but these declines did not differ significantly (P = .737). The PE group exhibited a shorter healing time than the CE group (a mean of 43.5 vs 63.87 days, respectively), though this difference was not statistically significant (P = .129).

“The uniqueness of this work lies in its simplified use of PE for recalcitrant keloids, which demonstrated efficacy comparable to CE, with the potential advantage of faster healing times,” Jung said. “Future studies with larger sample sizes and extended follow-up periods could help establish this approach as a standard treatment method.”

He acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the lack of long-term follow-up data. The researchers reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox Cosmetic) for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe platysma bands in adults.

According to a press release from Allergan Aesthetics, which developed onabotulinumtoxinA, by injecting along the jawline and the vertical bands connecting the jaw and neck with one of the FDA-approved doses of the product based on severity, onabotulinumtoxinA temporarily reduces underlying muscle activity.

The company cited results from phase 3 clinical studies, which demonstrated statistical significance for the improvement in appearance of platysma bands from baseline with onabotulinumtoxinA compared with placebo on both investigator and patient assessment (P < .0001).

All secondary endpoints were also met, as measured by multiple validated, proprietary patient-reported outcome instruments. In two of the clinical studies, for example, 65% and 62% of patients reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied,” respectively, with their neck and jawline definition 14 days after treatment with a dose of 26, 31, or 36 units of onabotulinumtoxinA, compared with 12% with placebo in both studies.

The development marks the fourth indication for onabotulinumtoxinA. The others are for moderate to severe glabellar lines associated with corrugator and/or procerus muscle activity, moderate to severe lateral canthal lines associated with orbicularis oculi activity, and moderate to severe forehead lines associated with frontalis activity.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox Cosmetic) for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe platysma bands in adults.

According to a press release from Allergan Aesthetics, which developed onabotulinumtoxinA, by injecting along the jawline and the vertical bands connecting the jaw and neck with one of the FDA-approved doses of the product based on severity, onabotulinumtoxinA temporarily reduces underlying muscle activity.

The company cited results from phase 3 clinical studies, which demonstrated statistical significance for the improvement in appearance of platysma bands from baseline with onabotulinumtoxinA compared with placebo on both investigator and patient assessment (P < .0001).

All secondary endpoints were also met, as measured by multiple validated, proprietary patient-reported outcome instruments. In two of the clinical studies, for example, 65% and 62% of patients reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied,” respectively, with their neck and jawline definition 14 days after treatment with a dose of 26, 31, or 36 units of onabotulinumtoxinA, compared with 12% with placebo in both studies.

The development marks the fourth indication for onabotulinumtoxinA. The others are for moderate to severe glabellar lines associated with corrugator and/or procerus muscle activity, moderate to severe lateral canthal lines associated with orbicularis oculi activity, and moderate to severe forehead lines associated with frontalis activity.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox Cosmetic) for temporary improvement in the appearance of moderate to severe platysma bands in adults.

According to a press release from Allergan Aesthetics, which developed onabotulinumtoxinA, by injecting along the jawline and the vertical bands connecting the jaw and neck with one of the FDA-approved doses of the product based on severity, onabotulinumtoxinA temporarily reduces underlying muscle activity.

The company cited results from phase 3 clinical studies, which demonstrated statistical significance for the improvement in appearance of platysma bands from baseline with onabotulinumtoxinA compared with placebo on both investigator and patient assessment (P < .0001).

All secondary endpoints were also met, as measured by multiple validated, proprietary patient-reported outcome instruments. In two of the clinical studies, for example, 65% and 62% of patients reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied,” respectively, with their neck and jawline definition 14 days after treatment with a dose of 26, 31, or 36 units of onabotulinumtoxinA, compared with 12% with placebo in both studies.

The development marks the fourth indication for onabotulinumtoxinA. The others are for moderate to severe glabellar lines associated with corrugator and/or procerus muscle activity, moderate to severe lateral canthal lines associated with orbicularis oculi activity, and moderate to severe forehead lines associated with frontalis activity.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA — Dermatologists who believe they have little to offer LGBTQ children and adolescents beyond routine care, Markus Boos, MD, PhD, urges them to consider the potential impact they can have on these patients.

“Sometimes in dermatology we might say, ‘This gender care stuff, that’s really for pediatricians and primary care doctors,’ ” Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. However, he added, “gender-affirming care happens not only with medications but with communication, curiosity, and respect.” For instance, an LGBTQ patient who is being treated with isotretinoin for acne is seen once a month by a dermatologist, which is probably more frequent than seeing their primary care physician, he said. “Every time you see that child, you can make them feel seen. You can respect them. You can let them know that you care about them. Hopefully then they understand what it feels like to get good care from a provider and then will not settle for poor care from someone else.”

According to Gallup polling, the proportion of people in the United States who identify as non-cisgender or nonheterosexual increased from 3.5% in 2012 to 7% in 2021. “The estimation is that 2.5%-3.5% of all teenagers identify as gay or bisexual, and another 1% identify as transgender, though some studies estimate the percentage of gender diverse youth to be as high as 9.2%,” said Boos.

Dr. Boos

He discussed several barriers to dermatologic care for LGBTQ youth, including availability. “There are only about 400 practicing pediatric dermatologists in the US, so there’s not a lot of pediatric dermatology care to go around for any child,” Boos said. “My plea to general dermatologists who see adolescents and teenagers: You can care for LGBTQ adolescents; they need your help.”

Accessibility is also an issue. For example, his clinic is in a wealthy and somewhat isolated area of Seattle, “which makes it hard for some patients to access our services because they may have to drive from far away or take multiple modes of public transportation to see us,” explained Boos, who came out as gay about 10 years ago after beginning his practice in Seattle. “Time matters, too. Children are in school. They don’t necessarily want to take time off to go to the doctor’s office. We want to make sure we have services at different times of day, including evenings or weekends if possible.”

Another potential barrier to care for this patient population is acceptability. “I can say that I welcome any patient to my practice, but if I’m not humble and informed about their concerns, especially queer or trans kids, if they feel that I’m not respecting them, that’s going to be a huge problem,” Boos said. “They won’t view that care as acceptable, and they’re not going to come back if they feel like I’m not looking out for their best interests.”

In a large cross-sectional study of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases published in 2023, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals were significantly more likely than non-SGM individuals to delay specialist care including dermatologic care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.23), mental health care (AOR, 1.62), and filing a prescription (AOR, 1.30) because of cost. The barriers for SGM patients were transportation issues, not having a healthcare practitioner (HCP) from the same racial or ethnic background, “and they were more likely to report not always being treated with respect by HCPs,” said Boos, who was not involved with the study. “SGM patients of minoritized racial identities such as Black, Hispanic, and Latino were also more likely to experience barriers to care.”

Boos offered several tips for improving the dermatologic care of LGBTQ youth:

Use inclusive language and follow your patient’s lead. “There are many ways that people identify, both with respect to their sexual orientation and their gender identity,” he said. “We often think that a person is either gay or straight, or cisgender or transgender. There are many folks who reject these binaries and may view their gender identity or sexual orientation outside of these descriptors. You can be bisexual. You can be asexual.” He also emphasized that sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior.

Be deliberate about your phrasing. Boos said he strives to make new patients feel comfortable by asking them such questions as what pronouns they use, how he should address them, and whether they have a partner or are in a relationship. “Then, in general, just follow your patient’s lead,” Boos said. “If they’re referring to their partner in a certain way or to themselves with certain pronouns, go along with it. When in doubt, just ask. And if you make a mistake like using the wrong pronouns or name of a patient, the best thing to do is immediately apologize and try your best not to repeat that error.”

When asking about sexual practices, don’t make assumptions. Boos recommends a 2019 article on dermatologic care of LGBT persons, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, which includes specific examples of how to elicit a sexual history from adults and teens. One of the recommendations is “to be very direct, say, ‘This may feel uncomfortable, but I have to ask you these direct questions about what you’re doing sexually because I need to understand if you’re at risk for things like sexually transmitted infections,’ ” Boos said. “It’s also important to use terminology that our patients know. If I ask someone if they’ve had sex before, they usually understand that as penile-vaginal intercourse, but it’s also important to understand if they have oral or anal sex. But if you ask, ‘Have you had insertive anal sex?’ they may not know what that means as opposed to receptive anal sex. Instead, you might ask, ‘Are you a top or a bottom?’ which are more commonly used and understood terms in the queer community. It may feel really uncomfortable to use that kind of language, but we want to make sure patients understand what we’re asking them so we can take the best possible care of them.”

Pay attention to the details. One way to demonstrate inclusivity in your practice includes collecting pronoun and sexual orientation information for the electronic medical record so your entire staff can use proper pronouns for the patient. “Also, acknowledge that for queer folks, family can mean more than just biological family,” Boos added. “I do not buy into the stereotype that all queer kids are ostracized from their families and not loved by their families, but it is true that they are at risk for those experiences. So, sometimes a member of the patient’s ‘chosen family’ accompanies them on their visit.”

Privacy is also key. “You never know who else is in the room when you’re on a telehealth call, so you need to address that before you ask about personal things,” Boos said. “One sticking point that can also come up is that parents often fill out their child’s patient demographic form, which may not tell the real story. I typically start to have confidential time without parents and may take a sexual history as early as 12 or 13 years of age if it’s a patient that I’m seeing for an extended period or if I’m worried about a skin finding that might suggest an STI.”

He highlighted the unique opportunity dermatologists have to transform the healthcare landscape for LGBTQ children and adolescents. “It’s about extending yourself to nurture the growth of another person,” Boos said. “This can feel challenging, but you want to see each person for who they are and help get them to where they want to go. That’s what we went into medicine for, right? We want to care about people.”

Boos had no relevant financial disclosures.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA — Dermatologists who believe they have little to offer LGBTQ children and adolescents beyond routine care, Markus Boos, MD, PhD, urges them to consider the potential impact they can have on these patients.

“Sometimes in dermatology we might say, ‘This gender care stuff, that’s really for pediatricians and primary care doctors,’ ” Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. However, he added, “gender-affirming care happens not only with medications but with communication, curiosity, and respect.” For instance, an LGBTQ patient who is being treated with isotretinoin for acne is seen once a month by a dermatologist, which is probably more frequent than seeing their primary care physician, he said. “Every time you see that child, you can make them feel seen. You can respect them. You can let them know that you care about them. Hopefully then they understand what it feels like to get good care from a provider and then will not settle for poor care from someone else.”

According to Gallup polling, the proportion of people in the United States who identify as non-cisgender or nonheterosexual increased from 3.5% in 2012 to 7% in 2021. “The estimation is that 2.5%-3.5% of all teenagers identify as gay or bisexual, and another 1% identify as transgender, though some studies estimate the percentage of gender diverse youth to be as high as 9.2%,” said Boos.

Dr. Boos

He discussed several barriers to dermatologic care for LGBTQ youth, including availability. “There are only about 400 practicing pediatric dermatologists in the US, so there’s not a lot of pediatric dermatology care to go around for any child,” Boos said. “My plea to general dermatologists who see adolescents and teenagers: You can care for LGBTQ adolescents; they need your help.”

Accessibility is also an issue. For example, his clinic is in a wealthy and somewhat isolated area of Seattle, “which makes it hard for some patients to access our services because they may have to drive from far away or take multiple modes of public transportation to see us,” explained Boos, who came out as gay about 10 years ago after beginning his practice in Seattle. “Time matters, too. Children are in school. They don’t necessarily want to take time off to go to the doctor’s office. We want to make sure we have services at different times of day, including evenings or weekends if possible.”

Another potential barrier to care for this patient population is acceptability. “I can say that I welcome any patient to my practice, but if I’m not humble and informed about their concerns, especially queer or trans kids, if they feel that I’m not respecting them, that’s going to be a huge problem,” Boos said. “They won’t view that care as acceptable, and they’re not going to come back if they feel like I’m not looking out for their best interests.”

In a large cross-sectional study of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases published in 2023, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals were significantly more likely than non-SGM individuals to delay specialist care including dermatologic care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.23), mental health care (AOR, 1.62), and filing a prescription (AOR, 1.30) because of cost. The barriers for SGM patients were transportation issues, not having a healthcare practitioner (HCP) from the same racial or ethnic background, “and they were more likely to report not always being treated with respect by HCPs,” said Boos, who was not involved with the study. “SGM patients of minoritized racial identities such as Black, Hispanic, and Latino were also more likely to experience barriers to care.”

Boos offered several tips for improving the dermatologic care of LGBTQ youth:

Use inclusive language and follow your patient’s lead. “There are many ways that people identify, both with respect to their sexual orientation and their gender identity,” he said. “We often think that a person is either gay or straight, or cisgender or transgender. There are many folks who reject these binaries and may view their gender identity or sexual orientation outside of these descriptors. You can be bisexual. You can be asexual.” He also emphasized that sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior.

Be deliberate about your phrasing. Boos said he strives to make new patients feel comfortable by asking them such questions as what pronouns they use, how he should address them, and whether they have a partner or are in a relationship. “Then, in general, just follow your patient’s lead,” Boos said. “If they’re referring to their partner in a certain way or to themselves with certain pronouns, go along with it. When in doubt, just ask. And if you make a mistake like using the wrong pronouns or name of a patient, the best thing to do is immediately apologize and try your best not to repeat that error.”

When asking about sexual practices, don’t make assumptions. Boos recommends a 2019 article on dermatologic care of LGBT persons, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, which includes specific examples of how to elicit a sexual history from adults and teens. One of the recommendations is “to be very direct, say, ‘This may feel uncomfortable, but I have to ask you these direct questions about what you’re doing sexually because I need to understand if you’re at risk for things like sexually transmitted infections,’ ” Boos said. “It’s also important to use terminology that our patients know. If I ask someone if they’ve had sex before, they usually understand that as penile-vaginal intercourse, but it’s also important to understand if they have oral or anal sex. But if you ask, ‘Have you had insertive anal sex?’ they may not know what that means as opposed to receptive anal sex. Instead, you might ask, ‘Are you a top or a bottom?’ which are more commonly used and understood terms in the queer community. It may feel really uncomfortable to use that kind of language, but we want to make sure patients understand what we’re asking them so we can take the best possible care of them.”

Pay attention to the details. One way to demonstrate inclusivity in your practice includes collecting pronoun and sexual orientation information for the electronic medical record so your entire staff can use proper pronouns for the patient. “Also, acknowledge that for queer folks, family can mean more than just biological family,” Boos added. “I do not buy into the stereotype that all queer kids are ostracized from their families and not loved by their families, but it is true that they are at risk for those experiences. So, sometimes a member of the patient’s ‘chosen family’ accompanies them on their visit.”

Privacy is also key. “You never know who else is in the room when you’re on a telehealth call, so you need to address that before you ask about personal things,” Boos said. “One sticking point that can also come up is that parents often fill out their child’s patient demographic form, which may not tell the real story. I typically start to have confidential time without parents and may take a sexual history as early as 12 or 13 years of age if it’s a patient that I’m seeing for an extended period or if I’m worried about a skin finding that might suggest an STI.”

He highlighted the unique opportunity dermatologists have to transform the healthcare landscape for LGBTQ children and adolescents. “It’s about extending yourself to nurture the growth of another person,” Boos said. “This can feel challenging, but you want to see each person for who they are and help get them to where they want to go. That’s what we went into medicine for, right? We want to care about people.”

Boos had no relevant financial disclosures.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA — Dermatologists who believe they have little to offer LGBTQ children and adolescents beyond routine care, Markus Boos, MD, PhD, urges them to consider the potential impact they can have on these patients.

“Sometimes in dermatology we might say, ‘This gender care stuff, that’s really for pediatricians and primary care doctors,’ ” Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, said at the annual meeting of the Pacific Dermatologic Association. However, he added, “gender-affirming care happens not only with medications but with communication, curiosity, and respect.” For instance, an LGBTQ patient who is being treated with isotretinoin for acne is seen once a month by a dermatologist, which is probably more frequent than seeing their primary care physician, he said. “Every time you see that child, you can make them feel seen. You can respect them. You can let them know that you care about them. Hopefully then they understand what it feels like to get good care from a provider and then will not settle for poor care from someone else.”

According to Gallup polling, the proportion of people in the United States who identify as non-cisgender or nonheterosexual increased from 3.5% in 2012 to 7% in 2021. “The estimation is that 2.5%-3.5% of all teenagers identify as gay or bisexual, and another 1% identify as transgender, though some studies estimate the percentage of gender diverse youth to be as high as 9.2%,” said Boos.

Dr. Boos

He discussed several barriers to dermatologic care for LGBTQ youth, including availability. “There are only about 400 practicing pediatric dermatologists in the US, so there’s not a lot of pediatric dermatology care to go around for any child,” Boos said. “My plea to general dermatologists who see adolescents and teenagers: You can care for LGBTQ adolescents; they need your help.”

Accessibility is also an issue. For example, his clinic is in a wealthy and somewhat isolated area of Seattle, “which makes it hard for some patients to access our services because they may have to drive from far away or take multiple modes of public transportation to see us,” explained Boos, who came out as gay about 10 years ago after beginning his practice in Seattle. “Time matters, too. Children are in school. They don’t necessarily want to take time off to go to the doctor’s office. We want to make sure we have services at different times of day, including evenings or weekends if possible.”

Another potential barrier to care for this patient population is acceptability. “I can say that I welcome any patient to my practice, but if I’m not humble and informed about their concerns, especially queer or trans kids, if they feel that I’m not respecting them, that’s going to be a huge problem,” Boos said. “They won’t view that care as acceptable, and they’re not going to come back if they feel like I’m not looking out for their best interests.”

In a large cross-sectional study of patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases published in 2023, sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals were significantly more likely than non-SGM individuals to delay specialist care including dermatologic care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.23), mental health care (AOR, 1.62), and filing a prescription (AOR, 1.30) because of cost. The barriers for SGM patients were transportation issues, not having a healthcare practitioner (HCP) from the same racial or ethnic background, “and they were more likely to report not always being treated with respect by HCPs,” said Boos, who was not involved with the study. “SGM patients of minoritized racial identities such as Black, Hispanic, and Latino were also more likely to experience barriers to care.”

Boos offered several tips for improving the dermatologic care of LGBTQ youth:

Use inclusive language and follow your patient’s lead. “There are many ways that people identify, both with respect to their sexual orientation and their gender identity,” he said. “We often think that a person is either gay or straight, or cisgender or transgender. There are many folks who reject these binaries and may view their gender identity or sexual orientation outside of these descriptors. You can be bisexual. You can be asexual.” He also emphasized that sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior.

Be deliberate about your phrasing. Boos said he strives to make new patients feel comfortable by asking them such questions as what pronouns they use, how he should address them, and whether they have a partner or are in a relationship. “Then, in general, just follow your patient’s lead,” Boos said. “If they’re referring to their partner in a certain way or to themselves with certain pronouns, go along with it. When in doubt, just ask. And if you make a mistake like using the wrong pronouns or name of a patient, the best thing to do is immediately apologize and try your best not to repeat that error.”

When asking about sexual practices, don’t make assumptions. Boos recommends a 2019 article on dermatologic care of LGBT persons, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, which includes specific examples of how to elicit a sexual history from adults and teens. One of the recommendations is “to be very direct, say, ‘This may feel uncomfortable, but I have to ask you these direct questions about what you’re doing sexually because I need to understand if you’re at risk for things like sexually transmitted infections,’ ” Boos said. “It’s also important to use terminology that our patients know. If I ask someone if they’ve had sex before, they usually understand that as penile-vaginal intercourse, but it’s also important to understand if they have oral or anal sex. But if you ask, ‘Have you had insertive anal sex?’ they may not know what that means as opposed to receptive anal sex. Instead, you might ask, ‘Are you a top or a bottom?’ which are more commonly used and understood terms in the queer community. It may feel really uncomfortable to use that kind of language, but we want to make sure patients understand what we’re asking them so we can take the best possible care of them.”

Pay attention to the details. One way to demonstrate inclusivity in your practice includes collecting pronoun and sexual orientation information for the electronic medical record so your entire staff can use proper pronouns for the patient. “Also, acknowledge that for queer folks, family can mean more than just biological family,” Boos added. “I do not buy into the stereotype that all queer kids are ostracized from their families and not loved by their families, but it is true that they are at risk for those experiences. So, sometimes a member of the patient’s ‘chosen family’ accompanies them on their visit.”

Privacy is also key. “You never know who else is in the room when you’re on a telehealth call, so you need to address that before you ask about personal things,” Boos said. “One sticking point that can also come up is that parents often fill out their child’s patient demographic form, which may not tell the real story. I typically start to have confidential time without parents and may take a sexual history as early as 12 or 13 years of age if it’s a patient that I’m seeing for an extended period or if I’m worried about a skin finding that might suggest an STI.”

He highlighted the unique opportunity dermatologists have to transform the healthcare landscape for LGBTQ children and adolescents. “It’s about extending yourself to nurture the growth of another person,” Boos said. “This can feel challenging, but you want to see each person for who they are and help get them to where they want to go. That’s what we went into medicine for, right? We want to care about people.”

Boos had no relevant financial disclosures.
 

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) — a treatment most commonly thought of for field cancerization — is an effective tool for reducing rhytides and lentigines, results from a small prospective study showed.

“Our study helps capture and quantify a phenomenon that clinicians who use PDT in their practice have already noticed: Patients experience a visible improvement across several cosmetically important metrics including but not limited to fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tightness following PDT,” one of the study authors, Luke Horton, MD, a fourth-year dermatology resident at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the results during an oral abstract session.

Dr. Horton

For the study, 11 patients underwent a 120-minute incubation period with 17% 5-aminolevulinic acid over the face, followed by visible blue light PDT exposure for 16 minutes, to reduce rhytides. The researchers used a Vectra imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the patients before the procedure and during the follow-up. Three dermatologists analyzed the pre-procedure and post-procedure images and used a validated five-point Merz wrinkle severity scale to grade various regions of the face including the forehead, glabella, lateral canthal rhytides, melolabial folds, nasolabial folds, and perioral rhytides.

They also used a five-point solar lentigines scale to evaluate the change in degree of pigmentation and quantity of age spots as well as the change in rhytid severity before and after PDT and the change in the seven-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) to gauge overall improvement of fine lines and wrinkles.

After a mean follow-up of 4.25 months, rhytid severity among the 11 patients was reduced by an average of 0.65 points on the Merz scale, with an SD of 0.20. Broken down by region, rhytid severity scores decreased by 0.2 points (SD, 0.42) for the forehead, 0.7 points (SD, 0.48) for the glabella and lateral canthal rhytides, 0.88 points (SD, 0.35) for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides, and 0.8 points (SD, 0.42) for the nasolabial folds. (The researchers excluded ratings for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides in two patients with beards.)

In other findings, solar lentigines grading showed an average reduction of 1 point (SD, 0.45), while the GAIS score improved by 1 or more for every patient, with an average of score of 1.45 (SD, 0.52), showing that some degree of improvement in facial rhytides was noted for all patients following PDT.

“The degree of improvement as measured by our independent physician graders was impressive and not far off from those reported with CO₂ ablative laser,” Horton said. “Further, the effect was not isolated to actinic keratoses but extended to improved appearance of fine lines, some deep lines, and lentigines. Although we are not implying that PDT is superior to and should replace lasers or other energy-based devices, it does provide a real, measurable cosmetic benefit.”

Clinicians, he added, can use these findings “to counsel their patients when discussing field cancerization treatment options, especially for patients who may be hesitant to undergo PDT as it can be a painful therapy with a considerable downtime for some.”

Lawrence J. Green, MD, clinical professor of dermatology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, who was asked to comment on the study results, said that the findings “shine more light on the long-standing off-label use of PDT for lessening signs of photoaging. Like studies done before it, I think this adds an additional benefit to discuss for those who are considering PDT treatment for their actinic keratoses.”

Horton acknowledged certain limitations of the study including its small sample size and the fact that physician graders were not blinded to which images were pre- and post-treatment, “which could introduce an element of bias in the data,” he said. “But this being an unfunded project born out of clinical observation, we hope to later expand its size. Furthermore, we invite other physicians to join us to better study these effects and to design protocols that minimize adverse effects and maximize clinical outcomes.”

His co-authors were Milan Hirpara; Sarah Choe; Joel Cohen, MD; and Natasha A. Mesinkovska, MD, PhD.

No relevant disclosures were reported. Green had no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) — a treatment most commonly thought of for field cancerization — is an effective tool for reducing rhytides and lentigines, results from a small prospective study showed.

“Our study helps capture and quantify a phenomenon that clinicians who use PDT in their practice have already noticed: Patients experience a visible improvement across several cosmetically important metrics including but not limited to fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tightness following PDT,” one of the study authors, Luke Horton, MD, a fourth-year dermatology resident at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the results during an oral abstract session.

Dr. Horton

For the study, 11 patients underwent a 120-minute incubation period with 17% 5-aminolevulinic acid over the face, followed by visible blue light PDT exposure for 16 minutes, to reduce rhytides. The researchers used a Vectra imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the patients before the procedure and during the follow-up. Three dermatologists analyzed the pre-procedure and post-procedure images and used a validated five-point Merz wrinkle severity scale to grade various regions of the face including the forehead, glabella, lateral canthal rhytides, melolabial folds, nasolabial folds, and perioral rhytides.

They also used a five-point solar lentigines scale to evaluate the change in degree of pigmentation and quantity of age spots as well as the change in rhytid severity before and after PDT and the change in the seven-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) to gauge overall improvement of fine lines and wrinkles.

After a mean follow-up of 4.25 months, rhytid severity among the 11 patients was reduced by an average of 0.65 points on the Merz scale, with an SD of 0.20. Broken down by region, rhytid severity scores decreased by 0.2 points (SD, 0.42) for the forehead, 0.7 points (SD, 0.48) for the glabella and lateral canthal rhytides, 0.88 points (SD, 0.35) for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides, and 0.8 points (SD, 0.42) for the nasolabial folds. (The researchers excluded ratings for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides in two patients with beards.)

In other findings, solar lentigines grading showed an average reduction of 1 point (SD, 0.45), while the GAIS score improved by 1 or more for every patient, with an average of score of 1.45 (SD, 0.52), showing that some degree of improvement in facial rhytides was noted for all patients following PDT.

“The degree of improvement as measured by our independent physician graders was impressive and not far off from those reported with CO₂ ablative laser,” Horton said. “Further, the effect was not isolated to actinic keratoses but extended to improved appearance of fine lines, some deep lines, and lentigines. Although we are not implying that PDT is superior to and should replace lasers or other energy-based devices, it does provide a real, measurable cosmetic benefit.”

Clinicians, he added, can use these findings “to counsel their patients when discussing field cancerization treatment options, especially for patients who may be hesitant to undergo PDT as it can be a painful therapy with a considerable downtime for some.”

Lawrence J. Green, MD, clinical professor of dermatology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, who was asked to comment on the study results, said that the findings “shine more light on the long-standing off-label use of PDT for lessening signs of photoaging. Like studies done before it, I think this adds an additional benefit to discuss for those who are considering PDT treatment for their actinic keratoses.”

Horton acknowledged certain limitations of the study including its small sample size and the fact that physician graders were not blinded to which images were pre- and post-treatment, “which could introduce an element of bias in the data,” he said. “But this being an unfunded project born out of clinical observation, we hope to later expand its size. Furthermore, we invite other physicians to join us to better study these effects and to design protocols that minimize adverse effects and maximize clinical outcomes.”

His co-authors were Milan Hirpara; Sarah Choe; Joel Cohen, MD; and Natasha A. Mesinkovska, MD, PhD.

No relevant disclosures were reported. Green had no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) — a treatment most commonly thought of for field cancerization — is an effective tool for reducing rhytides and lentigines, results from a small prospective study showed.

“Our study helps capture and quantify a phenomenon that clinicians who use PDT in their practice have already noticed: Patients experience a visible improvement across several cosmetically important metrics including but not limited to fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tightness following PDT,” one of the study authors, Luke Horton, MD, a fourth-year dermatology resident at the University of California, Irvine, said in an interview following the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, where he presented the results during an oral abstract session.

Dr. Horton

For the study, 11 patients underwent a 120-minute incubation period with 17% 5-aminolevulinic acid over the face, followed by visible blue light PDT exposure for 16 minutes, to reduce rhytides. The researchers used a Vectra imaging system to capture three-dimensional images of the patients before the procedure and during the follow-up. Three dermatologists analyzed the pre-procedure and post-procedure images and used a validated five-point Merz wrinkle severity scale to grade various regions of the face including the forehead, glabella, lateral canthal rhytides, melolabial folds, nasolabial folds, and perioral rhytides.

They also used a five-point solar lentigines scale to evaluate the change in degree of pigmentation and quantity of age spots as well as the change in rhytid severity before and after PDT and the change in the seven-point Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) to gauge overall improvement of fine lines and wrinkles.

After a mean follow-up of 4.25 months, rhytid severity among the 11 patients was reduced by an average of 0.65 points on the Merz scale, with an SD of 0.20. Broken down by region, rhytid severity scores decreased by 0.2 points (SD, 0.42) for the forehead, 0.7 points (SD, 0.48) for the glabella and lateral canthal rhytides, 0.88 points (SD, 0.35) for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides, and 0.8 points (SD, 0.42) for the nasolabial folds. (The researchers excluded ratings for the melolabial folds and perioral rhytides in two patients with beards.)

In other findings, solar lentigines grading showed an average reduction of 1 point (SD, 0.45), while the GAIS score improved by 1 or more for every patient, with an average of score of 1.45 (SD, 0.52), showing that some degree of improvement in facial rhytides was noted for all patients following PDT.

“The degree of improvement as measured by our independent physician graders was impressive and not far off from those reported with CO₂ ablative laser,” Horton said. “Further, the effect was not isolated to actinic keratoses but extended to improved appearance of fine lines, some deep lines, and lentigines. Although we are not implying that PDT is superior to and should replace lasers or other energy-based devices, it does provide a real, measurable cosmetic benefit.”

Clinicians, he added, can use these findings “to counsel their patients when discussing field cancerization treatment options, especially for patients who may be hesitant to undergo PDT as it can be a painful therapy with a considerable downtime for some.”

Lawrence J. Green, MD, clinical professor of dermatology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, who was asked to comment on the study results, said that the findings “shine more light on the long-standing off-label use of PDT for lessening signs of photoaging. Like studies done before it, I think this adds an additional benefit to discuss for those who are considering PDT treatment for their actinic keratoses.”

Horton acknowledged certain limitations of the study including its small sample size and the fact that physician graders were not blinded to which images were pre- and post-treatment, “which could introduce an element of bias in the data,” he said. “But this being an unfunded project born out of clinical observation, we hope to later expand its size. Furthermore, we invite other physicians to join us to better study these effects and to design protocols that minimize adverse effects and maximize clinical outcomes.”

His co-authors were Milan Hirpara; Sarah Choe; Joel Cohen, MD; and Natasha A. Mesinkovska, MD, PhD.

No relevant disclosures were reported. Green had no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.

Among 111 prescription or over-the-counter products for acne that contain benzoyl peroxide (BPO), 38 (34%) contained benzene levels above the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit of 2 ppm, according to results from an analysis that used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and other methods.

The analysis, which was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and expands on a similar study released more than 6 months ago, also found that encapsulated BPO products break down into benzene at room temperature but that refrigerating them may mitigate this effect.

“Our research provides the first experimental evidence that cold storage can help reduce the rate of benzoyl peroxide breakdown into benzene,” said one of the study authors, Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. “Therefore, cold storage throughout the entire supply chain — from manufacturing to patient use — is a reasonable and proportional measure at this time for those continuing to use benzoyl peroxide medicine.” One acne product, the newer prescription triple-combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-BPO) “already has a cold shipping process in place; the patient just needs to continue that at home,” he noted.

For the study — which was funded by an independent lab, Valisure — researchers led by Valisure CEO and founder David Light, used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect benzene levels in 111 BPO drug products from major US retailers and selected ion flow tube mass-spectrometry to quantify the release of benzene in real time. Benzene levels ranged from 0.16 ppm to 35.30 ppm, and 38 of the products (34%) had levels above the FDA limit of 2 ppm for drug products. “The results of the products sampled in this study suggest that formulation is likely the strongest contributor to benzene concentrations in BPO drug products that are commercially available, since the magnitude of benzene detected correlates most closely with specific brands or product types within certain brands,” the study authors wrote.

When the researchers tested the stability of a prescription encapsulated BPO drug product at cold (2 °C) and elevated temperature (50 °C), no apparent benzene formation was observed at 2 °C, whereas high levels of benzene formed at 50 °C, “suggesting that encapsulation technology may not stabilize BPO drug products, but cold storage may greatly reduce benzene formation,” they wrote.

In another component of the study, researchers exposed a BP drug product to a UVA/UVB lamp for 2 hours and found detectable benzene through evaporation and substantial benzene formation when exposed to UV light at levels below peak sunlight. The experiment “strongly justifies the package label warnings to avoid sun exposure when using BPO drug products,” the authors wrote. “Further evaluation to determine the influence of sun exposure on BPO drug product degradation and benzene formation is warranted.”

In an interview, John Barbieri, MD, MBA, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts characterized the findings as “an important issue that we should take seriously.” However, “we also must not overreact.” 

BPO is a foundational acne treatment without any clear alternative, he said, pointing out that no evidence currently exists “to support that routine use of benzoyl peroxide–containing products for acne is associated with a meaningful risk of benzene in the blood or an increased risk of cancer.”

And although it is prudent to minimize benzene exposure as much as possible, Barbieri continued, “it is not clear that these levels are a clinically meaningful incremental risk in the setting of an acne cream or wash. There is minimal cutaneous absorption of benzene, and it is uncertain how much benzene aerosolizes with routine use, particularly for washes which are not left on the skin.”

Bunick said that the combined data from this and the study published in March 2024 affected which BPO products he recommends for patients with acne. “I am using exclusively the triple combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-benzoyl peroxide) because I know it has the necessary cold supply chain in place to protect the product’s stability. I further encourage patients to place all their benzoyl peroxide–containing products in the refrigerator at home to reduce benzene formation and exposure.”

Bunick reported having served as an investigator and/or a consultant/speaker for many pharmaceutical companies, including as a consultant for Ortho-Dermatologics; but none related to this study. Barbieri reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Among 111 prescription or over-the-counter products for acne that contain benzoyl peroxide (BPO), 38 (34%) contained benzene levels above the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit of 2 ppm, according to results from an analysis that used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and other methods.

The analysis, which was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and expands on a similar study released more than 6 months ago, also found that encapsulated BPO products break down into benzene at room temperature but that refrigerating them may mitigate this effect.

“Our research provides the first experimental evidence that cold storage can help reduce the rate of benzoyl peroxide breakdown into benzene,” said one of the study authors, Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. “Therefore, cold storage throughout the entire supply chain — from manufacturing to patient use — is a reasonable and proportional measure at this time for those continuing to use benzoyl peroxide medicine.” One acne product, the newer prescription triple-combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-BPO) “already has a cold shipping process in place; the patient just needs to continue that at home,” he noted.

For the study — which was funded by an independent lab, Valisure — researchers led by Valisure CEO and founder David Light, used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect benzene levels in 111 BPO drug products from major US retailers and selected ion flow tube mass-spectrometry to quantify the release of benzene in real time. Benzene levels ranged from 0.16 ppm to 35.30 ppm, and 38 of the products (34%) had levels above the FDA limit of 2 ppm for drug products. “The results of the products sampled in this study suggest that formulation is likely the strongest contributor to benzene concentrations in BPO drug products that are commercially available, since the magnitude of benzene detected correlates most closely with specific brands or product types within certain brands,” the study authors wrote.

When the researchers tested the stability of a prescription encapsulated BPO drug product at cold (2 °C) and elevated temperature (50 °C), no apparent benzene formation was observed at 2 °C, whereas high levels of benzene formed at 50 °C, “suggesting that encapsulation technology may not stabilize BPO drug products, but cold storage may greatly reduce benzene formation,” they wrote.

In another component of the study, researchers exposed a BP drug product to a UVA/UVB lamp for 2 hours and found detectable benzene through evaporation and substantial benzene formation when exposed to UV light at levels below peak sunlight. The experiment “strongly justifies the package label warnings to avoid sun exposure when using BPO drug products,” the authors wrote. “Further evaluation to determine the influence of sun exposure on BPO drug product degradation and benzene formation is warranted.”

In an interview, John Barbieri, MD, MBA, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts characterized the findings as “an important issue that we should take seriously.” However, “we also must not overreact.” 

BPO is a foundational acne treatment without any clear alternative, he said, pointing out that no evidence currently exists “to support that routine use of benzoyl peroxide–containing products for acne is associated with a meaningful risk of benzene in the blood or an increased risk of cancer.”

And although it is prudent to minimize benzene exposure as much as possible, Barbieri continued, “it is not clear that these levels are a clinically meaningful incremental risk in the setting of an acne cream or wash. There is minimal cutaneous absorption of benzene, and it is uncertain how much benzene aerosolizes with routine use, particularly for washes which are not left on the skin.”

Bunick said that the combined data from this and the study published in March 2024 affected which BPO products he recommends for patients with acne. “I am using exclusively the triple combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-benzoyl peroxide) because I know it has the necessary cold supply chain in place to protect the product’s stability. I further encourage patients to place all their benzoyl peroxide–containing products in the refrigerator at home to reduce benzene formation and exposure.”

Bunick reported having served as an investigator and/or a consultant/speaker for many pharmaceutical companies, including as a consultant for Ortho-Dermatologics; but none related to this study. Barbieri reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

Among 111 prescription or over-the-counter products for acne that contain benzoyl peroxide (BPO), 38 (34%) contained benzene levels above the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit of 2 ppm, according to results from an analysis that used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and other methods.

The analysis, which was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology and expands on a similar study released more than 6 months ago, also found that encapsulated BPO products break down into benzene at room temperature but that refrigerating them may mitigate this effect.

“Our research provides the first experimental evidence that cold storage can help reduce the rate of benzoyl peroxide breakdown into benzene,” said one of the study authors, Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. “Therefore, cold storage throughout the entire supply chain — from manufacturing to patient use — is a reasonable and proportional measure at this time for those continuing to use benzoyl peroxide medicine.” One acne product, the newer prescription triple-combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-BPO) “already has a cold shipping process in place; the patient just needs to continue that at home,” he noted.

For the study — which was funded by an independent lab, Valisure — researchers led by Valisure CEO and founder David Light, used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect benzene levels in 111 BPO drug products from major US retailers and selected ion flow tube mass-spectrometry to quantify the release of benzene in real time. Benzene levels ranged from 0.16 ppm to 35.30 ppm, and 38 of the products (34%) had levels above the FDA limit of 2 ppm for drug products. “The results of the products sampled in this study suggest that formulation is likely the strongest contributor to benzene concentrations in BPO drug products that are commercially available, since the magnitude of benzene detected correlates most closely with specific brands or product types within certain brands,” the study authors wrote.

When the researchers tested the stability of a prescription encapsulated BPO drug product at cold (2 °C) and elevated temperature (50 °C), no apparent benzene formation was observed at 2 °C, whereas high levels of benzene formed at 50 °C, “suggesting that encapsulation technology may not stabilize BPO drug products, but cold storage may greatly reduce benzene formation,” they wrote.

In another component of the study, researchers exposed a BP drug product to a UVA/UVB lamp for 2 hours and found detectable benzene through evaporation and substantial benzene formation when exposed to UV light at levels below peak sunlight. The experiment “strongly justifies the package label warnings to avoid sun exposure when using BPO drug products,” the authors wrote. “Further evaluation to determine the influence of sun exposure on BPO drug product degradation and benzene formation is warranted.”

In an interview, John Barbieri, MD, MBA, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Advanced Acne Therapeutics Clinic at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts characterized the findings as “an important issue that we should take seriously.” However, “we also must not overreact.” 

BPO is a foundational acne treatment without any clear alternative, he said, pointing out that no evidence currently exists “to support that routine use of benzoyl peroxide–containing products for acne is associated with a meaningful risk of benzene in the blood or an increased risk of cancer.”

And although it is prudent to minimize benzene exposure as much as possible, Barbieri continued, “it is not clear that these levels are a clinically meaningful incremental risk in the setting of an acne cream or wash. There is minimal cutaneous absorption of benzene, and it is uncertain how much benzene aerosolizes with routine use, particularly for washes which are not left on the skin.”

Bunick said that the combined data from this and the study published in March 2024 affected which BPO products he recommends for patients with acne. “I am using exclusively the triple combination therapy (adapalene-clindamycin-benzoyl peroxide) because I know it has the necessary cold supply chain in place to protect the product’s stability. I further encourage patients to place all their benzoyl peroxide–containing products in the refrigerator at home to reduce benzene formation and exposure.”

Bunick reported having served as an investigator and/or a consultant/speaker for many pharmaceutical companies, including as a consultant for Ortho-Dermatologics; but none related to this study. Barbieri reported having no relevant disclosures.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Lasers and energy-based treatments alone or in combination with medical therapy may improve outcomes for patients with moderate to severe acne, according to Arielle Kauvar, MD.

At the Controversies and Conversations in Laser and Cosmetic Surgery annual symposium, Kauvar, director of New York Laser & Skin Care, New York City, highlighted several reasons why using lasers for acne is beneficial. “First, we know that topical therapy alone is often ineffective, and antibiotic treatment does not address the cause of acne and can alter the skin and gut microbiome,” she said. “Isotretinoin is highly effective, but there’s an increasing reluctance to use it. Lasers and energy devices are effective in treating acne and may also treat the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring associated with it.”

The pathogenesis of acne is multifactorial, she continued, including a disruption of sebaceous gland activity, with overproduction and alteration of sebum and abnormal follicular keratinization. Acne also causes an imbalance of the skin microbiome, local inflammation, and activation of both innate and adaptive immunity.

“Many studies point to the fact that inflammation and immune system activation may actually be the primary event” of acne formation, said Kauvar, who is also a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University, New York City. “This persistent immune activation is also associated with scarring,” she noted. “So, are we off the mark in terms of trying to kill sebaceous glands? Should we be concentrating on anti-inflammatory approaches?” 

AviClear became the first 1726-nm laser cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild to severe acne vulgaris in 2022, followed a few months later with the FDA clearance of another 1726-nm laser, the Accure Acne Laser System in November 2022. These lasers cause selective photothermolysis of sebaceous glands, but according to Kauvar, “access to these devices is somewhat limited at this time.”

What is available includes her go-to device, the pulsed dye laser (PDL), which has been widely studied and shown in a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to be effective for acne. The PDL “targets dermal blood vessels facilitating inflammation, upregulates TGF-beta, and inhibits CD4+ T cell-mediated inflammation,” she said. “It can also treat PIH [post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation] and may be helpful in scar prevention.”

In an abstract presented at The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 2024 annual meeting, Kauvar and colleagues conducted a real-world study of PDL therapy in 15 adult women with recalcitrant acne who were maintained on their medical treatment regimen. Their mean age was 27 years, and they had skin types II-IV; they underwent four monthly PDL treatments with follow-up at 1 and 3 months. At each visit, the researchers took digital photographs and counted inflammatory acne lesions, non-inflammatory acne lesions, and post-inflammatory pigment alteration (PIPA) lesions.

The main outcomes of interest were the investigator global assessment (IGA) scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits. Kauvar and colleagues observed a significant improvement in IGA scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits (P < .05), with an average decrease of 1.8 and 1.6 points in the acne severity scale, respectively, from a baseline score of 3.4. By the 3-month follow-up visits, counts of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions decreased significantly (P < .05), and 61% of study participants showed a decrease in the PIPA count. No adverse events occurred. 

Kauvar disclosed that she has conducted research for Candela, Lumenis, and Sofwave, and is an adviser to Acclaro.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Lasers and energy-based treatments alone or in combination with medical therapy may improve outcomes for patients with moderate to severe acne, according to Arielle Kauvar, MD.

At the Controversies and Conversations in Laser and Cosmetic Surgery annual symposium, Kauvar, director of New York Laser & Skin Care, New York City, highlighted several reasons why using lasers for acne is beneficial. “First, we know that topical therapy alone is often ineffective, and antibiotic treatment does not address the cause of acne and can alter the skin and gut microbiome,” she said. “Isotretinoin is highly effective, but there’s an increasing reluctance to use it. Lasers and energy devices are effective in treating acne and may also treat the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring associated with it.”

The pathogenesis of acne is multifactorial, she continued, including a disruption of sebaceous gland activity, with overproduction and alteration of sebum and abnormal follicular keratinization. Acne also causes an imbalance of the skin microbiome, local inflammation, and activation of both innate and adaptive immunity.

“Many studies point to the fact that inflammation and immune system activation may actually be the primary event” of acne formation, said Kauvar, who is also a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University, New York City. “This persistent immune activation is also associated with scarring,” she noted. “So, are we off the mark in terms of trying to kill sebaceous glands? Should we be concentrating on anti-inflammatory approaches?” 

AviClear became the first 1726-nm laser cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild to severe acne vulgaris in 2022, followed a few months later with the FDA clearance of another 1726-nm laser, the Accure Acne Laser System in November 2022. These lasers cause selective photothermolysis of sebaceous glands, but according to Kauvar, “access to these devices is somewhat limited at this time.”

What is available includes her go-to device, the pulsed dye laser (PDL), which has been widely studied and shown in a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to be effective for acne. The PDL “targets dermal blood vessels facilitating inflammation, upregulates TGF-beta, and inhibits CD4+ T cell-mediated inflammation,” she said. “It can also treat PIH [post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation] and may be helpful in scar prevention.”

In an abstract presented at The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 2024 annual meeting, Kauvar and colleagues conducted a real-world study of PDL therapy in 15 adult women with recalcitrant acne who were maintained on their medical treatment regimen. Their mean age was 27 years, and they had skin types II-IV; they underwent four monthly PDL treatments with follow-up at 1 and 3 months. At each visit, the researchers took digital photographs and counted inflammatory acne lesions, non-inflammatory acne lesions, and post-inflammatory pigment alteration (PIPA) lesions.

The main outcomes of interest were the investigator global assessment (IGA) scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits. Kauvar and colleagues observed a significant improvement in IGA scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits (P < .05), with an average decrease of 1.8 and 1.6 points in the acne severity scale, respectively, from a baseline score of 3.4. By the 3-month follow-up visits, counts of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions decreased significantly (P < .05), and 61% of study participants showed a decrease in the PIPA count. No adverse events occurred. 

Kauvar disclosed that she has conducted research for Candela, Lumenis, and Sofwave, and is an adviser to Acclaro.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.

CARLSBAD, CALIF. — Lasers and energy-based treatments alone or in combination with medical therapy may improve outcomes for patients with moderate to severe acne, according to Arielle Kauvar, MD.

At the Controversies and Conversations in Laser and Cosmetic Surgery annual symposium, Kauvar, director of New York Laser & Skin Care, New York City, highlighted several reasons why using lasers for acne is beneficial. “First, we know that topical therapy alone is often ineffective, and antibiotic treatment does not address the cause of acne and can alter the skin and gut microbiome,” she said. “Isotretinoin is highly effective, but there’s an increasing reluctance to use it. Lasers and energy devices are effective in treating acne and may also treat the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and scarring associated with it.”

The pathogenesis of acne is multifactorial, she continued, including a disruption of sebaceous gland activity, with overproduction and alteration of sebum and abnormal follicular keratinization. Acne also causes an imbalance of the skin microbiome, local inflammation, and activation of both innate and adaptive immunity.

“Many studies point to the fact that inflammation and immune system activation may actually be the primary event” of acne formation, said Kauvar, who is also a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University, New York City. “This persistent immune activation is also associated with scarring,” she noted. “So, are we off the mark in terms of trying to kill sebaceous glands? Should we be concentrating on anti-inflammatory approaches?” 

AviClear became the first 1726-nm laser cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mild to severe acne vulgaris in 2022, followed a few months later with the FDA clearance of another 1726-nm laser, the Accure Acne Laser System in November 2022. These lasers cause selective photothermolysis of sebaceous glands, but according to Kauvar, “access to these devices is somewhat limited at this time.”

What is available includes her go-to device, the pulsed dye laser (PDL), which has been widely studied and shown in a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to be effective for acne. The PDL “targets dermal blood vessels facilitating inflammation, upregulates TGF-beta, and inhibits CD4+ T cell-mediated inflammation,” she said. “It can also treat PIH [post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation] and may be helpful in scar prevention.”

In an abstract presented at The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) 2024 annual meeting, Kauvar and colleagues conducted a real-world study of PDL therapy in 15 adult women with recalcitrant acne who were maintained on their medical treatment regimen. Their mean age was 27 years, and they had skin types II-IV; they underwent four monthly PDL treatments with follow-up at 1 and 3 months. At each visit, the researchers took digital photographs and counted inflammatory acne lesions, non-inflammatory acne lesions, and post-inflammatory pigment alteration (PIPA) lesions.

The main outcomes of interest were the investigator global assessment (IGA) scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits. Kauvar and colleagues observed a significant improvement in IGA scores at the 1- and 3-month follow-up visits (P < .05), with an average decrease of 1.8 and 1.6 points in the acne severity scale, respectively, from a baseline score of 3.4. By the 3-month follow-up visits, counts of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions decreased significantly (P < .05), and 61% of study participants showed a decrease in the PIPA count. No adverse events occurred. 

Kauvar disclosed that she has conducted research for Candela, Lumenis, and Sofwave, and is an adviser to Acclaro.

A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.