TBD Meeting (3096-19)

AUSTIN, TEX. – If a child presents with acute photosensitivity at a young age, onset of freckling before the age of 2 years, and severe sun damage of the lips and eyes, think xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare autosomal recessive disorder.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Other telltale symptoms of XP include the presence of skin cancer at an early age and a large number of skin cancers.

At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, John J. DiGiovanna, MD, described XP as a disorder of genomic instability, which has no cure. It’s caused by a mutation in genes XPA through XPG and the XP variant (XPV) gene. “The genome controls our genes, and UV rays damage DNA,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who is a senior research physician at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Cancer and Biology and Genetics, Bethesda, Md. “This damage from UV radiation is similar to damage from chemical agents that form DNA adducts, such as cigarette smoke and certain chemotherapy agents such as cisplatinum.”

XP patients present with or without acute burning after minimal sun exposure, while children with both subtypes develop “freckling” by the time they reach 2 years of age. Dr. DiGiovanna pointed out that lentigo maligna lesions associated with XP resemble freckles at first glance, yet they vary in size, intensity, and border. Meanwhile, freckles in healthy patients are similar in size, are light tan in color, and have a regular border.

“The burning with minimal sun exposure that occurs during childhood leads to pigmentary changes, atrophy, xerosis, and telangiectasias,” he said. A follow-up analysis of 106 XP patients admitted to the National Institutes of Health between 1971 and 2009 found that patients were diagnosed with their first nonmelanoma skin cancer at a median age of 9 years, compared with age 67 among those in the general population (J Med Genet 2011 Mar;48[3]:168-76). “This is a 58-year decrease in age at risk, which is a 10,000-fold increase in skin cancer,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who was one of the study authors.

Melanoma also occurs at an earlier age among XP patients – a median age of 22 years, compared with a median of 55 years in the general population. “In the general population, melanoma occurs at a younger age than nonmelanoma skin cancer, while in the XP population, melanoma occurs at an older age,” he said. “This is giving us a good biologic lesson that the melanoma induction mechanism must be different from nonmelanoma skin cancer.”

He recalled one XP patient who was followed by NIH researchers for 4 decades. She worked in a doctor’s office and drove a car, but developed progressive neurologic degeneration and died at the age of 40. “This was not due to unrepaired UV damage, but there are other agents which damage other neurons,” Dr. DiGiovanna explained. “Over time, what you get is a decrease in brain volume, an increase in the brain ventricles, and a loss of brain tissue. At postmortem examination, her brain was of infantile size, compared with that of an equivalent 40-year-old. This is a disease of neuronal loss, and it’s progressive. Only about 20%-25% of XP patients experience neural degeneration.”

Management of XP involves strict sun avoidance, including use of a portable UV meter and many layers of UV protection, including application of sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, sunglasses, hats, and face shields, and the use of UV-blocking window film, LED lights, and a vitamin D diet or oral supplementation. Affected individuals also require frequent skin monitoring by the patients and their family members, frequent dermatologic exams by clinicians, biopsy of suspicious lesions, removal of any skin cancers found, field treatments with agents such as 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod, and chemoprevention with oral retinoids for patients who are actively developing large numbers of new lesions (N Engl J Med. 1988 Jun23;318[25]:1633-7).

“Probably the most important thing you can do is refer them to patient support groups,” Dr. DiGiovanna said. “They are present in many countries and can help them manage the day-to-day issues of their condition.” Support groups based in North America include the XP Family Support Group, XP Society, and XP Grupo Luz De Esperanza.

Dr. DiGiovanna reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – If a child presents with acute photosensitivity at a young age, onset of freckling before the age of 2 years, and severe sun damage of the lips and eyes, think xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare autosomal recessive disorder.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Other telltale symptoms of XP include the presence of skin cancer at an early age and a large number of skin cancers.

At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, John J. DiGiovanna, MD, described XP as a disorder of genomic instability, which has no cure. It’s caused by a mutation in genes XPA through XPG and the XP variant (XPV) gene. “The genome controls our genes, and UV rays damage DNA,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who is a senior research physician at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Cancer and Biology and Genetics, Bethesda, Md. “This damage from UV radiation is similar to damage from chemical agents that form DNA adducts, such as cigarette smoke and certain chemotherapy agents such as cisplatinum.”

XP patients present with or without acute burning after minimal sun exposure, while children with both subtypes develop “freckling” by the time they reach 2 years of age. Dr. DiGiovanna pointed out that lentigo maligna lesions associated with XP resemble freckles at first glance, yet they vary in size, intensity, and border. Meanwhile, freckles in healthy patients are similar in size, are light tan in color, and have a regular border.

“The burning with minimal sun exposure that occurs during childhood leads to pigmentary changes, atrophy, xerosis, and telangiectasias,” he said. A follow-up analysis of 106 XP patients admitted to the National Institutes of Health between 1971 and 2009 found that patients were diagnosed with their first nonmelanoma skin cancer at a median age of 9 years, compared with age 67 among those in the general population (J Med Genet 2011 Mar;48[3]:168-76). “This is a 58-year decrease in age at risk, which is a 10,000-fold increase in skin cancer,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who was one of the study authors.

Melanoma also occurs at an earlier age among XP patients – a median age of 22 years, compared with a median of 55 years in the general population. “In the general population, melanoma occurs at a younger age than nonmelanoma skin cancer, while in the XP population, melanoma occurs at an older age,” he said. “This is giving us a good biologic lesson that the melanoma induction mechanism must be different from nonmelanoma skin cancer.”

He recalled one XP patient who was followed by NIH researchers for 4 decades. She worked in a doctor’s office and drove a car, but developed progressive neurologic degeneration and died at the age of 40. “This was not due to unrepaired UV damage, but there are other agents which damage other neurons,” Dr. DiGiovanna explained. “Over time, what you get is a decrease in brain volume, an increase in the brain ventricles, and a loss of brain tissue. At postmortem examination, her brain was of infantile size, compared with that of an equivalent 40-year-old. This is a disease of neuronal loss, and it’s progressive. Only about 20%-25% of XP patients experience neural degeneration.”

Management of XP involves strict sun avoidance, including use of a portable UV meter and many layers of UV protection, including application of sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, sunglasses, hats, and face shields, and the use of UV-blocking window film, LED lights, and a vitamin D diet or oral supplementation. Affected individuals also require frequent skin monitoring by the patients and their family members, frequent dermatologic exams by clinicians, biopsy of suspicious lesions, removal of any skin cancers found, field treatments with agents such as 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod, and chemoprevention with oral retinoids for patients who are actively developing large numbers of new lesions (N Engl J Med. 1988 Jun23;318[25]:1633-7).

“Probably the most important thing you can do is refer them to patient support groups,” Dr. DiGiovanna said. “They are present in many countries and can help them manage the day-to-day issues of their condition.” Support groups based in North America include the XP Family Support Group, XP Society, and XP Grupo Luz De Esperanza.

Dr. DiGiovanna reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – If a child presents with acute photosensitivity at a young age, onset of freckling before the age of 2 years, and severe sun damage of the lips and eyes, think xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare autosomal recessive disorder.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Other telltale symptoms of XP include the presence of skin cancer at an early age and a large number of skin cancers.

At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, John J. DiGiovanna, MD, described XP as a disorder of genomic instability, which has no cure. It’s caused by a mutation in genes XPA through XPG and the XP variant (XPV) gene. “The genome controls our genes, and UV rays damage DNA,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who is a senior research physician at the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Cancer and Biology and Genetics, Bethesda, Md. “This damage from UV radiation is similar to damage from chemical agents that form DNA adducts, such as cigarette smoke and certain chemotherapy agents such as cisplatinum.”

XP patients present with or without acute burning after minimal sun exposure, while children with both subtypes develop “freckling” by the time they reach 2 years of age. Dr. DiGiovanna pointed out that lentigo maligna lesions associated with XP resemble freckles at first glance, yet they vary in size, intensity, and border. Meanwhile, freckles in healthy patients are similar in size, are light tan in color, and have a regular border.

“The burning with minimal sun exposure that occurs during childhood leads to pigmentary changes, atrophy, xerosis, and telangiectasias,” he said. A follow-up analysis of 106 XP patients admitted to the National Institutes of Health between 1971 and 2009 found that patients were diagnosed with their first nonmelanoma skin cancer at a median age of 9 years, compared with age 67 among those in the general population (J Med Genet 2011 Mar;48[3]:168-76). “This is a 58-year decrease in age at risk, which is a 10,000-fold increase in skin cancer,” said Dr. DiGiovanna, who was one of the study authors.

Melanoma also occurs at an earlier age among XP patients – a median age of 22 years, compared with a median of 55 years in the general population. “In the general population, melanoma occurs at a younger age than nonmelanoma skin cancer, while in the XP population, melanoma occurs at an older age,” he said. “This is giving us a good biologic lesson that the melanoma induction mechanism must be different from nonmelanoma skin cancer.”

He recalled one XP patient who was followed by NIH researchers for 4 decades. She worked in a doctor’s office and drove a car, but developed progressive neurologic degeneration and died at the age of 40. “This was not due to unrepaired UV damage, but there are other agents which damage other neurons,” Dr. DiGiovanna explained. “Over time, what you get is a decrease in brain volume, an increase in the brain ventricles, and a loss of brain tissue. At postmortem examination, her brain was of infantile size, compared with that of an equivalent 40-year-old. This is a disease of neuronal loss, and it’s progressive. Only about 20%-25% of XP patients experience neural degeneration.”

Management of XP involves strict sun avoidance, including use of a portable UV meter and many layers of UV protection, including application of sunscreen, wearing protective clothing, sunglasses, hats, and face shields, and the use of UV-blocking window film, LED lights, and a vitamin D diet or oral supplementation. Affected individuals also require frequent skin monitoring by the patients and their family members, frequent dermatologic exams by clinicians, biopsy of suspicious lesions, removal of any skin cancers found, field treatments with agents such as 5-fluorouracil and imiquimod, and chemoprevention with oral retinoids for patients who are actively developing large numbers of new lesions (N Engl J Med. 1988 Jun23;318[25]:1633-7).

“Probably the most important thing you can do is refer them to patient support groups,” Dr. DiGiovanna said. “They are present in many countries and can help them manage the day-to-day issues of their condition.” Support groups based in North America include the XP Family Support Group, XP Society, and XP Grupo Luz De Esperanza.

Dr. DiGiovanna reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Kelly M. Cordoro sees it, the most difficult part of managing pediatric patients with severe psoriasis is not in the logistics of prescribing a drug, it’s deciding which drug to use for which patient.

“You can look up the dosing and frequency of these drugs; all of that’s available,” she said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “But how do we think about which drug for which patient? What are the considerations?”

Dr. Cordoro, professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, described psoriasis as an autoamplifying inflammatory cascade involving innate and adaptive immunity and noted that various components of that cascade represent treatment targets. “We don’t have a true comprehension of the pathophysiology of psoriasis, but as we learn the pathways, we’re targeting them,” she said. “You can target keratinocyte proliferation with drugs like retinoids and phototherapy. You can broadly target T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells with methotrexate, cyclosporine, and phototherapy. The newer drugs target the cytokine milieu, including TNF [tumor necrosis factor]–alpha, IL [interleukin]–17A, IL-12, and IL-23.”

There is no one right answer for which drug to prescribe, she continued, except in the cases of certain comorbidities, contraindications, and genetic variants. “For example, if a patient has psoriatic arthritis, then you have methotrexate and all of the biologics that might be disease modifying,” she said. “If a patient has inflammatory bowel disease, it’s critical to know that IL-17 inhibitors will flare that disease, but anti-TNF and IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitors are okay. If a patient has liver and kidney disease, you want to avoid methotrexate and cyclosporine. If there’s a female of childbearing potential you want to be very cautious with using retinoids. I think the harder question for us is, How about the rest of the patients?”

In addition to a drug’s mechanism of action, patient- and family-related factors play a role in deciding which agent to use. For example, does the patient prefer an oral or an injectable agent? Is the patient able to travel to a phototherapy center? Is it feasible for the family to manage visits for lab work and direct clinical monitoring? Does the family have a high level of health literacy and are you communicating with them in ways that facilitate shared decision making?

“The best way to choose a systemic therapy is to develop an individualized assessment of overall disease burden,” said Dr. Cordoro, who is also division chief of pediatric dermatology at UCSF. “Include psychological burden and subjective data in addition to objective measures like body surface area. Look for triggers. Infants are more commonly affected by viral infections and, in a subset, monogenic forms of psoriasis such as deficiency of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist [DIRA]. In general, we try to take a conservative approach in the developing child. As children hit early adolescence and become post pubertal, you have to start thinking about the psychosocial impact [of psoriasis], and we have to start treating patients with the consideration that chronic uncontrolled inflammation can potentially lead to comorbidities down the road. We see this in adults with severe psoriasis and early onset cardiovascular disease, the so-called psoriatic march from chronic inflammation to cardiovascular disease.”

Dr. Cordoro advises clinicians to rethink the conventional “therapeutic ladder” concept and embrace the idea of “finding the right tool for the job right now.” If a patient presents with a flare from a known trigger such as a strep infection, “maybe you want to treat with something more conservative,” she said. “Once you treat, and if the trigger has been managed, they might be better. But some patients will need the most aggressive treatment right out of the gate.”

Tried and true systemic therapies for psoriasis include methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, and phototherapy, but none is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children. “These drugs have decades of experience behind them,” Dr. Cordoro said. “Methotrexate is slow to start but has a sustained profile, so if you can get the patient to respond, that response tends to persist. Methotrexate also prevents the formation of antidrug antibodies, which is important if you are considering use of a biologic agent later on.”

Cyclosporine is best if you need a rapid rescue drug to get the disease under control before moving on to other options. “One in four patients relapse once cyclosporine is discontinued, so the benefit may not be as sustained as with methotrexate,” she said. “Acitretin is a really nice choice when you can’t or don’t want to immunosuppress the patient, and phototherapy is good if you can get it. The advantages of systemic therapies are that they’re easy on, easy off, and you can combine medications in severe situations. Almost all of these drugs can be combined with another, with few exceptions. I would caution that over immunosuppression is the biggest risk ... so this must be done carefully and only when necessary.”

Biologic agents such as TNF inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors are playing an increasing role in pediatric psoriasis. They can be expensive and difficult for some insurance plans to cover, but offer the convenience of better efficacy and less frequent lab monitoring than conventional systemics. In the United States, etanercept and ustekinumab are approved for moderate to severe pediatric plaque psoriasis in patients as young as age 4 and 12 years, respectively. TNF inhibitors have accumulated the most data in children, while data are accumulating in trials of IL-17 inhibitors, IL-23 inhibitors, and PDE4 inhibitors.

“These drugs have reassuring safety profiles; low rates of infection and adverse reactions,” Dr. Cordoro said of biologic agents. “They’ve changed the landscape completely because now the expectation is complete or near-complete clearance. In contrast to the systemic agents, which may be started and stopped repeatedly, you need to think about continuous therapy, because these drugs are immunogenic,” she noted. “Whether antibodies against them become neutralizing or not is a different case. If a patient does have antibodies, it does not mean you have to stop the drug. Dose escalation can help. Increasing frequency of use of the drug can help, but patients will develop antibodies and it may result in loss of efficacy or reactions to the drug,” she added.

“When you’re thinking about using a biologic agent, think about patients who are chronic, moderate to severe, and who will need more long-term therapy. Most importantly, treatment should be individualized, as there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

Dr. Cordoro disclosed that she is a member of the Celgene Corporation Scientific Steering Committee.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Kelly M. Cordoro sees it, the most difficult part of managing pediatric patients with severe psoriasis is not in the logistics of prescribing a drug, it’s deciding which drug to use for which patient.

“You can look up the dosing and frequency of these drugs; all of that’s available,” she said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “But how do we think about which drug for which patient? What are the considerations?”

Dr. Cordoro, professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, described psoriasis as an autoamplifying inflammatory cascade involving innate and adaptive immunity and noted that various components of that cascade represent treatment targets. “We don’t have a true comprehension of the pathophysiology of psoriasis, but as we learn the pathways, we’re targeting them,” she said. “You can target keratinocyte proliferation with drugs like retinoids and phototherapy. You can broadly target T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells with methotrexate, cyclosporine, and phototherapy. The newer drugs target the cytokine milieu, including TNF [tumor necrosis factor]–alpha, IL [interleukin]–17A, IL-12, and IL-23.”

There is no one right answer for which drug to prescribe, she continued, except in the cases of certain comorbidities, contraindications, and genetic variants. “For example, if a patient has psoriatic arthritis, then you have methotrexate and all of the biologics that might be disease modifying,” she said. “If a patient has inflammatory bowel disease, it’s critical to know that IL-17 inhibitors will flare that disease, but anti-TNF and IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitors are okay. If a patient has liver and kidney disease, you want to avoid methotrexate and cyclosporine. If there’s a female of childbearing potential you want to be very cautious with using retinoids. I think the harder question for us is, How about the rest of the patients?”

In addition to a drug’s mechanism of action, patient- and family-related factors play a role in deciding which agent to use. For example, does the patient prefer an oral or an injectable agent? Is the patient able to travel to a phototherapy center? Is it feasible for the family to manage visits for lab work and direct clinical monitoring? Does the family have a high level of health literacy and are you communicating with them in ways that facilitate shared decision making?

“The best way to choose a systemic therapy is to develop an individualized assessment of overall disease burden,” said Dr. Cordoro, who is also division chief of pediatric dermatology at UCSF. “Include psychological burden and subjective data in addition to objective measures like body surface area. Look for triggers. Infants are more commonly affected by viral infections and, in a subset, monogenic forms of psoriasis such as deficiency of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist [DIRA]. In general, we try to take a conservative approach in the developing child. As children hit early adolescence and become post pubertal, you have to start thinking about the psychosocial impact [of psoriasis], and we have to start treating patients with the consideration that chronic uncontrolled inflammation can potentially lead to comorbidities down the road. We see this in adults with severe psoriasis and early onset cardiovascular disease, the so-called psoriatic march from chronic inflammation to cardiovascular disease.”

Dr. Cordoro advises clinicians to rethink the conventional “therapeutic ladder” concept and embrace the idea of “finding the right tool for the job right now.” If a patient presents with a flare from a known trigger such as a strep infection, “maybe you want to treat with something more conservative,” she said. “Once you treat, and if the trigger has been managed, they might be better. But some patients will need the most aggressive treatment right out of the gate.”

Tried and true systemic therapies for psoriasis include methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, and phototherapy, but none is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children. “These drugs have decades of experience behind them,” Dr. Cordoro said. “Methotrexate is slow to start but has a sustained profile, so if you can get the patient to respond, that response tends to persist. Methotrexate also prevents the formation of antidrug antibodies, which is important if you are considering use of a biologic agent later on.”

Cyclosporine is best if you need a rapid rescue drug to get the disease under control before moving on to other options. “One in four patients relapse once cyclosporine is discontinued, so the benefit may not be as sustained as with methotrexate,” she said. “Acitretin is a really nice choice when you can’t or don’t want to immunosuppress the patient, and phototherapy is good if you can get it. The advantages of systemic therapies are that they’re easy on, easy off, and you can combine medications in severe situations. Almost all of these drugs can be combined with another, with few exceptions. I would caution that over immunosuppression is the biggest risk ... so this must be done carefully and only when necessary.”

Biologic agents such as TNF inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors are playing an increasing role in pediatric psoriasis. They can be expensive and difficult for some insurance plans to cover, but offer the convenience of better efficacy and less frequent lab monitoring than conventional systemics. In the United States, etanercept and ustekinumab are approved for moderate to severe pediatric plaque psoriasis in patients as young as age 4 and 12 years, respectively. TNF inhibitors have accumulated the most data in children, while data are accumulating in trials of IL-17 inhibitors, IL-23 inhibitors, and PDE4 inhibitors.

“These drugs have reassuring safety profiles; low rates of infection and adverse reactions,” Dr. Cordoro said of biologic agents. “They’ve changed the landscape completely because now the expectation is complete or near-complete clearance. In contrast to the systemic agents, which may be started and stopped repeatedly, you need to think about continuous therapy, because these drugs are immunogenic,” she noted. “Whether antibodies against them become neutralizing or not is a different case. If a patient does have antibodies, it does not mean you have to stop the drug. Dose escalation can help. Increasing frequency of use of the drug can help, but patients will develop antibodies and it may result in loss of efficacy or reactions to the drug,” she added.

“When you’re thinking about using a biologic agent, think about patients who are chronic, moderate to severe, and who will need more long-term therapy. Most importantly, treatment should be individualized, as there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

Dr. Cordoro disclosed that she is a member of the Celgene Corporation Scientific Steering Committee.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Kelly M. Cordoro sees it, the most difficult part of managing pediatric patients with severe psoriasis is not in the logistics of prescribing a drug, it’s deciding which drug to use for which patient.

“You can look up the dosing and frequency of these drugs; all of that’s available,” she said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “But how do we think about which drug for which patient? What are the considerations?”

Dr. Cordoro, professor of dermatology and pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, described psoriasis as an autoamplifying inflammatory cascade involving innate and adaptive immunity and noted that various components of that cascade represent treatment targets. “We don’t have a true comprehension of the pathophysiology of psoriasis, but as we learn the pathways, we’re targeting them,” she said. “You can target keratinocyte proliferation with drugs like retinoids and phototherapy. You can broadly target T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells with methotrexate, cyclosporine, and phototherapy. The newer drugs target the cytokine milieu, including TNF [tumor necrosis factor]–alpha, IL [interleukin]–17A, IL-12, and IL-23.”

There is no one right answer for which drug to prescribe, she continued, except in the cases of certain comorbidities, contraindications, and genetic variants. “For example, if a patient has psoriatic arthritis, then you have methotrexate and all of the biologics that might be disease modifying,” she said. “If a patient has inflammatory bowel disease, it’s critical to know that IL-17 inhibitors will flare that disease, but anti-TNF and IL-12 and IL-23 inhibitors are okay. If a patient has liver and kidney disease, you want to avoid methotrexate and cyclosporine. If there’s a female of childbearing potential you want to be very cautious with using retinoids. I think the harder question for us is, How about the rest of the patients?”

In addition to a drug’s mechanism of action, patient- and family-related factors play a role in deciding which agent to use. For example, does the patient prefer an oral or an injectable agent? Is the patient able to travel to a phototherapy center? Is it feasible for the family to manage visits for lab work and direct clinical monitoring? Does the family have a high level of health literacy and are you communicating with them in ways that facilitate shared decision making?

“The best way to choose a systemic therapy is to develop an individualized assessment of overall disease burden,” said Dr. Cordoro, who is also division chief of pediatric dermatology at UCSF. “Include psychological burden and subjective data in addition to objective measures like body surface area. Look for triggers. Infants are more commonly affected by viral infections and, in a subset, monogenic forms of psoriasis such as deficiency of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist [DIRA]. In general, we try to take a conservative approach in the developing child. As children hit early adolescence and become post pubertal, you have to start thinking about the psychosocial impact [of psoriasis], and we have to start treating patients with the consideration that chronic uncontrolled inflammation can potentially lead to comorbidities down the road. We see this in adults with severe psoriasis and early onset cardiovascular disease, the so-called psoriatic march from chronic inflammation to cardiovascular disease.”

Dr. Cordoro advises clinicians to rethink the conventional “therapeutic ladder” concept and embrace the idea of “finding the right tool for the job right now.” If a patient presents with a flare from a known trigger such as a strep infection, “maybe you want to treat with something more conservative,” she said. “Once you treat, and if the trigger has been managed, they might be better. But some patients will need the most aggressive treatment right out of the gate.”

Tried and true systemic therapies for psoriasis include methotrexate, cyclosporine, acitretin, and phototherapy, but none is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children. “These drugs have decades of experience behind them,” Dr. Cordoro said. “Methotrexate is slow to start but has a sustained profile, so if you can get the patient to respond, that response tends to persist. Methotrexate also prevents the formation of antidrug antibodies, which is important if you are considering use of a biologic agent later on.”

Cyclosporine is best if you need a rapid rescue drug to get the disease under control before moving on to other options. “One in four patients relapse once cyclosporine is discontinued, so the benefit may not be as sustained as with methotrexate,” she said. “Acitretin is a really nice choice when you can’t or don’t want to immunosuppress the patient, and phototherapy is good if you can get it. The advantages of systemic therapies are that they’re easy on, easy off, and you can combine medications in severe situations. Almost all of these drugs can be combined with another, with few exceptions. I would caution that over immunosuppression is the biggest risk ... so this must be done carefully and only when necessary.”

Biologic agents such as TNF inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors are playing an increasing role in pediatric psoriasis. They can be expensive and difficult for some insurance plans to cover, but offer the convenience of better efficacy and less frequent lab monitoring than conventional systemics. In the United States, etanercept and ustekinumab are approved for moderate to severe pediatric plaque psoriasis in patients as young as age 4 and 12 years, respectively. TNF inhibitors have accumulated the most data in children, while data are accumulating in trials of IL-17 inhibitors, IL-23 inhibitors, and PDE4 inhibitors.

“These drugs have reassuring safety profiles; low rates of infection and adverse reactions,” Dr. Cordoro said of biologic agents. “They’ve changed the landscape completely because now the expectation is complete or near-complete clearance. In contrast to the systemic agents, which may be started and stopped repeatedly, you need to think about continuous therapy, because these drugs are immunogenic,” she noted. “Whether antibodies against them become neutralizing or not is a different case. If a patient does have antibodies, it does not mean you have to stop the drug. Dose escalation can help. Increasing frequency of use of the drug can help, but patients will develop antibodies and it may result in loss of efficacy or reactions to the drug,” she added.

“When you’re thinking about using a biologic agent, think about patients who are chronic, moderate to severe, and who will need more long-term therapy. Most importantly, treatment should be individualized, as there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach.”

Dr. Cordoro disclosed that she is a member of the Celgene Corporation Scientific Steering Committee.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – For children and adolescents with severe, refractory atopic dermatitis, Peter A. Lio, MD, often turns to cyclosporine as his systemic treatment of choice.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Cyclosporine “works quickly, and it’s very reliable,” Dr. Lio said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “In my experience, more than 90% of patients will see significant improvement, but there are real risks, including hypertension, kidney damage, monthly blood work, tremor, hypertrichosis, gum hypertrophy, and cancer/infection risk.”

To mitigate those risks, Dr. Lio, of the departments of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University, Chicago, prescribes cyclosporine for 3-6 months at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day with a cap of 300 mg per day to “to cool things down.” He then transitions patients to phototherapy or mycophenolate right away. “Those are my two favorites,” he said. “Methotrexate can also be used, but I rarely use azathioprine.

“If you do this, you avoid most of the major risks and you can put people in a remission. More than half of the time, maybe two-thirds of the time, I get them into at least a relative remission,” Dr. Lio said.

While patients are on cyclosporine, blood pressure should be monitored each week for 4 weeks, and then monthly, he said. Draws for complete blood count, liver function tests, comprehensive metabolic panel, uric acid, and lipids should be performed monthly for 3 months, then every 8 weeks, he advised. Dr. Lio typically maintains the cyclosporine for 3 months, then tapers patients off the drug.

Patients who continue to struggle for relief might try taking cyclosporine on weekends only, a concept reported by Spanish investigators in 2015 (Pediatr Dermatol 2015 32[4]:551-2). “This involves twice-daily full dosing just on Saturdays and Sundays,” Dr. Lio said. “I now have quite a few patients doing well with this approach.”

Dr. Lio disclosed having financial ties to numerous pharmaceutical companies but none related to cyclosporine.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – For children and adolescents with severe, refractory atopic dermatitis, Peter A. Lio, MD, often turns to cyclosporine as his systemic treatment of choice.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Cyclosporine “works quickly, and it’s very reliable,” Dr. Lio said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “In my experience, more than 90% of patients will see significant improvement, but there are real risks, including hypertension, kidney damage, monthly blood work, tremor, hypertrichosis, gum hypertrophy, and cancer/infection risk.”

To mitigate those risks, Dr. Lio, of the departments of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University, Chicago, prescribes cyclosporine for 3-6 months at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day with a cap of 300 mg per day to “to cool things down.” He then transitions patients to phototherapy or mycophenolate right away. “Those are my two favorites,” he said. “Methotrexate can also be used, but I rarely use azathioprine.

“If you do this, you avoid most of the major risks and you can put people in a remission. More than half of the time, maybe two-thirds of the time, I get them into at least a relative remission,” Dr. Lio said.

While patients are on cyclosporine, blood pressure should be monitored each week for 4 weeks, and then monthly, he said. Draws for complete blood count, liver function tests, comprehensive metabolic panel, uric acid, and lipids should be performed monthly for 3 months, then every 8 weeks, he advised. Dr. Lio typically maintains the cyclosporine for 3 months, then tapers patients off the drug.

Patients who continue to struggle for relief might try taking cyclosporine on weekends only, a concept reported by Spanish investigators in 2015 (Pediatr Dermatol 2015 32[4]:551-2). “This involves twice-daily full dosing just on Saturdays and Sundays,” Dr. Lio said. “I now have quite a few patients doing well with this approach.”

Dr. Lio disclosed having financial ties to numerous pharmaceutical companies but none related to cyclosporine.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – For children and adolescents with severe, refractory atopic dermatitis, Peter A. Lio, MD, often turns to cyclosporine as his systemic treatment of choice.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Cyclosporine “works quickly, and it’s very reliable,” Dr. Lio said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “In my experience, more than 90% of patients will see significant improvement, but there are real risks, including hypertension, kidney damage, monthly blood work, tremor, hypertrichosis, gum hypertrophy, and cancer/infection risk.”

To mitigate those risks, Dr. Lio, of the departments of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University, Chicago, prescribes cyclosporine for 3-6 months at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day with a cap of 300 mg per day to “to cool things down.” He then transitions patients to phototherapy or mycophenolate right away. “Those are my two favorites,” he said. “Methotrexate can also be used, but I rarely use azathioprine.

“If you do this, you avoid most of the major risks and you can put people in a remission. More than half of the time, maybe two-thirds of the time, I get them into at least a relative remission,” Dr. Lio said.

While patients are on cyclosporine, blood pressure should be monitored each week for 4 weeks, and then monthly, he said. Draws for complete blood count, liver function tests, comprehensive metabolic panel, uric acid, and lipids should be performed monthly for 3 months, then every 8 weeks, he advised. Dr. Lio typically maintains the cyclosporine for 3 months, then tapers patients off the drug.

Patients who continue to struggle for relief might try taking cyclosporine on weekends only, a concept reported by Spanish investigators in 2015 (Pediatr Dermatol 2015 32[4]:551-2). “This involves twice-daily full dosing just on Saturdays and Sundays,” Dr. Lio said. “I now have quite a few patients doing well with this approach.”

Dr. Lio disclosed having financial ties to numerous pharmaceutical companies but none related to cyclosporine.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who used dupilumab experienced significant improvements in signs and symptoms of the condition, with minimal safety concerns, according to results of a phase 3 study.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

“Dupilumab works as effectively in adolescents as in adults,” Randy Prescilla, MD, one of the study authors, said in an interview at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “It gives us promise that we could go into other age groups with the same optimism. We are enrolling patients in even younger age groups.”

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study analyzed the efficacy and safety of dupilumab monotherapy in patients between the ages of 12 and 17 years with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) inadequately controlled with topical therapies. In the United States, dupilumab is approved for those aged 12 years and older with moderate to severe disease inadequately controlled by topical prescription treatments or when those therapies are not advisable.

For the 16-week study, Dr. Prescilla, global medical affairs director of pediatric dermatology for Sanofi Genzyme, and colleagues randomized 251 patients to one of three groups: dupilumab every 2 weeks (200 mg if baseline weight was less than 60 kg; 300 mg if that weight was 60 kg or more); 300 mg dupilumab every 4 weeks; or placebo every 2 weeks.

At week 16, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the two drug treatment groups had Investigator’s Global Assessment scores of 0/1, compared with those in the placebo group (24.4%, 17.9%, and 2.4%) as well as a significantly higher percentage of patients who achieved at least a 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score (41.5%, 38.1%, and 8.2%).

In addition, patients in the two drug treatment groups experienced improved percent change in least square-means on the EASI from baseline to week 16, compared with those in the placebo group (–65.9%, –64.8%, and –23.6%), the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (–47.9%, –45.5%, and –19.0%), body surface area affected by AD (–30.1%, –33.4%, and –11.7%), and in the SCORing AD clinical tool (P less than .001 for all comparisons).


Between baseline and week 16, scores on the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index and Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure improved significantly in the two dupilumab groups, compared with the placebo group. The rate of skin infection was higher in the placebo group (20%), compared with 11% in the group that received dupilumab every 2 weeks and 13.3% in the group receiving the drug every 4 weeks.

Conjunctivitis occurred more frequently with dupilumab treatment (9.8% in the every-2-weeks dupilumab group, 10.8% in the every-4-weeks dupilumab group, and 4.7% in the placebo group) as did injection site reactions (8.5%, 6.0%, and 3.5%). Two adverse events, one of which was serious, occurred in the placebo group.

Dr. Prescilla acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the fact that it was limited to 16 weeks. “However, smaller sample size and duration are typical for this type of study and in line with the study design of the SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 studies in adults,” he said.

On Aug. 6, the European Commission extended the marketing authorization for dupilumab in the European Union to include adolescents 12-17 years of age with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy. On the same day, Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron announced positive topline results in a phase 3 trial in children aged 6-11 years with severe AD.

The study’s principal investigator was Amy S. Paller, MD. The study was funded by Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron. Dr. Prescilla is an employee of Sanofi Genzyme.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who used dupilumab experienced significant improvements in signs and symptoms of the condition, with minimal safety concerns, according to results of a phase 3 study.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

“Dupilumab works as effectively in adolescents as in adults,” Randy Prescilla, MD, one of the study authors, said in an interview at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “It gives us promise that we could go into other age groups with the same optimism. We are enrolling patients in even younger age groups.”

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study analyzed the efficacy and safety of dupilumab monotherapy in patients between the ages of 12 and 17 years with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) inadequately controlled with topical therapies. In the United States, dupilumab is approved for those aged 12 years and older with moderate to severe disease inadequately controlled by topical prescription treatments or when those therapies are not advisable.

For the 16-week study, Dr. Prescilla, global medical affairs director of pediatric dermatology for Sanofi Genzyme, and colleagues randomized 251 patients to one of three groups: dupilumab every 2 weeks (200 mg if baseline weight was less than 60 kg; 300 mg if that weight was 60 kg or more); 300 mg dupilumab every 4 weeks; or placebo every 2 weeks.

At week 16, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the two drug treatment groups had Investigator’s Global Assessment scores of 0/1, compared with those in the placebo group (24.4%, 17.9%, and 2.4%) as well as a significantly higher percentage of patients who achieved at least a 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score (41.5%, 38.1%, and 8.2%).

In addition, patients in the two drug treatment groups experienced improved percent change in least square-means on the EASI from baseline to week 16, compared with those in the placebo group (–65.9%, –64.8%, and –23.6%), the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (–47.9%, –45.5%, and –19.0%), body surface area affected by AD (–30.1%, –33.4%, and –11.7%), and in the SCORing AD clinical tool (P less than .001 for all comparisons).


Between baseline and week 16, scores on the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index and Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure improved significantly in the two dupilumab groups, compared with the placebo group. The rate of skin infection was higher in the placebo group (20%), compared with 11% in the group that received dupilumab every 2 weeks and 13.3% in the group receiving the drug every 4 weeks.

Conjunctivitis occurred more frequently with dupilumab treatment (9.8% in the every-2-weeks dupilumab group, 10.8% in the every-4-weeks dupilumab group, and 4.7% in the placebo group) as did injection site reactions (8.5%, 6.0%, and 3.5%). Two adverse events, one of which was serious, occurred in the placebo group.

Dr. Prescilla acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the fact that it was limited to 16 weeks. “However, smaller sample size and duration are typical for this type of study and in line with the study design of the SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 studies in adults,” he said.

On Aug. 6, the European Commission extended the marketing authorization for dupilumab in the European Union to include adolescents 12-17 years of age with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy. On the same day, Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron announced positive topline results in a phase 3 trial in children aged 6-11 years with severe AD.

The study’s principal investigator was Amy S. Paller, MD. The study was funded by Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron. Dr. Prescilla is an employee of Sanofi Genzyme.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who used dupilumab experienced significant improvements in signs and symptoms of the condition, with minimal safety concerns, according to results of a phase 3 study.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

“Dupilumab works as effectively in adolescents as in adults,” Randy Prescilla, MD, one of the study authors, said in an interview at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “It gives us promise that we could go into other age groups with the same optimism. We are enrolling patients in even younger age groups.”

The double-blind, placebo-controlled study analyzed the efficacy and safety of dupilumab monotherapy in patients between the ages of 12 and 17 years with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) inadequately controlled with topical therapies. In the United States, dupilumab is approved for those aged 12 years and older with moderate to severe disease inadequately controlled by topical prescription treatments or when those therapies are not advisable.

For the 16-week study, Dr. Prescilla, global medical affairs director of pediatric dermatology for Sanofi Genzyme, and colleagues randomized 251 patients to one of three groups: dupilumab every 2 weeks (200 mg if baseline weight was less than 60 kg; 300 mg if that weight was 60 kg or more); 300 mg dupilumab every 4 weeks; or placebo every 2 weeks.

At week 16, a significantly higher proportion of patients in the two drug treatment groups had Investigator’s Global Assessment scores of 0/1, compared with those in the placebo group (24.4%, 17.9%, and 2.4%) as well as a significantly higher percentage of patients who achieved at least a 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) score (41.5%, 38.1%, and 8.2%).

In addition, patients in the two drug treatment groups experienced improved percent change in least square-means on the EASI from baseline to week 16, compared with those in the placebo group (–65.9%, –64.8%, and –23.6%), the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (–47.9%, –45.5%, and –19.0%), body surface area affected by AD (–30.1%, –33.4%, and –11.7%), and in the SCORing AD clinical tool (P less than .001 for all comparisons).


Between baseline and week 16, scores on the Children’s Dermatology Life Quality Index and Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure improved significantly in the two dupilumab groups, compared with the placebo group. The rate of skin infection was higher in the placebo group (20%), compared with 11% in the group that received dupilumab every 2 weeks and 13.3% in the group receiving the drug every 4 weeks.

Conjunctivitis occurred more frequently with dupilumab treatment (9.8% in the every-2-weeks dupilumab group, 10.8% in the every-4-weeks dupilumab group, and 4.7% in the placebo group) as did injection site reactions (8.5%, 6.0%, and 3.5%). Two adverse events, one of which was serious, occurred in the placebo group.

Dr. Prescilla acknowledged certain limitations of the study, including its small sample size and the fact that it was limited to 16 weeks. “However, smaller sample size and duration are typical for this type of study and in line with the study design of the SOLO 1 and SOLO 2 studies in adults,” he said.

On Aug. 6, the European Commission extended the marketing authorization for dupilumab in the European Union to include adolescents 12-17 years of age with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy. On the same day, Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron announced positive topline results in a phase 3 trial in children aged 6-11 years with severe AD.

The study’s principal investigator was Amy S. Paller, MD. The study was funded by Sanofi Genzyme and Regeneron. Dr. Prescilla is an employee of Sanofi Genzyme.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – All too often, children and adolescents stumble on their way to adult health care – if they make it at all.

In fact, data from an ongoing survey by the Department of Health & Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate that only 40% of children with special health care needs aged 12-17 years receive the services necessary to make transitions to adult health care.

“Most fall off the proverbial cliff and do not engage with adult providers,” Cynthia Peacock, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. She recalled meeting with one individual who, after being a patient at the children’s hospital for 13 years, was told over the phone to transition to an adult provider with not so much as a promised letter of introduction being sent on. “She did not know about the adult health care culture, which is fractured in care, relies on the patient to be their own advocate, and wants patients to be able to do their visit in 10-15 minutes.”

Dr. Peacock, medical director of the Transition Medicine Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, described transition health care as a purposeful, planned migration from child-oriented to adult-oriented health care, a process that should start as early as possible. “Starting at age 12 is not too early,” she said. “It gives you time so that you can keep introducing the concept when that individual keeps coming back to see you, especially if it’s a chronic condition.”

She recommended that clinicians ask several questions to assess transition readiness of pediatric patients to adult care, including, Do you know your medications? Do you know how to take them? Do you know how to refill them? Do you know how to discuss them? Can you discuss your medical condition with the adult doctor? Can you call for a doctor’s appointment or get a prescription filled? “Adolescents are notorious for calling [the doctor’s office], and if they’re told they can’t make an appointment, that’s it; they stop right there,” Dr. Peacock said. “They don’t tend to problem solve. They don’t engage.”

Studies have suggested that the transfer of care is more likely to be successful if a formal transition program is in place to prepare the patient and to facilitate the change in health care providers. “There is a growing evidence base in the literature that skills training for young people with chronic illnesses can be associated with positive outcomes,” she said. “This can be as easy as telling the individual, ‘Do a book report about your condition. Talk to a friend. Tell a friend what your condition is. Or, do school science fair project and talk to your class about what you have.’ Get them past that uncomfortable feeling of having to talk about it.”

The earlier this happens, the better. “We know from research that if you get them to be their own [health care] advocate, that’s one less thing they have to do in the adult health care system,” she said. “They will move on to other things, such as getting a job or going to college.”

Dr. Peacock, who is board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine, added that providing adolescents with the option of being seen by professionals without their parents is considered best practice. “You could start by introducing the concept at age 12, but say at age 13, ‘I want to spend a minute with you alone without your parent. I want you to bring in questions that you want to ask me that you may not want to ask in front of your parents,’” she said. “I guarantee you that on that third visit the adolescent will ask you a question.”

Optimistic messaging is another component of effective planning. “You may see someone in your office with a disease that you know has high mortality and high morbidity, and you’re trying to help the family cope,” Dr. Peacock said. “That young person needs to be asked, ‘What are your plans for your future?’ Think about it: In 10 or 20 years when you’re transitioning that individual out of your health care system, what medical miracles have happened?” She recalled visiting with the mother of a patient with Down syndrome who had significant congenital heart disease. He was in his 30s and struggled to keep his behavior in check. “We were trying to develop a behavior plan, but his past care team had never put one in place for him,” Dr. Peacock said. “The mother looked at me and said, accusingly, ‘It’s your fault. It’s all of your doctors’ faults because they never told me that this would happen. They told me to take him home and spoil him because he would not be around at this age.’”

Effective transition handoffs are collaborative, she continued, with care plans built around what is likely to happen with the patient over time. “At Baylor College of Medicine, pediatric dermatologists follow patients for life, but I take over everything else adult care related,” Dr. Peacock said. “The pediatric dermatologist has me come over to the hospital when we’re talking about quality-of-life issues – about advance care, advanced directives, those types of things.”


She recommends not transferring care to an adult provider during pregnancy, hospitalization, during active disease, or during changes to a patient’s medical therapy. “When pediatricians call me from the hospital and they want an urgent transfer, I tell them, ‘Your emergency is not my urgency. Get everything ready; get them discharged. Get them followed up and back on their chronic care management, and I’ll be happy to do that transition for you,’ ” she said. “It’s also good to leave that door open for the adult provider to call you. Give them your cell phone number because it may be just one question, like, ‘Can you tell me why his liver enzymes are elevated? We can’t figure it out.’ ”

Dr. Peacock advises pediatric providers to develop processes within their own practice that facilitates transfer, “even if it just means sharing information with the adult provider at the end of the time you’re seeing that young adult. Know your systems and your resources. Get that medical summary done, even if it’s making the patient do the medical summary.” More information for clinicians and for patients and their families can be found at www.gottransition.org.

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – All too often, children and adolescents stumble on their way to adult health care – if they make it at all.

In fact, data from an ongoing survey by the Department of Health & Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate that only 40% of children with special health care needs aged 12-17 years receive the services necessary to make transitions to adult health care.

“Most fall off the proverbial cliff and do not engage with adult providers,” Cynthia Peacock, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. She recalled meeting with one individual who, after being a patient at the children’s hospital for 13 years, was told over the phone to transition to an adult provider with not so much as a promised letter of introduction being sent on. “She did not know about the adult health care culture, which is fractured in care, relies on the patient to be their own advocate, and wants patients to be able to do their visit in 10-15 minutes.”

Dr. Peacock, medical director of the Transition Medicine Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, described transition health care as a purposeful, planned migration from child-oriented to adult-oriented health care, a process that should start as early as possible. “Starting at age 12 is not too early,” she said. “It gives you time so that you can keep introducing the concept when that individual keeps coming back to see you, especially if it’s a chronic condition.”

She recommended that clinicians ask several questions to assess transition readiness of pediatric patients to adult care, including, Do you know your medications? Do you know how to take them? Do you know how to refill them? Do you know how to discuss them? Can you discuss your medical condition with the adult doctor? Can you call for a doctor’s appointment or get a prescription filled? “Adolescents are notorious for calling [the doctor’s office], and if they’re told they can’t make an appointment, that’s it; they stop right there,” Dr. Peacock said. “They don’t tend to problem solve. They don’t engage.”

Studies have suggested that the transfer of care is more likely to be successful if a formal transition program is in place to prepare the patient and to facilitate the change in health care providers. “There is a growing evidence base in the literature that skills training for young people with chronic illnesses can be associated with positive outcomes,” she said. “This can be as easy as telling the individual, ‘Do a book report about your condition. Talk to a friend. Tell a friend what your condition is. Or, do school science fair project and talk to your class about what you have.’ Get them past that uncomfortable feeling of having to talk about it.”

The earlier this happens, the better. “We know from research that if you get them to be their own [health care] advocate, that’s one less thing they have to do in the adult health care system,” she said. “They will move on to other things, such as getting a job or going to college.”

Dr. Peacock, who is board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine, added that providing adolescents with the option of being seen by professionals without their parents is considered best practice. “You could start by introducing the concept at age 12, but say at age 13, ‘I want to spend a minute with you alone without your parent. I want you to bring in questions that you want to ask me that you may not want to ask in front of your parents,’” she said. “I guarantee you that on that third visit the adolescent will ask you a question.”

Optimistic messaging is another component of effective planning. “You may see someone in your office with a disease that you know has high mortality and high morbidity, and you’re trying to help the family cope,” Dr. Peacock said. “That young person needs to be asked, ‘What are your plans for your future?’ Think about it: In 10 or 20 years when you’re transitioning that individual out of your health care system, what medical miracles have happened?” She recalled visiting with the mother of a patient with Down syndrome who had significant congenital heart disease. He was in his 30s and struggled to keep his behavior in check. “We were trying to develop a behavior plan, but his past care team had never put one in place for him,” Dr. Peacock said. “The mother looked at me and said, accusingly, ‘It’s your fault. It’s all of your doctors’ faults because they never told me that this would happen. They told me to take him home and spoil him because he would not be around at this age.’”

Effective transition handoffs are collaborative, she continued, with care plans built around what is likely to happen with the patient over time. “At Baylor College of Medicine, pediatric dermatologists follow patients for life, but I take over everything else adult care related,” Dr. Peacock said. “The pediatric dermatologist has me come over to the hospital when we’re talking about quality-of-life issues – about advance care, advanced directives, those types of things.”


She recommends not transferring care to an adult provider during pregnancy, hospitalization, during active disease, or during changes to a patient’s medical therapy. “When pediatricians call me from the hospital and they want an urgent transfer, I tell them, ‘Your emergency is not my urgency. Get everything ready; get them discharged. Get them followed up and back on their chronic care management, and I’ll be happy to do that transition for you,’ ” she said. “It’s also good to leave that door open for the adult provider to call you. Give them your cell phone number because it may be just one question, like, ‘Can you tell me why his liver enzymes are elevated? We can’t figure it out.’ ”

Dr. Peacock advises pediatric providers to develop processes within their own practice that facilitates transfer, “even if it just means sharing information with the adult provider at the end of the time you’re seeing that young adult. Know your systems and your resources. Get that medical summary done, even if it’s making the patient do the medical summary.” More information for clinicians and for patients and their families can be found at www.gottransition.org.

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – All too often, children and adolescents stumble on their way to adult health care – if they make it at all.

In fact, data from an ongoing survey by the Department of Health & Human Services and the Health Resources and Services Administration indicate that only 40% of children with special health care needs aged 12-17 years receive the services necessary to make transitions to adult health care.

“Most fall off the proverbial cliff and do not engage with adult providers,” Cynthia Peacock, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. She recalled meeting with one individual who, after being a patient at the children’s hospital for 13 years, was told over the phone to transition to an adult provider with not so much as a promised letter of introduction being sent on. “She did not know about the adult health care culture, which is fractured in care, relies on the patient to be their own advocate, and wants patients to be able to do their visit in 10-15 minutes.”

Dr. Peacock, medical director of the Transition Medicine Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, described transition health care as a purposeful, planned migration from child-oriented to adult-oriented health care, a process that should start as early as possible. “Starting at age 12 is not too early,” she said. “It gives you time so that you can keep introducing the concept when that individual keeps coming back to see you, especially if it’s a chronic condition.”

She recommended that clinicians ask several questions to assess transition readiness of pediatric patients to adult care, including, Do you know your medications? Do you know how to take them? Do you know how to refill them? Do you know how to discuss them? Can you discuss your medical condition with the adult doctor? Can you call for a doctor’s appointment or get a prescription filled? “Adolescents are notorious for calling [the doctor’s office], and if they’re told they can’t make an appointment, that’s it; they stop right there,” Dr. Peacock said. “They don’t tend to problem solve. They don’t engage.”

Studies have suggested that the transfer of care is more likely to be successful if a formal transition program is in place to prepare the patient and to facilitate the change in health care providers. “There is a growing evidence base in the literature that skills training for young people with chronic illnesses can be associated with positive outcomes,” she said. “This can be as easy as telling the individual, ‘Do a book report about your condition. Talk to a friend. Tell a friend what your condition is. Or, do school science fair project and talk to your class about what you have.’ Get them past that uncomfortable feeling of having to talk about it.”

The earlier this happens, the better. “We know from research that if you get them to be their own [health care] advocate, that’s one less thing they have to do in the adult health care system,” she said. “They will move on to other things, such as getting a job or going to college.”

Dr. Peacock, who is board certified in pediatrics and internal medicine, added that providing adolescents with the option of being seen by professionals without their parents is considered best practice. “You could start by introducing the concept at age 12, but say at age 13, ‘I want to spend a minute with you alone without your parent. I want you to bring in questions that you want to ask me that you may not want to ask in front of your parents,’” she said. “I guarantee you that on that third visit the adolescent will ask you a question.”

Optimistic messaging is another component of effective planning. “You may see someone in your office with a disease that you know has high mortality and high morbidity, and you’re trying to help the family cope,” Dr. Peacock said. “That young person needs to be asked, ‘What are your plans for your future?’ Think about it: In 10 or 20 years when you’re transitioning that individual out of your health care system, what medical miracles have happened?” She recalled visiting with the mother of a patient with Down syndrome who had significant congenital heart disease. He was in his 30s and struggled to keep his behavior in check. “We were trying to develop a behavior plan, but his past care team had never put one in place for him,” Dr. Peacock said. “The mother looked at me and said, accusingly, ‘It’s your fault. It’s all of your doctors’ faults because they never told me that this would happen. They told me to take him home and spoil him because he would not be around at this age.’”

Effective transition handoffs are collaborative, she continued, with care plans built around what is likely to happen with the patient over time. “At Baylor College of Medicine, pediatric dermatologists follow patients for life, but I take over everything else adult care related,” Dr. Peacock said. “The pediatric dermatologist has me come over to the hospital when we’re talking about quality-of-life issues – about advance care, advanced directives, those types of things.”


She recommends not transferring care to an adult provider during pregnancy, hospitalization, during active disease, or during changes to a patient’s medical therapy. “When pediatricians call me from the hospital and they want an urgent transfer, I tell them, ‘Your emergency is not my urgency. Get everything ready; get them discharged. Get them followed up and back on their chronic care management, and I’ll be happy to do that transition for you,’ ” she said. “It’s also good to leave that door open for the adult provider to call you. Give them your cell phone number because it may be just one question, like, ‘Can you tell me why his liver enzymes are elevated? We can’t figure it out.’ ”

Dr. Peacock advises pediatric providers to develop processes within their own practice that facilitates transfer, “even if it just means sharing information with the adult provider at the end of the time you’re seeing that young adult. Know your systems and your resources. Get that medical summary done, even if it’s making the patient do the medical summary.” More information for clinicians and for patients and their families can be found at www.gottransition.org.

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Adelaide A. Hebert, MD, sees it, the decision to add clinical research to your existing dermatology practice requires some soul searching, because not everyone is cut out for it.

“This is not something you take lightly,” Dr. Hebert, chief of pediatric dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “There will be days when you feel like you are going into combat. If you are not prepared for that, maybe stick to clinical practice. That plan might be a bit simpler.”

For more than 30 years, Dr. Hebert has been engaged in dermatology clinical research, with a focus on atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hyperhidrosis. Her team includes a full-time research fellow, a full-time nurse practitioner, and a part-time clinical trials coordinator. “We work very hard, and I am responsible for their salaries,” she said. “There is considerable pressure from year to year, but they work hard and are very loyal. They represent a great portion of the success that we have in clinical research. You need a team, and you have to be a team leader in order to undertake this.”

Dr. Hebert offered the following tips for incorporating clinical research into your practice:

• Set aside allocated time. “This is not a side job within your current occupation,” she emphasized. “You really need allocated time to do research, and you need protected academic time if you work in that environment. You also need protected academic time for your staff to conduct research.”

• Get to know the players involved. This includes forming professional relationships with internal and external review boards, and understanding contract and grants. “This collaboration is a lot like getting into a sport,” she explained. “You have to know the rules, you have to know how to play with strategy, and you have to be very effective.”

Review boards that work with academic centers include the Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) and Advarra. “You also need to understand time lines, what it takes to go from submission to implementation,” Dr. Hebert said. “That time cannot be too long, or you will be off the list of desired investigators because you cannot get up and running in a timely fashion. Your team has to be behind you in order to make this happen.” [She recommended the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity publication, “The Practical Guide to Clinical Trials Billing.”]

• Consider space and equipment needs. This includes space for patient charts, cameras, scales, electronic devices for data capture, computer equipment, and other instruments you may need to carry out your work. Dr. Hebert’s clinic houses about a half-dozen EKG machines dedicated to research projects. “You also need a lot of storage,” she added. “Our university requires us to save every piece of paper, every communication for 15 years. Our university does allocate that space.”

Sponsored research opportunities include working with the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, pharmaceutical companies, and over-the-counter product companies. “You can also initiate your own research,” she said. “One way to get started is to partner with an established researcher. That could be someone in your department, in a different department, or in a clinical research unit within your institution. They can help you with infrastructure and they can sometimes do your research submissions for you.”

Other ways to explore research opportunities include reaching out to medical science liaisons and clinical trial research organizations, and hiring fellows with research experience. “The bottom line is, talk to a lot of people you do not know,” Dr. Hebert said. “That is the real secret to getting research studies.”

There is another player in the field to become familiar with: contract research organizations (CROs), which provide support to pharmaceutical industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. They receive payment from the sponsor to conduct clinical research operations. “Many times the sponsor does not entirely know what the CRO is doing with regard to the interface with you as an investigator,” said Dr. Hebert, who has conducted more than 160 trials, including 65 in atopic dermatitis alone. “Sometimes you have to go over the head of the CRO to address issues that come up. The reality is, if the sponsor does not know you are not getting paid or having obstacles put in front of you that may not be in your contract, that constitutes a problem. You have to learn to be a bit shrewd in this game of research.”

She added that clinicians who choose to conduct clinical research come to learn “a whole new language,” such as what a confidential disclosure agreement is. “You also have to undergo CITI [Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative] training to meet the principles of good clinical practice,” she said. Other specifics include infectious substance shipping training per International Air Transport Association shipping guidelines, protocol training in arenas such as Eczema Area and Severity Index scoring and Psoriasis Area Severity Index scoring, and electronic case report form/electronic data–capture report training. “We also have a lot of equipment training because we are constantly getting new tablets for recording patient data and so forth,” she said. “This is something that has helped me become more technically equipped to handle all of this data capture.”

Dr. Hebert closed her remarks by noting that conducting clinical research can be a rewarding endeavor. “You really do address unmet needs, and you give a lot of education to residents, students, and fellows,” she said. “Clinical research provides research opportunities for those interested in dermatology. You have those moments when you see patients get better, and this represents the best patient encounter you could ever hope for.”

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Adelaide A. Hebert, MD, sees it, the decision to add clinical research to your existing dermatology practice requires some soul searching, because not everyone is cut out for it.

“This is not something you take lightly,” Dr. Hebert, chief of pediatric dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “There will be days when you feel like you are going into combat. If you are not prepared for that, maybe stick to clinical practice. That plan might be a bit simpler.”

For more than 30 years, Dr. Hebert has been engaged in dermatology clinical research, with a focus on atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hyperhidrosis. Her team includes a full-time research fellow, a full-time nurse practitioner, and a part-time clinical trials coordinator. “We work very hard, and I am responsible for their salaries,” she said. “There is considerable pressure from year to year, but they work hard and are very loyal. They represent a great portion of the success that we have in clinical research. You need a team, and you have to be a team leader in order to undertake this.”

Dr. Hebert offered the following tips for incorporating clinical research into your practice:

• Set aside allocated time. “This is not a side job within your current occupation,” she emphasized. “You really need allocated time to do research, and you need protected academic time if you work in that environment. You also need protected academic time for your staff to conduct research.”

• Get to know the players involved. This includes forming professional relationships with internal and external review boards, and understanding contract and grants. “This collaboration is a lot like getting into a sport,” she explained. “You have to know the rules, you have to know how to play with strategy, and you have to be very effective.”

Review boards that work with academic centers include the Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) and Advarra. “You also need to understand time lines, what it takes to go from submission to implementation,” Dr. Hebert said. “That time cannot be too long, or you will be off the list of desired investigators because you cannot get up and running in a timely fashion. Your team has to be behind you in order to make this happen.” [She recommended the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity publication, “The Practical Guide to Clinical Trials Billing.”]

• Consider space and equipment needs. This includes space for patient charts, cameras, scales, electronic devices for data capture, computer equipment, and other instruments you may need to carry out your work. Dr. Hebert’s clinic houses about a half-dozen EKG machines dedicated to research projects. “You also need a lot of storage,” she added. “Our university requires us to save every piece of paper, every communication for 15 years. Our university does allocate that space.”

Sponsored research opportunities include working with the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, pharmaceutical companies, and over-the-counter product companies. “You can also initiate your own research,” she said. “One way to get started is to partner with an established researcher. That could be someone in your department, in a different department, or in a clinical research unit within your institution. They can help you with infrastructure and they can sometimes do your research submissions for you.”

Other ways to explore research opportunities include reaching out to medical science liaisons and clinical trial research organizations, and hiring fellows with research experience. “The bottom line is, talk to a lot of people you do not know,” Dr. Hebert said. “That is the real secret to getting research studies.”

There is another player in the field to become familiar with: contract research organizations (CROs), which provide support to pharmaceutical industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. They receive payment from the sponsor to conduct clinical research operations. “Many times the sponsor does not entirely know what the CRO is doing with regard to the interface with you as an investigator,” said Dr. Hebert, who has conducted more than 160 trials, including 65 in atopic dermatitis alone. “Sometimes you have to go over the head of the CRO to address issues that come up. The reality is, if the sponsor does not know you are not getting paid or having obstacles put in front of you that may not be in your contract, that constitutes a problem. You have to learn to be a bit shrewd in this game of research.”

She added that clinicians who choose to conduct clinical research come to learn “a whole new language,” such as what a confidential disclosure agreement is. “You also have to undergo CITI [Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative] training to meet the principles of good clinical practice,” she said. Other specifics include infectious substance shipping training per International Air Transport Association shipping guidelines, protocol training in arenas such as Eczema Area and Severity Index scoring and Psoriasis Area Severity Index scoring, and electronic case report form/electronic data–capture report training. “We also have a lot of equipment training because we are constantly getting new tablets for recording patient data and so forth,” she said. “This is something that has helped me become more technically equipped to handle all of this data capture.”

Dr. Hebert closed her remarks by noting that conducting clinical research can be a rewarding endeavor. “You really do address unmet needs, and you give a lot of education to residents, students, and fellows,” she said. “Clinical research provides research opportunities for those interested in dermatology. You have those moments when you see patients get better, and this represents the best patient encounter you could ever hope for.”

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – The way Adelaide A. Hebert, MD, sees it, the decision to add clinical research to your existing dermatology practice requires some soul searching, because not everyone is cut out for it.

“This is not something you take lightly,” Dr. Hebert, chief of pediatric dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “There will be days when you feel like you are going into combat. If you are not prepared for that, maybe stick to clinical practice. That plan might be a bit simpler.”

For more than 30 years, Dr. Hebert has been engaged in dermatology clinical research, with a focus on atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and hyperhidrosis. Her team includes a full-time research fellow, a full-time nurse practitioner, and a part-time clinical trials coordinator. “We work very hard, and I am responsible for their salaries,” she said. “There is considerable pressure from year to year, but they work hard and are very loyal. They represent a great portion of the success that we have in clinical research. You need a team, and you have to be a team leader in order to undertake this.”

Dr. Hebert offered the following tips for incorporating clinical research into your practice:

• Set aside allocated time. “This is not a side job within your current occupation,” she emphasized. “You really need allocated time to do research, and you need protected academic time if you work in that environment. You also need protected academic time for your staff to conduct research.”

• Get to know the players involved. This includes forming professional relationships with internal and external review boards, and understanding contract and grants. “This collaboration is a lot like getting into a sport,” she explained. “You have to know the rules, you have to know how to play with strategy, and you have to be very effective.”

Review boards that work with academic centers include the Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) and Advarra. “You also need to understand time lines, what it takes to go from submission to implementation,” Dr. Hebert said. “That time cannot be too long, or you will be off the list of desired investigators because you cannot get up and running in a timely fashion. Your team has to be behind you in order to make this happen.” [She recommended the National Association of Healthcare Revenue Integrity publication, “The Practical Guide to Clinical Trials Billing.”]

• Consider space and equipment needs. This includes space for patient charts, cameras, scales, electronic devices for data capture, computer equipment, and other instruments you may need to carry out your work. Dr. Hebert’s clinic houses about a half-dozen EKG machines dedicated to research projects. “You also need a lot of storage,” she added. “Our university requires us to save every piece of paper, every communication for 15 years. Our university does allocate that space.”

Sponsored research opportunities include working with the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, pharmaceutical companies, and over-the-counter product companies. “You can also initiate your own research,” she said. “One way to get started is to partner with an established researcher. That could be someone in your department, in a different department, or in a clinical research unit within your institution. They can help you with infrastructure and they can sometimes do your research submissions for you.”

Other ways to explore research opportunities include reaching out to medical science liaisons and clinical trial research organizations, and hiring fellows with research experience. “The bottom line is, talk to a lot of people you do not know,” Dr. Hebert said. “That is the real secret to getting research studies.”

There is another player in the field to become familiar with: contract research organizations (CROs), which provide support to pharmaceutical industries in the form of research services outsourced on a contract basis. They receive payment from the sponsor to conduct clinical research operations. “Many times the sponsor does not entirely know what the CRO is doing with regard to the interface with you as an investigator,” said Dr. Hebert, who has conducted more than 160 trials, including 65 in atopic dermatitis alone. “Sometimes you have to go over the head of the CRO to address issues that come up. The reality is, if the sponsor does not know you are not getting paid or having obstacles put in front of you that may not be in your contract, that constitutes a problem. You have to learn to be a bit shrewd in this game of research.”

She added that clinicians who choose to conduct clinical research come to learn “a whole new language,” such as what a confidential disclosure agreement is. “You also have to undergo CITI [Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative] training to meet the principles of good clinical practice,” she said. Other specifics include infectious substance shipping training per International Air Transport Association shipping guidelines, protocol training in arenas such as Eczema Area and Severity Index scoring and Psoriasis Area Severity Index scoring, and electronic case report form/electronic data–capture report training. “We also have a lot of equipment training because we are constantly getting new tablets for recording patient data and so forth,” she said. “This is something that has helped me become more technically equipped to handle all of this data capture.”

Dr. Hebert closed her remarks by noting that conducting clinical research can be a rewarding endeavor. “You really do address unmet needs, and you give a lot of education to residents, students, and fellows,” she said. “Clinical research provides research opportunities for those interested in dermatology. You have those moments when you see patients get better, and this represents the best patient encounter you could ever hope for.”

She reported having no relevant financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – One day each week, Sasha D. Jaquez, PhD, visits with patients in the dermatology clinic at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas who wrestle with some aspect of their skin condition, from noncompliance to a recommended treatment regimen to fear of needles when an injection of medicine is required to keep them well.

“Our goal is to help promote the health and development of children, adolescents, and families through the use of evidence-based methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy,” said Dr. Jaquez, who is a pediatric psychologist at the University of Texas, Austin. “We do assessment and treatment of behavioral and emotional difficulties related to their skin condition or medical condition. So if they’re depressed but it’s not related to their skin condition, we will likely refer the patient to a community mental health system.”

During 1-hour visits at the dermatology clinic, Dr. Jaquez uses a mixed approach that includes cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to help patients and family members cope with their problematic behavior or negative thought patterns related to their skin conditions. “We do not have magic wands; we focus on the here and now,” she explained. “We focus on how to move forward in the most efficient way possible by teaching skills, practicing those skills with them in the office, and sending them home to use those skills. I don’t have 100% compliance on this, so if I notice that they’re not doing what I asked of them, we’ll have a conversation about what the barrier is. ‘What is getting in the way?’ I’ll ask. ‘Is this something you’re really wanting, or do you want a magic pill? If you want a magic pill, then our office isn’t where that’s going to come from.’ Sometimes patients aren’t ready to work on feeling better, and that is good for us to know.”

During consultations, she often talks with children and adolescents about how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related. She’ll use phrasing like, “The way that you think about something changes the way that you feel, and it changes the way that you act. We have control over our thoughts and behaviors, so if we think it’s going to be a bad day, it’s going to be a bad day. If we think it’s going to be a good day, then we’re going to find the positive aspects in the day and we might let those bad aspects go away. If I do something different [for my skin condition], then I’m going to feel different.”

She recalled the case of a 3-year-old boy with atopic dermatitis who was referred for excessive scratching. His mom stays at home, while dad works and travels frequently. “The parents had differing views on how to treat his medical condition. Mom wanted to do wet wraps while dad wanted to do bleach baths. Their son was getting no treatment because the parents couldn’t agree on anything. Mom noticed that her son scratches when he wants attention and when he’s angry.”

When Dr. Jaquez met with his parents, she encouraged them to agree on a plan to implement at home so that their son would gain some relief. She also advised them to ignore when their son scratches or when he gets angry. “Give him something else to do besides scratch, because if those hands are busy, he won’t be scratching. Let’s change the way this behavior happens. Let’s give him attention all the time instead of just when he’s scratching. That will work very quickly. And it did.”

She makes it a point to talk with patients and their families about living with the stress of a chronic illness like psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. “Let’s figure out, ‘How do we accept that this is how it is, and that they’re going to have to find their own ‘normal?’ ” she said. “I don’t know how many times someone comes into my office and says, ‘I just want to be normal.’ I like to ask patients, ‘what is your normal?’ These kids might have a lower quality of life than a child without a chronic illness, but we want to make sure that they’re living their lives to the fullest. You want to monitor not only adherence [to medication] but also quality of life. Sleep concerns are big. A lot of our kids might not being going to school, or they’re afraid to go to school because they get picked on because people don’t understand their skin condition.”

Dr. Jaquez acknowledged that not all dermatologists have a psychologist on staff or in their referral network, but all are capable of destigmatizing psychological and mental health issues for their patients. “Psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety can be associated with certain skin conditions,” she said. “Let them know that this is stressful stuff. Have discussions early, so if the time comes for a referral they won’t think you’re giving up on them. Don’t be afraid to say you have a psychologist that you want to refer to. Say, ‘I have an added team member I would love for you to meet. She’s our psychologist. She works with patients who are having difficulties.’ ”

Giving patients perceived control of their care could also help improve the behavior of concern. For example, when patients with needle phobia require an injection, ask if they would like to lay down, or sit down for the injection. “Giving them this tiny bit of control is going to help them feel more empowered,” she said.

Dr. Jaquez also recommends that clinicians pay attention to nonverbal cues and steer clear of using scare tactics to change their behavior. “Use positive behavioral strategies and try to avoid punishment. Children don’t want to hear ‘stop’ all the time. Parents are tired of saying it, and kids are tired of hearing it. We focus on praising the things that are going well. I advise parents all the time: ‘Catch them being good.’ ”

Dr. Jaquez reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – One day each week, Sasha D. Jaquez, PhD, visits with patients in the dermatology clinic at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas who wrestle with some aspect of their skin condition, from noncompliance to a recommended treatment regimen to fear of needles when an injection of medicine is required to keep them well.

“Our goal is to help promote the health and development of children, adolescents, and families through the use of evidence-based methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy,” said Dr. Jaquez, who is a pediatric psychologist at the University of Texas, Austin. “We do assessment and treatment of behavioral and emotional difficulties related to their skin condition or medical condition. So if they’re depressed but it’s not related to their skin condition, we will likely refer the patient to a community mental health system.”

During 1-hour visits at the dermatology clinic, Dr. Jaquez uses a mixed approach that includes cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to help patients and family members cope with their problematic behavior or negative thought patterns related to their skin conditions. “We do not have magic wands; we focus on the here and now,” she explained. “We focus on how to move forward in the most efficient way possible by teaching skills, practicing those skills with them in the office, and sending them home to use those skills. I don’t have 100% compliance on this, so if I notice that they’re not doing what I asked of them, we’ll have a conversation about what the barrier is. ‘What is getting in the way?’ I’ll ask. ‘Is this something you’re really wanting, or do you want a magic pill? If you want a magic pill, then our office isn’t where that’s going to come from.’ Sometimes patients aren’t ready to work on feeling better, and that is good for us to know.”

During consultations, she often talks with children and adolescents about how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related. She’ll use phrasing like, “The way that you think about something changes the way that you feel, and it changes the way that you act. We have control over our thoughts and behaviors, so if we think it’s going to be a bad day, it’s going to be a bad day. If we think it’s going to be a good day, then we’re going to find the positive aspects in the day and we might let those bad aspects go away. If I do something different [for my skin condition], then I’m going to feel different.”

She recalled the case of a 3-year-old boy with atopic dermatitis who was referred for excessive scratching. His mom stays at home, while dad works and travels frequently. “The parents had differing views on how to treat his medical condition. Mom wanted to do wet wraps while dad wanted to do bleach baths. Their son was getting no treatment because the parents couldn’t agree on anything. Mom noticed that her son scratches when he wants attention and when he’s angry.”

When Dr. Jaquez met with his parents, she encouraged them to agree on a plan to implement at home so that their son would gain some relief. She also advised them to ignore when their son scratches or when he gets angry. “Give him something else to do besides scratch, because if those hands are busy, he won’t be scratching. Let’s change the way this behavior happens. Let’s give him attention all the time instead of just when he’s scratching. That will work very quickly. And it did.”

She makes it a point to talk with patients and their families about living with the stress of a chronic illness like psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. “Let’s figure out, ‘How do we accept that this is how it is, and that they’re going to have to find their own ‘normal?’ ” she said. “I don’t know how many times someone comes into my office and says, ‘I just want to be normal.’ I like to ask patients, ‘what is your normal?’ These kids might have a lower quality of life than a child without a chronic illness, but we want to make sure that they’re living their lives to the fullest. You want to monitor not only adherence [to medication] but also quality of life. Sleep concerns are big. A lot of our kids might not being going to school, or they’re afraid to go to school because they get picked on because people don’t understand their skin condition.”

Dr. Jaquez acknowledged that not all dermatologists have a psychologist on staff or in their referral network, but all are capable of destigmatizing psychological and mental health issues for their patients. “Psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety can be associated with certain skin conditions,” she said. “Let them know that this is stressful stuff. Have discussions early, so if the time comes for a referral they won’t think you’re giving up on them. Don’t be afraid to say you have a psychologist that you want to refer to. Say, ‘I have an added team member I would love for you to meet. She’s our psychologist. She works with patients who are having difficulties.’ ”

Giving patients perceived control of their care could also help improve the behavior of concern. For example, when patients with needle phobia require an injection, ask if they would like to lay down, or sit down for the injection. “Giving them this tiny bit of control is going to help them feel more empowered,” she said.

Dr. Jaquez also recommends that clinicians pay attention to nonverbal cues and steer clear of using scare tactics to change their behavior. “Use positive behavioral strategies and try to avoid punishment. Children don’t want to hear ‘stop’ all the time. Parents are tired of saying it, and kids are tired of hearing it. We focus on praising the things that are going well. I advise parents all the time: ‘Catch them being good.’ ”

Dr. Jaquez reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – One day each week, Sasha D. Jaquez, PhD, visits with patients in the dermatology clinic at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas who wrestle with some aspect of their skin condition, from noncompliance to a recommended treatment regimen to fear of needles when an injection of medicine is required to keep them well.

“Our goal is to help promote the health and development of children, adolescents, and families through the use of evidence-based methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy,” said Dr. Jaquez, who is a pediatric psychologist at the University of Texas, Austin. “We do assessment and treatment of behavioral and emotional difficulties related to their skin condition or medical condition. So if they’re depressed but it’s not related to their skin condition, we will likely refer the patient to a community mental health system.”

During 1-hour visits at the dermatology clinic, Dr. Jaquez uses a mixed approach that includes cognitive-behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing to help patients and family members cope with their problematic behavior or negative thought patterns related to their skin conditions. “We do not have magic wands; we focus on the here and now,” she explained. “We focus on how to move forward in the most efficient way possible by teaching skills, practicing those skills with them in the office, and sending them home to use those skills. I don’t have 100% compliance on this, so if I notice that they’re not doing what I asked of them, we’ll have a conversation about what the barrier is. ‘What is getting in the way?’ I’ll ask. ‘Is this something you’re really wanting, or do you want a magic pill? If you want a magic pill, then our office isn’t where that’s going to come from.’ Sometimes patients aren’t ready to work on feeling better, and that is good for us to know.”

During consultations, she often talks with children and adolescents about how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are related. She’ll use phrasing like, “The way that you think about something changes the way that you feel, and it changes the way that you act. We have control over our thoughts and behaviors, so if we think it’s going to be a bad day, it’s going to be a bad day. If we think it’s going to be a good day, then we’re going to find the positive aspects in the day and we might let those bad aspects go away. If I do something different [for my skin condition], then I’m going to feel different.”

She recalled the case of a 3-year-old boy with atopic dermatitis who was referred for excessive scratching. His mom stays at home, while dad works and travels frequently. “The parents had differing views on how to treat his medical condition. Mom wanted to do wet wraps while dad wanted to do bleach baths. Their son was getting no treatment because the parents couldn’t agree on anything. Mom noticed that her son scratches when he wants attention and when he’s angry.”

When Dr. Jaquez met with his parents, she encouraged them to agree on a plan to implement at home so that their son would gain some relief. She also advised them to ignore when their son scratches or when he gets angry. “Give him something else to do besides scratch, because if those hands are busy, he won’t be scratching. Let’s change the way this behavior happens. Let’s give him attention all the time instead of just when he’s scratching. That will work very quickly. And it did.”

She makes it a point to talk with patients and their families about living with the stress of a chronic illness like psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. “Let’s figure out, ‘How do we accept that this is how it is, and that they’re going to have to find their own ‘normal?’ ” she said. “I don’t know how many times someone comes into my office and says, ‘I just want to be normal.’ I like to ask patients, ‘what is your normal?’ These kids might have a lower quality of life than a child without a chronic illness, but we want to make sure that they’re living their lives to the fullest. You want to monitor not only adherence [to medication] but also quality of life. Sleep concerns are big. A lot of our kids might not being going to school, or they’re afraid to go to school because they get picked on because people don’t understand their skin condition.”

Dr. Jaquez acknowledged that not all dermatologists have a psychologist on staff or in their referral network, but all are capable of destigmatizing psychological and mental health issues for their patients. “Psychological comorbidities such as depression and anxiety can be associated with certain skin conditions,” she said. “Let them know that this is stressful stuff. Have discussions early, so if the time comes for a referral they won’t think you’re giving up on them. Don’t be afraid to say you have a psychologist that you want to refer to. Say, ‘I have an added team member I would love for you to meet. She’s our psychologist. She works with patients who are having difficulties.’ ”

Giving patients perceived control of their care could also help improve the behavior of concern. For example, when patients with needle phobia require an injection, ask if they would like to lay down, or sit down for the injection. “Giving them this tiny bit of control is going to help them feel more empowered,” she said.

Dr. Jaquez also recommends that clinicians pay attention to nonverbal cues and steer clear of using scare tactics to change their behavior. “Use positive behavioral strategies and try to avoid punishment. Children don’t want to hear ‘stop’ all the time. Parents are tired of saying it, and kids are tired of hearing it. We focus on praising the things that are going well. I advise parents all the time: ‘Catch them being good.’ ”

Dr. Jaquez reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Among children with psoriasis, there appears to be no strong evidence that biologic immunomodulating drugs increase the 6-month risk of serious infections, compared with systemic nonbiologics or phototherapy, according to results from the largest population-based study of its kind to date.

However, children with psoriasis face a 64% increased risk of infection, compared with risk-matched pediatric patients without the disease.

“We know that pediatric psoriasis affects up to 1.3% of children, and we know that is associated with multiple potential comorbidities and that it has a significant impact on quality of life for children affected,” lead study author Maria Schneeweiss, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “Increasingly, we see that biologic and nonbiologic systemic agents are used to treat moderate to severe pediatric psoriasis. While we have a lot of experience in adult psoriasis and a lot of comparative safety studies of these drugs in adult psoriasis, there are very few population-based studies on the safety of these systemic agents for treating pediatric psoriasis.”

In an effort to evaluate the 6-month risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections in children with psoriasis treated with systemic immunomodulatory medications, Dr. Schneeweiss and Joseph F. Merola, MD, of the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and Jennifer Huang, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital drew from longitudinal, patient-level U.S. claims data in the MarketScan database between 2003 and 2017. They limited the analysis to patients younger than age 18; those who had a recorded diagnosis of psoriasis; and those who were treated with biologics, nonbiologic immunomodulatory agents, or phototherapy. The researchers used hospital discharge diagnoses to compute the risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections, and propensity score matching to determine relative risks.

A total of 54,355 children with psoriasis were identified in the database. Before propensity score matching, 635 patients initiated biologic therapy, 919 initiated nonbiologic systemic agents, and 2,537 initiated phototherapy. Their mean age was 12-14 years and slightly more than half were female. In nonbiologic initiators, the 6-month risk of serious infections was 4.75 per 1,000 patients, while in biologic initiators it was 5.44 per 1,000 patients, resulting in a propensity score–matched ratio of 0.60. There was no statistically significant increased risk when the use of nonbiologics was compared with the use of phototherapy.

Independent of treatment, the risk of infection among psoriasis patients was 1.1 per 1,000 patients, which was 60% higher than matched pediatric patients without psoriasis (risk ratio, 1.64).

“When treating pediatric patients with psoriasis, clinicians should remain mindful that the presence of psoriasis itself may increase the risk of infection in children and adolescents, independent of treatment, but that biologic immunomodulatory agents do not further increase that risk,” Dr. Schneeweiss said in an interview. “Our findings suggest that, while there may be an increased risk of certain infections based on the presence of psoriasis alone, all appropriate treatment options should be discussed with patients in shared decision making with their physician. Patients should understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives to any treatment option but not necessarily be restricted as such and have access to newer, targeted and highly effective therapy as appropriate to each individual case.”

She added that, based on the National Psoriasis Foundation guidance of treat-to-target strategies, “our pediatric patients should be offered the same level of disease control as all psoriasis patients.”

She acknowledged certain limitations of the analysis, including the inability to stratify by disease severity and to determine specific doses of medication used.

The study was funded by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital departments of dermatology and medicine. Dr. Schneeweiss and Dr. Huang reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Merola reported that he has served as a consultant and/or investigator for numerous pharmaceutical companies.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Among children with psoriasis, there appears to be no strong evidence that biologic immunomodulating drugs increase the 6-month risk of serious infections, compared with systemic nonbiologics or phototherapy, according to results from the largest population-based study of its kind to date.

However, children with psoriasis face a 64% increased risk of infection, compared with risk-matched pediatric patients without the disease.

“We know that pediatric psoriasis affects up to 1.3% of children, and we know that is associated with multiple potential comorbidities and that it has a significant impact on quality of life for children affected,” lead study author Maria Schneeweiss, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “Increasingly, we see that biologic and nonbiologic systemic agents are used to treat moderate to severe pediatric psoriasis. While we have a lot of experience in adult psoriasis and a lot of comparative safety studies of these drugs in adult psoriasis, there are very few population-based studies on the safety of these systemic agents for treating pediatric psoriasis.”

In an effort to evaluate the 6-month risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections in children with psoriasis treated with systemic immunomodulatory medications, Dr. Schneeweiss and Joseph F. Merola, MD, of the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and Jennifer Huang, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital drew from longitudinal, patient-level U.S. claims data in the MarketScan database between 2003 and 2017. They limited the analysis to patients younger than age 18; those who had a recorded diagnosis of psoriasis; and those who were treated with biologics, nonbiologic immunomodulatory agents, or phototherapy. The researchers used hospital discharge diagnoses to compute the risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections, and propensity score matching to determine relative risks.

A total of 54,355 children with psoriasis were identified in the database. Before propensity score matching, 635 patients initiated biologic therapy, 919 initiated nonbiologic systemic agents, and 2,537 initiated phototherapy. Their mean age was 12-14 years and slightly more than half were female. In nonbiologic initiators, the 6-month risk of serious infections was 4.75 per 1,000 patients, while in biologic initiators it was 5.44 per 1,000 patients, resulting in a propensity score–matched ratio of 0.60. There was no statistically significant increased risk when the use of nonbiologics was compared with the use of phototherapy.

Independent of treatment, the risk of infection among psoriasis patients was 1.1 per 1,000 patients, which was 60% higher than matched pediatric patients without psoriasis (risk ratio, 1.64).

“When treating pediatric patients with psoriasis, clinicians should remain mindful that the presence of psoriasis itself may increase the risk of infection in children and adolescents, independent of treatment, but that biologic immunomodulatory agents do not further increase that risk,” Dr. Schneeweiss said in an interview. “Our findings suggest that, while there may be an increased risk of certain infections based on the presence of psoriasis alone, all appropriate treatment options should be discussed with patients in shared decision making with their physician. Patients should understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives to any treatment option but not necessarily be restricted as such and have access to newer, targeted and highly effective therapy as appropriate to each individual case.”

She added that, based on the National Psoriasis Foundation guidance of treat-to-target strategies, “our pediatric patients should be offered the same level of disease control as all psoriasis patients.”

She acknowledged certain limitations of the analysis, including the inability to stratify by disease severity and to determine specific doses of medication used.

The study was funded by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital departments of dermatology and medicine. Dr. Schneeweiss and Dr. Huang reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Merola reported that he has served as a consultant and/or investigator for numerous pharmaceutical companies.

[email protected]

AUSTIN, TEX. – Among children with psoriasis, there appears to be no strong evidence that biologic immunomodulating drugs increase the 6-month risk of serious infections, compared with systemic nonbiologics or phototherapy, according to results from the largest population-based study of its kind to date.

However, children with psoriasis face a 64% increased risk of infection, compared with risk-matched pediatric patients without the disease.

“We know that pediatric psoriasis affects up to 1.3% of children, and we know that is associated with multiple potential comorbidities and that it has a significant impact on quality of life for children affected,” lead study author Maria Schneeweiss, MD, said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “Increasingly, we see that biologic and nonbiologic systemic agents are used to treat moderate to severe pediatric psoriasis. While we have a lot of experience in adult psoriasis and a lot of comparative safety studies of these drugs in adult psoriasis, there are very few population-based studies on the safety of these systemic agents for treating pediatric psoriasis.”

In an effort to evaluate the 6-month risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections in children with psoriasis treated with systemic immunomodulatory medications, Dr. Schneeweiss and Joseph F. Merola, MD, of the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and Jennifer Huang, MD, of Boston Children’s Hospital drew from longitudinal, patient-level U.S. claims data in the MarketScan database between 2003 and 2017. They limited the analysis to patients younger than age 18; those who had a recorded diagnosis of psoriasis; and those who were treated with biologics, nonbiologic immunomodulatory agents, or phototherapy. The researchers used hospital discharge diagnoses to compute the risk of serious bacterial and opportunistic infections, and propensity score matching to determine relative risks.

A total of 54,355 children with psoriasis were identified in the database. Before propensity score matching, 635 patients initiated biologic therapy, 919 initiated nonbiologic systemic agents, and 2,537 initiated phototherapy. Their mean age was 12-14 years and slightly more than half were female. In nonbiologic initiators, the 6-month risk of serious infections was 4.75 per 1,000 patients, while in biologic initiators it was 5.44 per 1,000 patients, resulting in a propensity score–matched ratio of 0.60. There was no statistically significant increased risk when the use of nonbiologics was compared with the use of phototherapy.

Independent of treatment, the risk of infection among psoriasis patients was 1.1 per 1,000 patients, which was 60% higher than matched pediatric patients without psoriasis (risk ratio, 1.64).

“When treating pediatric patients with psoriasis, clinicians should remain mindful that the presence of psoriasis itself may increase the risk of infection in children and adolescents, independent of treatment, but that biologic immunomodulatory agents do not further increase that risk,” Dr. Schneeweiss said in an interview. “Our findings suggest that, while there may be an increased risk of certain infections based on the presence of psoriasis alone, all appropriate treatment options should be discussed with patients in shared decision making with their physician. Patients should understand the risks, benefits, and alternatives to any treatment option but not necessarily be restricted as such and have access to newer, targeted and highly effective therapy as appropriate to each individual case.”

She added that, based on the National Psoriasis Foundation guidance of treat-to-target strategies, “our pediatric patients should be offered the same level of disease control as all psoriasis patients.”

She acknowledged certain limitations of the analysis, including the inability to stratify by disease severity and to determine specific doses of medication used.

The study was funded by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital departments of dermatology and medicine. Dr. Schneeweiss and Dr. Huang reported having no financial disclosures. Dr. Merola reported that he has served as a consultant and/or investigator for numerous pharmaceutical companies.

[email protected]

AUSTIN – Not long ago, Rajani Katta, MD, received a text message from a friend who expressed concern about a rash that developed in the underarm of her teenage daughter.

The culprit turned out to be the lavender essential oil contained in an “all natural” deodorant that her daughter had recently switched to – a storyline that Dr. Katta encounters with increasing frequency in her role as clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“Some people may think that you can’t get an allergic reaction to natural products, but we are seeing many allergic reactions to essential oils,” Dr. Katta said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “When you talk about a natural allergy, it is more likely to occur if your skin barrier is compromised, so I think that’s why we’re seeing it, especially in young girls in the underarm area. If you shave the underarm, you impair that skin barrier and you’re more likely to develop a reaction to something you’re using over it.”

Her list of recommended deodorants includes Almay Roll-On Antiperspirant & Deodorant, Crystal Body Deodorant Stick, Crystal Roll-On Body Deodorant, Vanicream Deodorant for Sensitive Skin (aluminum-free), Vanicream Antiperspirant/Deodorant, and CertainDri Clinical Strength Roll-On. They are fragrance-free and lack propylene glycol, which is a common allergen.

Increasingly, essential oils are being added to lip balms and toothpastes, said Dr. Katta, who is also author of the 2018 book “Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet.” She recalled one patient who presented with chronic chapped lips. “It doesn’t matter how many lip glosses I try; it just keeps getting worse,” the patient told her. The likely culprit turned out to be ingredients contained in flavored lip balm from EOS. Reports of blistering and cracking of the lips from use of the products prompted a class action lawsuit and a notice to consumers from the Food and Drug Administration.

Another patient presented with cracked lips after switching to an “all natural” toothpaste that was labeled “gluten free.”

“It looked great,” Dr. Katta recalled. “Unfortunately it was not flavoring free. She reacted to multiple essential oils, including tea tree oil, contained in the toothpaste. This is being added to a number of toothpastes, and I think we’re going to see more of these types of reactions.”

Other toothpastes contain balsam of Peru, “which is consistently one of the top allergens in patch test clinics,” she said. “One of the components of balsam of Peru is a cinnamon compound, which can be an issue.”

Dr. Katta advises her patients to use Vaseline petroleum jelly as a lip balm and recommends Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry Flavor (this flavor only) toothpaste for children.

A few years ago, a teenager presented to Dr. Katta with intense bullae on the dorsum of the foot after wearing shoes without socks. “She was wearing white canvas Keds, which looked very innocuous,” she said. Patch testing revealed that the teen reacted to four different rubber accelerators. “When we contacted the company, they [acknowledged] using rubber cement to make the canvas Keds,” Dr. Katta said. “Rubber cement is an adhesive and it does contain rubber accelerators. Later, I saw two cases of children who had walked around all day at the amusement park wearing their Sperry Topsiders without any socks. We couldn’t get any information from that manufacturer, but I suspect that they also use a rubber-based glue to make those shoes.” She characterized shoes as “a real setup for a foot allergy because you have friction, sweat that’s pulling allergen out of an object, and sweat is carrying it over, especially to the dorsum of the foot.”


Dr. Katta has also noticed an uptick in the number of young patients who develop allergic reactions to dyes used to make workout clothing. “If you ever see rashes that do not involve the axillary vault but do have peraxillary accentuation, think textile allergy,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of reactions to disperse blue clothing dyes. When you think about textile allergy from the dyes, it tends to be the blue and black clothing. It’s more likely in the setting of synthetic fabrics because they leach out dyes more easily, and it’s more likely in the setting of sweat because sweat helps pull allergen out. I’m seeing it a lot from sports uniforms and tight black leggings and tight sports bras that people are wearing. I’m also seeing some from bathing suits and swim shirts.”

Exposure to products containing the preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is also on the rise. It ranks as the second most frequent allergen for which the North American Contact Dermatitis Group is seeing positive results on patch testing, with rates of 13.4%. MI can be found in many skin care products and “probably about half of school glues, fabric glues, and craft glues,” Dr. Katta said. “Stick versus liquid doesn’t make a difference.” Children and teens often use craft glues, laundry detergents, and other products to create “slime” as a way to learn about viscosity, polymers, and chemical reactions. “Sometimes these children have sensitive skin, or they’re using it with prolonged contact, so they may be sensitizing themselves to the MI,” she said.

She concluded her remarks by noting that an increasing number of young patients are developing reactions to wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps and glucose monitors. “With this, the first thing to think about is frictional irritant dermatitis,” she said. “You can put Scanpor medical paper tape on people’s back for 48 hours straight to patch test them. Some people are incredibly reactive to the friction of just that tape. You also have to think about trapped allergen. One of my patients reacted to colophony, fragrance mix, and propylene glycol, all of which were contained in his skin care products. Some people are getting advice from other patients to use Mastisol liquid adhesive to help their glucose monitors stick better. Mastisol has a high rate of cross-reactivity with balsam of Peru, so it’s a fragrance allergen. That’s the first thing you want to ask patients about: what products they’re using.”

One of her patients thought she was reacting to adhesive tape on her skin, but in fact she was reacting to two different acrylates: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). “I know about these allergens because I see reactions from butterfly needles in dialysis patients,” Dr. Katta explained. “What happens is, these acrylates are glues or plastics used somewhere else on the device, and they can migrate through barriers.”

In one published case, a 9-year-old boy developed a reaction to ethyl cyanoacrylate contained in a glucose sensor adhesive (Dermatitis. 2017; 28[4]:289-91). It never touched the boy’s skin directly but was presumed to migrate through that tape. “The bottom line is that acrylates may induce contact dermatitis even through perceived barriers,” she said. “Their use anywhere in medical devices may prove problematic.”

Dr. Katta reported that she is a member of the advisory board for Vichy Laboratories.
 

[email protected]

AUSTIN – Not long ago, Rajani Katta, MD, received a text message from a friend who expressed concern about a rash that developed in the underarm of her teenage daughter.

The culprit turned out to be the lavender essential oil contained in an “all natural” deodorant that her daughter had recently switched to – a storyline that Dr. Katta encounters with increasing frequency in her role as clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“Some people may think that you can’t get an allergic reaction to natural products, but we are seeing many allergic reactions to essential oils,” Dr. Katta said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “When you talk about a natural allergy, it is more likely to occur if your skin barrier is compromised, so I think that’s why we’re seeing it, especially in young girls in the underarm area. If you shave the underarm, you impair that skin barrier and you’re more likely to develop a reaction to something you’re using over it.”

Her list of recommended deodorants includes Almay Roll-On Antiperspirant & Deodorant, Crystal Body Deodorant Stick, Crystal Roll-On Body Deodorant, Vanicream Deodorant for Sensitive Skin (aluminum-free), Vanicream Antiperspirant/Deodorant, and CertainDri Clinical Strength Roll-On. They are fragrance-free and lack propylene glycol, which is a common allergen.

Increasingly, essential oils are being added to lip balms and toothpastes, said Dr. Katta, who is also author of the 2018 book “Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet.” She recalled one patient who presented with chronic chapped lips. “It doesn’t matter how many lip glosses I try; it just keeps getting worse,” the patient told her. The likely culprit turned out to be ingredients contained in flavored lip balm from EOS. Reports of blistering and cracking of the lips from use of the products prompted a class action lawsuit and a notice to consumers from the Food and Drug Administration.

Another patient presented with cracked lips after switching to an “all natural” toothpaste that was labeled “gluten free.”

“It looked great,” Dr. Katta recalled. “Unfortunately it was not flavoring free. She reacted to multiple essential oils, including tea tree oil, contained in the toothpaste. This is being added to a number of toothpastes, and I think we’re going to see more of these types of reactions.”

Other toothpastes contain balsam of Peru, “which is consistently one of the top allergens in patch test clinics,” she said. “One of the components of balsam of Peru is a cinnamon compound, which can be an issue.”

Dr. Katta advises her patients to use Vaseline petroleum jelly as a lip balm and recommends Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry Flavor (this flavor only) toothpaste for children.

A few years ago, a teenager presented to Dr. Katta with intense bullae on the dorsum of the foot after wearing shoes without socks. “She was wearing white canvas Keds, which looked very innocuous,” she said. Patch testing revealed that the teen reacted to four different rubber accelerators. “When we contacted the company, they [acknowledged] using rubber cement to make the canvas Keds,” Dr. Katta said. “Rubber cement is an adhesive and it does contain rubber accelerators. Later, I saw two cases of children who had walked around all day at the amusement park wearing their Sperry Topsiders without any socks. We couldn’t get any information from that manufacturer, but I suspect that they also use a rubber-based glue to make those shoes.” She characterized shoes as “a real setup for a foot allergy because you have friction, sweat that’s pulling allergen out of an object, and sweat is carrying it over, especially to the dorsum of the foot.”


Dr. Katta has also noticed an uptick in the number of young patients who develop allergic reactions to dyes used to make workout clothing. “If you ever see rashes that do not involve the axillary vault but do have peraxillary accentuation, think textile allergy,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of reactions to disperse blue clothing dyes. When you think about textile allergy from the dyes, it tends to be the blue and black clothing. It’s more likely in the setting of synthetic fabrics because they leach out dyes more easily, and it’s more likely in the setting of sweat because sweat helps pull allergen out. I’m seeing it a lot from sports uniforms and tight black leggings and tight sports bras that people are wearing. I’m also seeing some from bathing suits and swim shirts.”

Exposure to products containing the preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is also on the rise. It ranks as the second most frequent allergen for which the North American Contact Dermatitis Group is seeing positive results on patch testing, with rates of 13.4%. MI can be found in many skin care products and “probably about half of school glues, fabric glues, and craft glues,” Dr. Katta said. “Stick versus liquid doesn’t make a difference.” Children and teens often use craft glues, laundry detergents, and other products to create “slime” as a way to learn about viscosity, polymers, and chemical reactions. “Sometimes these children have sensitive skin, or they’re using it with prolonged contact, so they may be sensitizing themselves to the MI,” she said.

She concluded her remarks by noting that an increasing number of young patients are developing reactions to wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps and glucose monitors. “With this, the first thing to think about is frictional irritant dermatitis,” she said. “You can put Scanpor medical paper tape on people’s back for 48 hours straight to patch test them. Some people are incredibly reactive to the friction of just that tape. You also have to think about trapped allergen. One of my patients reacted to colophony, fragrance mix, and propylene glycol, all of which were contained in his skin care products. Some people are getting advice from other patients to use Mastisol liquid adhesive to help their glucose monitors stick better. Mastisol has a high rate of cross-reactivity with balsam of Peru, so it’s a fragrance allergen. That’s the first thing you want to ask patients about: what products they’re using.”

One of her patients thought she was reacting to adhesive tape on her skin, but in fact she was reacting to two different acrylates: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). “I know about these allergens because I see reactions from butterfly needles in dialysis patients,” Dr. Katta explained. “What happens is, these acrylates are glues or plastics used somewhere else on the device, and they can migrate through barriers.”

In one published case, a 9-year-old boy developed a reaction to ethyl cyanoacrylate contained in a glucose sensor adhesive (Dermatitis. 2017; 28[4]:289-91). It never touched the boy’s skin directly but was presumed to migrate through that tape. “The bottom line is that acrylates may induce contact dermatitis even through perceived barriers,” she said. “Their use anywhere in medical devices may prove problematic.”

Dr. Katta reported that she is a member of the advisory board for Vichy Laboratories.
 

[email protected]

AUSTIN – Not long ago, Rajani Katta, MD, received a text message from a friend who expressed concern about a rash that developed in the underarm of her teenage daughter.

The culprit turned out to be the lavender essential oil contained in an “all natural” deodorant that her daughter had recently switched to – a storyline that Dr. Katta encounters with increasing frequency in her role as clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

“Some people may think that you can’t get an allergic reaction to natural products, but we are seeing many allergic reactions to essential oils,” Dr. Katta said at the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. “When you talk about a natural allergy, it is more likely to occur if your skin barrier is compromised, so I think that’s why we’re seeing it, especially in young girls in the underarm area. If you shave the underarm, you impair that skin barrier and you’re more likely to develop a reaction to something you’re using over it.”

Her list of recommended deodorants includes Almay Roll-On Antiperspirant & Deodorant, Crystal Body Deodorant Stick, Crystal Roll-On Body Deodorant, Vanicream Deodorant for Sensitive Skin (aluminum-free), Vanicream Antiperspirant/Deodorant, and CertainDri Clinical Strength Roll-On. They are fragrance-free and lack propylene glycol, which is a common allergen.

Increasingly, essential oils are being added to lip balms and toothpastes, said Dr. Katta, who is also author of the 2018 book “Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet.” She recalled one patient who presented with chronic chapped lips. “It doesn’t matter how many lip glosses I try; it just keeps getting worse,” the patient told her. The likely culprit turned out to be ingredients contained in flavored lip balm from EOS. Reports of blistering and cracking of the lips from use of the products prompted a class action lawsuit and a notice to consumers from the Food and Drug Administration.

Another patient presented with cracked lips after switching to an “all natural” toothpaste that was labeled “gluten free.”

“It looked great,” Dr. Katta recalled. “Unfortunately it was not flavoring free. She reacted to multiple essential oils, including tea tree oil, contained in the toothpaste. This is being added to a number of toothpastes, and I think we’re going to see more of these types of reactions.”

Other toothpastes contain balsam of Peru, “which is consistently one of the top allergens in patch test clinics,” she said. “One of the components of balsam of Peru is a cinnamon compound, which can be an issue.”

Dr. Katta advises her patients to use Vaseline petroleum jelly as a lip balm and recommends Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry Flavor (this flavor only) toothpaste for children.

A few years ago, a teenager presented to Dr. Katta with intense bullae on the dorsum of the foot after wearing shoes without socks. “She was wearing white canvas Keds, which looked very innocuous,” she said. Patch testing revealed that the teen reacted to four different rubber accelerators. “When we contacted the company, they [acknowledged] using rubber cement to make the canvas Keds,” Dr. Katta said. “Rubber cement is an adhesive and it does contain rubber accelerators. Later, I saw two cases of children who had walked around all day at the amusement park wearing their Sperry Topsiders without any socks. We couldn’t get any information from that manufacturer, but I suspect that they also use a rubber-based glue to make those shoes.” She characterized shoes as “a real setup for a foot allergy because you have friction, sweat that’s pulling allergen out of an object, and sweat is carrying it over, especially to the dorsum of the foot.”


Dr. Katta has also noticed an uptick in the number of young patients who develop allergic reactions to dyes used to make workout clothing. “If you ever see rashes that do not involve the axillary vault but do have peraxillary accentuation, think textile allergy,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of reactions to disperse blue clothing dyes. When you think about textile allergy from the dyes, it tends to be the blue and black clothing. It’s more likely in the setting of synthetic fabrics because they leach out dyes more easily, and it’s more likely in the setting of sweat because sweat helps pull allergen out. I’m seeing it a lot from sports uniforms and tight black leggings and tight sports bras that people are wearing. I’m also seeing some from bathing suits and swim shirts.”

Exposure to products containing the preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is also on the rise. It ranks as the second most frequent allergen for which the North American Contact Dermatitis Group is seeing positive results on patch testing, with rates of 13.4%. MI can be found in many skin care products and “probably about half of school glues, fabric glues, and craft glues,” Dr. Katta said. “Stick versus liquid doesn’t make a difference.” Children and teens often use craft glues, laundry detergents, and other products to create “slime” as a way to learn about viscosity, polymers, and chemical reactions. “Sometimes these children have sensitive skin, or they’re using it with prolonged contact, so they may be sensitizing themselves to the MI,” she said.

She concluded her remarks by noting that an increasing number of young patients are developing reactions to wearable medical devices such as insulin pumps and glucose monitors. “With this, the first thing to think about is frictional irritant dermatitis,” she said. “You can put Scanpor medical paper tape on people’s back for 48 hours straight to patch test them. Some people are incredibly reactive to the friction of just that tape. You also have to think about trapped allergen. One of my patients reacted to colophony, fragrance mix, and propylene glycol, all of which were contained in his skin care products. Some people are getting advice from other patients to use Mastisol liquid adhesive to help their glucose monitors stick better. Mastisol has a high rate of cross-reactivity with balsam of Peru, so it’s a fragrance allergen. That’s the first thing you want to ask patients about: what products they’re using.”

One of her patients thought she was reacting to adhesive tape on her skin, but in fact she was reacting to two different acrylates: ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). “I know about these allergens because I see reactions from butterfly needles in dialysis patients,” Dr. Katta explained. “What happens is, these acrylates are glues or plastics used somewhere else on the device, and they can migrate through barriers.”

In one published case, a 9-year-old boy developed a reaction to ethyl cyanoacrylate contained in a glucose sensor adhesive (Dermatitis. 2017; 28[4]:289-91). It never touched the boy’s skin directly but was presumed to migrate through that tape. “The bottom line is that acrylates may induce contact dermatitis even through perceived barriers,” she said. “Their use anywhere in medical devices may prove problematic.”

Dr. Katta reported that she is a member of the advisory board for Vichy Laboratories.
 

[email protected]

AUSTIN – The incidence of pediatric invasive melanoma has decreased since 2002, but males are more likely to die from the disease, compared with females. The risk of death is also significantly increased in black patients, other nonwhite patients, and in cases where surgery was not performed.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Those are key findings from a study that set out to investigate the incidence of pediatric melanoma over the last 2 decades and factors influencing survival. At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, one of the study authors, Spandana Maddukuri, said that pediatric melanoma is the most common skin cancer in the pediatric population, accounting for 1-3% of all pediatric malignancies and 1%-4% of all cases of melanoma (Pediatr Surg. 2013;48[11]:2207-13).

“Nonmodifiable risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include fair skin, light hair and eye color, increased number of congenital nevi, and family history of melanoma,” said Ms. Maddukuri, a third-year student at New Jersey Medical School, Newark. “Environmental risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include exposure to UV radiation. About 60% of children do not meet standard ABCDE [asymmetrical, border, color, diameter, evolving] diagnosis criteria, which often leads to delayed diagnosis.”

Some of the characteristics that are more commonly found in pediatric lesions include amelanosis, bleeding, uniform color, and variable diameter (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013; 68[6]:913-25).

Ms. Maddukuri and colleagues queried the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for cases of malignant melanoma that were diagnosed in individuals aged younger than 20 years between 2002 and 2015. After excluding all cases of adult melanoma and all cases of in situ melanoma, they included 1,620 patients in the final analysis and divided them into five age groups: less than 1 year, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years. They calculated the overall incidence rate per 100,000 population of pediatric melanoma based on data from the 2000 U.S. Census. Age-, sex-, and race-specific incidence rates were also calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses to investigate disease-specific survival and risk factors.

With each successive age group, the investigators observed that incidence rate was significantly higher than that of the previous age group (P less than .005). “However, the most striking increase in incidence occurs between the age group of 10-14 and 15-19,” she said. “Sex also influenced incidence rates. Males had an incidence rate of 0.396 per 100,000 population while females had an incidence rate of 0.579 per 100,000 population.”


Race also influenced incidence rates. White patients had the highest incidence rate of 0.605 per 100,000 population, while blacks had the lowest incident rate at 0.042 per 100,000 population. American Indian and Alaska Native patients had incidence rates of 0.046 per 100,000 population, while Asians and Pacific Islanders had an incidence rate of 0.127 per 100,000 population.

The researchers found that increased survival was associated with white race, female sex, treatment with surgical intervention, and age older than 5 years. No differences in survival were observed regarding the primary anatomic location or extent of disease. The hazard ratio of death from invasive melanoma was significantly increased in males (HR, 2.34), black patients (HR, 3.96), other nonwhite patients (HR, 3.64), and in cases where surgery was not performed (HR, 6.04).

“It is surprising that, although incidence is significantly higher in white patients and females, compared to black patients and males, respectively, the risk of dying from melanoma is much higher in black patients and males,” Ms. Maddukuri said in an interview at the meeting. “Overall, the dermatologic community is on the right track in screening and diagnosing pediatric melanoma, as seen by the decreased incidence over the last 2 decades. However, increased awareness regarding pediatric melanoma is still encouraged. I believe we were able to identify certain populations that need more attention in terms of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, which are patients less than 5 years old, black and other nonwhite patients, and males.”

She acknowledged certain shortcomings of the study, including a limited clinical history of the patient population because of the nature of the database. She also said that further studies are required to investigate the contributing factors to decreasing incidence and to evaluate the relationship of the favorable prognostic factors to increased survival. The researchers are currently working on correlating incidence rates with UV exposure and geographical location.

They reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN – The incidence of pediatric invasive melanoma has decreased since 2002, but males are more likely to die from the disease, compared with females. The risk of death is also significantly increased in black patients, other nonwhite patients, and in cases where surgery was not performed.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Those are key findings from a study that set out to investigate the incidence of pediatric melanoma over the last 2 decades and factors influencing survival. At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, one of the study authors, Spandana Maddukuri, said that pediatric melanoma is the most common skin cancer in the pediatric population, accounting for 1-3% of all pediatric malignancies and 1%-4% of all cases of melanoma (Pediatr Surg. 2013;48[11]:2207-13).

“Nonmodifiable risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include fair skin, light hair and eye color, increased number of congenital nevi, and family history of melanoma,” said Ms. Maddukuri, a third-year student at New Jersey Medical School, Newark. “Environmental risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include exposure to UV radiation. About 60% of children do not meet standard ABCDE [asymmetrical, border, color, diameter, evolving] diagnosis criteria, which often leads to delayed diagnosis.”

Some of the characteristics that are more commonly found in pediatric lesions include amelanosis, bleeding, uniform color, and variable diameter (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013; 68[6]:913-25).

Ms. Maddukuri and colleagues queried the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for cases of malignant melanoma that were diagnosed in individuals aged younger than 20 years between 2002 and 2015. After excluding all cases of adult melanoma and all cases of in situ melanoma, they included 1,620 patients in the final analysis and divided them into five age groups: less than 1 year, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years. They calculated the overall incidence rate per 100,000 population of pediatric melanoma based on data from the 2000 U.S. Census. Age-, sex-, and race-specific incidence rates were also calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses to investigate disease-specific survival and risk factors.

With each successive age group, the investigators observed that incidence rate was significantly higher than that of the previous age group (P less than .005). “However, the most striking increase in incidence occurs between the age group of 10-14 and 15-19,” she said. “Sex also influenced incidence rates. Males had an incidence rate of 0.396 per 100,000 population while females had an incidence rate of 0.579 per 100,000 population.”


Race also influenced incidence rates. White patients had the highest incidence rate of 0.605 per 100,000 population, while blacks had the lowest incident rate at 0.042 per 100,000 population. American Indian and Alaska Native patients had incidence rates of 0.046 per 100,000 population, while Asians and Pacific Islanders had an incidence rate of 0.127 per 100,000 population.

The researchers found that increased survival was associated with white race, female sex, treatment with surgical intervention, and age older than 5 years. No differences in survival were observed regarding the primary anatomic location or extent of disease. The hazard ratio of death from invasive melanoma was significantly increased in males (HR, 2.34), black patients (HR, 3.96), other nonwhite patients (HR, 3.64), and in cases where surgery was not performed (HR, 6.04).

“It is surprising that, although incidence is significantly higher in white patients and females, compared to black patients and males, respectively, the risk of dying from melanoma is much higher in black patients and males,” Ms. Maddukuri said in an interview at the meeting. “Overall, the dermatologic community is on the right track in screening and diagnosing pediatric melanoma, as seen by the decreased incidence over the last 2 decades. However, increased awareness regarding pediatric melanoma is still encouraged. I believe we were able to identify certain populations that need more attention in terms of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, which are patients less than 5 years old, black and other nonwhite patients, and males.”

She acknowledged certain shortcomings of the study, including a limited clinical history of the patient population because of the nature of the database. She also said that further studies are required to investigate the contributing factors to decreasing incidence and to evaluate the relationship of the favorable prognostic factors to increased survival. The researchers are currently working on correlating incidence rates with UV exposure and geographical location.

They reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]

AUSTIN – The incidence of pediatric invasive melanoma has decreased since 2002, but males are more likely to die from the disease, compared with females. The risk of death is also significantly increased in black patients, other nonwhite patients, and in cases where surgery was not performed.

Doug Brunk/MDedge News

Those are key findings from a study that set out to investigate the incidence of pediatric melanoma over the last 2 decades and factors influencing survival. At the annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, one of the study authors, Spandana Maddukuri, said that pediatric melanoma is the most common skin cancer in the pediatric population, accounting for 1-3% of all pediatric malignancies and 1%-4% of all cases of melanoma (Pediatr Surg. 2013;48[11]:2207-13).

“Nonmodifiable risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include fair skin, light hair and eye color, increased number of congenital nevi, and family history of melanoma,” said Ms. Maddukuri, a third-year student at New Jersey Medical School, Newark. “Environmental risk factors are similar to those in adult melanoma and include exposure to UV radiation. About 60% of children do not meet standard ABCDE [asymmetrical, border, color, diameter, evolving] diagnosis criteria, which often leads to delayed diagnosis.”

Some of the characteristics that are more commonly found in pediatric lesions include amelanosis, bleeding, uniform color, and variable diameter (J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013; 68[6]:913-25).

Ms. Maddukuri and colleagues queried the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for cases of malignant melanoma that were diagnosed in individuals aged younger than 20 years between 2002 and 2015. After excluding all cases of adult melanoma and all cases of in situ melanoma, they included 1,620 patients in the final analysis and divided them into five age groups: less than 1 year, 1-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years. They calculated the overall incidence rate per 100,000 population of pediatric melanoma based on data from the 2000 U.S. Census. Age-, sex-, and race-specific incidence rates were also calculated. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses to investigate disease-specific survival and risk factors.

With each successive age group, the investigators observed that incidence rate was significantly higher than that of the previous age group (P less than .005). “However, the most striking increase in incidence occurs between the age group of 10-14 and 15-19,” she said. “Sex also influenced incidence rates. Males had an incidence rate of 0.396 per 100,000 population while females had an incidence rate of 0.579 per 100,000 population.”


Race also influenced incidence rates. White patients had the highest incidence rate of 0.605 per 100,000 population, while blacks had the lowest incident rate at 0.042 per 100,000 population. American Indian and Alaska Native patients had incidence rates of 0.046 per 100,000 population, while Asians and Pacific Islanders had an incidence rate of 0.127 per 100,000 population.

The researchers found that increased survival was associated with white race, female sex, treatment with surgical intervention, and age older than 5 years. No differences in survival were observed regarding the primary anatomic location or extent of disease. The hazard ratio of death from invasive melanoma was significantly increased in males (HR, 2.34), black patients (HR, 3.96), other nonwhite patients (HR, 3.64), and in cases where surgery was not performed (HR, 6.04).

“It is surprising that, although incidence is significantly higher in white patients and females, compared to black patients and males, respectively, the risk of dying from melanoma is much higher in black patients and males,” Ms. Maddukuri said in an interview at the meeting. “Overall, the dermatologic community is on the right track in screening and diagnosing pediatric melanoma, as seen by the decreased incidence over the last 2 decades. However, increased awareness regarding pediatric melanoma is still encouraged. I believe we were able to identify certain populations that need more attention in terms of screening, diagnosis, and treatment, which are patients less than 5 years old, black and other nonwhite patients, and males.”

She acknowledged certain shortcomings of the study, including a limited clinical history of the patient population because of the nature of the database. She also said that further studies are required to investigate the contributing factors to decreasing incidence and to evaluate the relationship of the favorable prognostic factors to increased survival. The researchers are currently working on correlating incidence rates with UV exposure and geographical location.

They reported having no financial disclosures.

[email protected]