Botulinum toxin for refractory Raynaud's phenomenon: A "how to" guide for pediatric patients.

Raynaud's phenomenon describes symptoms caused by digital vascular spasm and is classically induced by cold exposure. Severe cases can result in ulceration, necrosis, and digital autoamputation. When standard and adjunctive medical therapies fail or are contraindicated, botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is an effective treatment option that can be added to existing regimens and should be considered before utilizing rescue therapies associated with higher risk and often higher cost.

Reflectance confocal microscopy of facial neoplasms: Follicular involvement as a clue to diagnosis.

Background: Facial skin is characterized by high density of follicles. Facial neoplasms may present overlapping clinical and dermoscopic findings. Our goal was to evaluate and compare, via reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), follicular involvement in facial neoplasms.

Emerging therapeutics in the management of connective tissue disease. Part II: Dermatomyositis and scleroderma.

The management of connective tissue diseases is dramatically evolving with the advent of biologics and novel oral systemic therapeutics. Despite involvement in the care of these complex patients, there is a knowledge gap in the field of dermatology regarding these emerging agents. The second article in this continuing medical education series discusses new and emerging therapeutics for dermatomyositis and scleroderma that target cells, intracellular signaling pathways, and cytokines.

Emerging therapeutics in the management of connective tissue disease. Part I. Lupus erythematosus and Sjögren syndrome.

The management of connective tissue diseases is dramatically evolving with the advent of biologics and novel oral systemic therapeutics. Despite involvement in the care of these complex patients, there is a knowledge gap in the field of dermatology regarding these emerging agents. The first article in this continuing medical education series discusses new and emerging therapeutics for lupus erythematosus and Sjögren syndrome that target cells, intracellular signaling pathways, and cytokines.

Crowdsourcing as a means of fundraising for juvenile dermatomyositis.

This study used the crowdsourcing platform GoFundMe to analyze the financial hardships associated with treatment of juvenile dermatomyositis. Uncovered medical expenses, travel costs, and loss of income were all commonly cited reasons for fundraising, demonstrating high out-of-pocket costs and significant economic hardship associated with this disease, even among families with health insurance.

Nutrition and nonmelanoma skin cancers.

Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), the most widely diagnosed cancer in the United States, is rising in incidence despite public health and educational campaigns that highlight the importance of sun avoidance. It is,therefore, important to establish other modifiable risk factors that may be contributing to this increase. There is a growing body of evidence in the literature suggesting certain nutrients may have protective or harmful effects on NMSC.

Nutrition and melanoma prevention.

There has been considerable research in recent years on dietary factors and/or nutritional elements that might impact melanoma risk. A wide variety of dietary compounds have been studied, but only a selected group will be discussed in this review. Many have promising in vitro evidence supporting their potential, and some have been associated with decreased melanoma risk in epidemiologic studies; however, data from randomized controlled trials in humans are lacking.

Nutrition and connective tissue disease.

Despite an incomplete overall understanding, nutrition plays an important role in connective tissue disease. Assessment of patients with connective tissue disease for nutritional status and metabolic disturbances may significantly contribute to patient outcomes. Several studies have indicated the multifactorial role of macronutrients, micronutrients, and supplements in the setting of connective tissue disease.

Reflectance confocal microscopy: Melanocytic and nonmelanocytic.

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a noninvasive imaging tool that has the potential to revolutionize dermatology. Extensive research in this area in conjunction with the recent assignment of reimbursement codes has made the clinical use of this technology a practical reality. Though there is awareness and use of this technology at large academic centers, a knowledge gap still remains in interpreting RCM images among the dermatology community.

Assessing the change in disease severity based on depressive symptoms in real-world psoriasis patients.

To evaluate whether the presence of a history of depression hinders psoriasis response to systemic therapies and to delineate baseline characteristics of patients whose depressive symptoms improved on systemic treatment. We studied patients within the Corrona Psoriasis Registry, a prospective, multicenter observational disease-based registry, that were enrolled through September 2018, comparing changes from enrollment to 12-month visit. There was a statistically significant improvement in all disease characteristics and most patient-reported outcomes in patients reporting a history of depression and in those that did not while there was no statistically significant difference in the degree of change comparing these two cohorts.