Education
Cutting-edge talks from today’s specialty experts attract attendees to the DF’s annual CME meeting: Clinical Symposia—Advances in Dermatology.
Tough Decisions for Longitudinal Melanonychia: Approach to Evaluation, Sampling, and Laboratory Processing
Dr. Adam Rubin presented information about the clinical presentation and biopsy collection of longitudinal melanonychia. Most cases of nail unit melanoma (NUM) present as longitudinal melanonychia. NUM has a higher mortality rate compared with other cutaneous melanomas due to delayed diagnosis and more advanced disease on presentation. First, Rubin described the clinical presentation of longitudinal…
Nailing the Red Streak: Evaluation of Erythronychia and Novel Insights
Dr. Adam Rubin presented information about the clinical presentation, histopathology, and differential diagnosis of longitudinal erythronychia. The differential diagnosis of longitudinal erythronychia includes onychopapilloma, nail unit acantholytic dyskeratotic acanthoma, glomus tumor, symplastic glomus tumor, arteriovenous malformation, subungual leiomyoma, amelanotic melanoma, and nail unit squamous cell carcinoma. Polydactylous erythronychia may indicate systemic disease. First, Rubin discussed…
New Frontiers in Early Life Atopic Dermatitis
Dr. Vikash Oza presented information about early life atopic dermatitis (AD). Infants and children are the population most often seeking care, with poorly understood phenotypes and changing needs with time. Early life AD can be prevented, and proper management can help prevent other chronic diseases. First, Oza reviewed the prevalence of AD throughout the lifespan….
Granulomas Gone Wild: Update of Rubella as an Evolving Trigger
Dr. Karolyn Wanat presented information about the discovery, diagnosis, and treatment of rubella virus (RuV)-associated granulomas. RuV is a single-stranded RNA virus typically associated with a mild clinical course. It can persist in immune-privileged sites and cause complications, including encephalitis, uveitis, arthritis, and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). The RuV vaccine was developed because of the…
Bedside Diagnostics for the Dermatologist: Pearls, Pitfalls, Practical Uses
Dr. Karolyn Wanat presented information about microscopy techniques dermatologists can perform at bedside. She used patient cases to demonstrate the utility of these techniques in a variety of settings and noted the similarities among features seen on microscopy and histopathology. Although histopathology may still be needed to confirm the diagnosis, direct microscopy can enable earlier…
How Working with AI May Make Us Better Dermatologists
Dr. Veronica Rotemberg presented information about the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in dermatology. There are few high-quality studies of AI for dermatologic purposes. First, Rotemberg discussed the challenges dermatologists face when working with AI models. AI models that are trained using photographs may become less accurate over time and may incorporate details…
When Interferon Interferes: Updates in Childhood Connective Tissue Disease
Dr. Vikash Oza presented information about the diagnosis and treatment of children with connective tissue diseases, including juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and chronic cutaneous lupus (CCL). In multidisciplinary settings, dermatologists play an important role in the early identification, treatment, and monitoring of systemic diseases with cutaneous manifestations. Treatment for refractory skin disease in the setting of…
Latest Breakthroughs in Vascular Anomalies
Dr. Erin Mathes shared updates in the evaluation and treatment of vascular anomalies, including infantile hemangioma (IH) and port wine birthmarks (PWB). First, Mathes reviewed the clinical practice guidelines for managing IH. High-risk patients should be referred to a hemangioma specialist. The optimal referral age is 4 weeks. Mathes suggested that clinicians adjust their treatment…
Intriguing Neonatal Cases
Dr. Erin Mathes presented cases that demonstrate neonatal cutaneous processes, including erythroderma, infantile hemangiomas (IH) in preterm infants, solitary infantile myofibromas (IM), infantile malignancies, transverse nasal root veins, and newborn telangiectasias. She highlighted clinical practice gaps and areas for future research. First, Mathes discussed neonatal erythroderma. The differential diagnosis ranges from life-threatening diseases (e.g., severe…
Acral and Nail Unit Melanoma: Challenges and Approaches to Diagnosis and Management
Dr. Daniel Klufas presented information about the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of acral melanoma, including acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) and nail unit melanoma (NUM). Acral melanomas are rare subtypes of cutaneous melanoma (CM) found on non-hair-bearing acral surfaces. They typically present after the age of 50 and disproportionately affect patients with skin of color…