Recent Therapeutic Advances in Dermatology

Article Abstract:

Imiquimod has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of genital warts. It comes in cream form and can be applied directly to the skin. It is believed to work by stimulating the immune system. It can cause severe skin irritation, however. The immunosuppressive drug tacrolimus is being investigated in the treatment of atopic eczema, contact dermatitis, graft vs host disease, vitiligo, and alopecia areata. Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a severe, blistering skin condition usually caused by a drug. Patients with this condition should stop taking the drug and be admitted to a burn unit.

Health aspects, Condyloma acuminatum, Imiquimod, Tacrolimus, Toxic epidermal necrolysis, Genital warts

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Dermatology

Article Abstract:

Recent developments in the treatment of some dermatological illnesses are evaluated. The pulsed dye laser is now used for treating port-wine stains (a congenital lesion due to a vascular abnormality) in young children, sometimes at three weeks of age. The Q-switched ruby laser pulse is useful for selectively damaging abnormally pigmented skin and removing tattoos. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a protein that promotes wound healing by stimulating cell proliferation, among other effects. EGF has been used to accelerate healing of skin-grafts. Although its effectiveness is promising, results so far do not show that EGF is superior to other agents. Platelet-derived growth factor and fibroblast growth factor are discussed. Mupirocin (pseudomonic acid A) is effective against the bacteria staphylococcus, and has been used with some success for treating the common skin infection impetigo (which may be of staphyloccal origin). Vitamin D analogues and metabolites seem to be effective in treating psoriasis, a chronic skin disorder. However, fears of possible adverse effects to the kidney have delayed full acceptance of this agent. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Physiological aspects, Growth factors, Psoriasis, Birthmarks, Lasers in medicine, Medical lasers, Impetigo

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Dermatology

Article Abstract:

One of the most important influences on the practice of dermatology in recent years has been the AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that, in the US, 1 million individuals are now infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); most of these people will develop dermatological conditions at some point. While herpes simplex lesions may occur as transient lip or genital sores, and are of no real medical consequence to a healthy adult, these sores may persist, grow, and fuse with neighboring sores in patients with AIDS. Perianal herpes sores are frequently one of the first symptoms of AIDS. In some AIDS cases, the herpes simplex lesions may eventually be 20 centimeters across. Similar observations may be made for herpes zoster infections (shingles); the appearance of herpes zoster infection in a homosexual man indicates better than even odds of HIV infection. The most common cancer associated with AIDS is a skin cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma; it is relatively rare among the general population, and almost all cases diagnosed in the US are associated with AIDS. Epstein-Barr virus is common in many people, but is normally held in check by a functioning immune system. However, Epstein-Barr virus may cause oral hairy leukoplakia, white spots in the mouth, in over half of all HIV-infected patients. HIV infection is also associated with other infections affecting the skin, including papillomavirus, which causes both warts and cervical cancer. Ten to 20 percent of patients with symptomatic HIV infection have molluscum contagiosa, a condition which results in skin tumors; HIV patients commonly have 50 to 100 lesions. Only recently recognized is another skin disease afflicting HIV patients. The organism Rochalimaea quintana causes a condition caused bacillary angiomatosis (also called epithelioid angiomatosis) in which tumorous masses of blood vessels form on the skin. These vascular tumors are 2 to 3 centimeters in diameter; they are sometimes skin-colored, but usually bright red. Psoriasis is no more common among HIV-infected patients than among the general population, but psoriatic arthritis is 10 to 20 times more common among HIV-infected patients. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Reports, Complications and side effects, HIV infection, HIV infections, Dermatology

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