Pediatric malignant melanoma: an update on epidemiology, detection, and prevention.

Since the mid-21st century, the incidence of melanoma has climbed faster than any other type of malignancy. To curb this trend, it is critical to identify children with factors that increase susceptibility to developing pediatric malignant melanoma (MM). Risk reduction is a complex process that involves detecting the rudiments of melanocytic tumors at the precancer stage, altering attitudes toward sunlight and suntans, and in incidence.

Levocetirizine for chronic idiopathic urticaria: a review.

Only recently available on the US market, levocetirizine has emerged as an effective new option in the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). Levocetirizine is the active isomer of cetirizine and demonstrates twice the affinity for the H1 receptor compared with the parent compound. In the treatment of CIU, levocetirizine has consistently demonstrated high response rates, fast onset, and a favorable side effect profile.

Selected applications of technology in the pediatric dermatology office.

The pediatric dermatologist is equipped with several diagnostic and therapeutic tools that can be used in the office. The Wood's lamp, introduced nearly a century ago, continues to be a safe, noninvasive diagnostic tool used today for diagnosing cutaneous infections, pigmentary disorders, and porphyrias. The pulsed dye laser is the treatment of choice for vascular lesions and has an expanding list of other applications, such as warts, which are extremely common in the pediatric population.