Canthal Rotation Flap: Analysis of Flap Mechanics.

Background: Surgical defects of the medial canthus lack reconstructive options that are reproducible, precise, and uncomplicated. The canthal rotation flap is a simple rotation flap that respects the geometry of this anatomic location.

Objective: To describe the authors' experience with reconstructive planning, flap mechanics, and geometric analysis of the medial canthus to achieve the best cosmetic outcome when using the canthal rotation flap.

Treatment of alopecia areata with topical sensitizers.

For those with severe alopecia areata, with greater than 50% scalp involvement, topical immunotherapy with diphenylcyclopropenone or squaric acid dibutylester is considered the treatment of choice. This article not only reviews the safety and efficacy of topical sensitizers for the treatment of alopecia areata but also highlights strides that have been made in the literature concerning their use in pediatric populations, molecular mechanisms of efficacy, and improved safety through targeted delivery methods.

Quantitative skin color measurements in acanthosis nigricans patients: colorimetry and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy.

Tristimulus colorimetry and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) are white-light skin reflectance techniques used to measure the intensity of skin pigmentation. The tristimulus colorimeter is an instrument that measures a perceived color and the DRS instrument measures biological chromophores of the skin, including oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin, melanin and scattering. Data gathered from these tools can be used to understand morphological changes induced in skin chromophores due to conditions of the skin or their treatments.

Ultraviolet-based therapy for vitiligo: what's new?

Vitiligo is an ancient disease in which depigmented and hypopigmented macules appear on the skin. It is a disfiguring condition that may lead to severe psychological trauma. Among the many treatment modalities available for use in vitiligo, those using light therapy, and in particular ultraviolet (UV) light, are some of the most effective treatments.

Role of phototherapy in patients with skin of color.

Phototherapy has proven to be one of the most versatile and effective treatment options for a variety of inflammatory and pigmentary skin diseases. However, the use of these treatment modalities in patients of color requires some special considerations. The modality chosen, the dosing of the treatment and duration of treatment are all issues to be considered for patients of color treated with ultraviolet phototherapy.

Mechanism of injury predicts case fatality and functional outcomes in pediatric trauma patients: the case for its use in trauma outcomes studies.

Background/purpose: The mechanism of injury (MOI) may serve as a useful adjunct to injury scoring systems in pediatric trauma outcomes research. The objective is to determine the independent effect of MOI on case fatality and functional outcomes in pediatric trauma patients.

Methods: Retrospective review of pediatric patients ages 2 to 18 years in the National Trauma Data Bank from 2002 through 2006 was done.

Critical comparison of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and colorimetry as dermatological diagnostic tools for acanthosis nigricans: a chemometric approach.

Quantification of skin changes due to acanthosis nigricans (AN), a disorder common among insulin-resistant diabetic and obese individuals, was investigated using two optical techniques: diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and colorimetry. Measurements were obtained from AN lesions on the neck and two control sites of eight AN patients. A principal component/discriminant function analysis successfully differentiated between AN lesion and normal skin with 87.

Photomedicine and phototherapy considerations for patients with skin of color.

Background/purpose: Patients with skin of color present unique challenges and opportunities for dermatologists in their disease states as well as their response to treatment. There are differences in dosing for patients with skin of color using standard phototherapeutic approaches as well as unique disease states that may respond to newer phototherapeutic options. Lastly, there are optical diagnostic options that allow investigators to differentiate erythema and pigmentation in a quantitative manner for clinical research purposes.

Inverse psoriasis: case presentation and review.

Inverse psoriasis is a rare form of psoriasis that affects between 3% and 7% of psoriasis patients. Its appearance and distribution in the flexural skin folds makes it a difficult disease to diagnose, and because it is thought of as a variant of psoriasis, there are very few studies that deal with it exclusively. We present a short case report of inverse psoriasis and a review of the literature on various facets of this disease: epidemiology, histology, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, and treatment.