Alitretinoin for the treatment of severe chronic hand eczema.

Chronic hand eczema is a common and often debilitating condition. Alitretinoin, a 9-cis-retinoic acid and pan-retinoic acid agonist, is a new and effective systemic treatment for chronic hand eczema, which provides another treatment option. A "clear" or "almost clear" response can be achieved in up to half of patients within a 24-week course of treatment.

Current dilemmas and controversies in allergic contact dermatitis to ophthalmic medications.

Identifying contact allergens in ophthalmic medications can be a challenging and daunting experience. We summarize data on topical ophthalmic medications with the potential to cause periorbital contact dermatitis and allergic conjunctivitis, highlighting current dilemmas and controversies in this area. The following groups of allergens are reviewed: preservatives, antiglaucoma medications (prostaglandin analogues, β-blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, parasympathomimetics, sympathomimetics), antiinflammatory medications (nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, corticosteroids), antibiotics, antivirals, antiallergic medications (antihistamines, cromones), anaesthetics, mydriatics, and cycloplegics.

Recent advances in bacillus Calmette-Guerin immunotherapy in bladder cancer.

The concept of using Mycobacterium for cancer treatment goes back to the 19th Century. Today, bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is a well-established treatment for human bladder cancer that is arguably superior to intravesical chemotherapy for superficial disease and is commonly used as the first-line adjuvant treatment. Much has been learnt about the effects of BCG on bladder cancer and the immune system, but deeper understanding is required in order to improve its efficacy further, to be able to reliably predict responders and ultimately to adapt this most successful form of cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of other malignancies.

Update on contact dermatitis 2007: Medical pearls from the annual meeting of the British Contact Dermatitis Society at the annual meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists.

Contact dermatitis is an integral part of dermatology. Many patients affected by contact dermatitis suffer significant morbidity and require prompt diagnosis and treatment. Here we give an overview of contact dermatitis related presentations made during the British Contact Dermatitis Society at 87th annual meeting of the British Association of Dermatologists, which took place on 10-13 July 2007 in Birmingham, UK.