dermatology
Transforming Diagnosis and Care of Patients with Pyoderma Gangrenosum
When Alex Ortega, MD, was in medical school at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, in Lima, Peru, he became fascinated with dermatology. He had come across a paper about pemphigus foliaceus in Brazil (Warren et al. 2000), the lead author of which was a fellow Peruvian, Luis Diaz, who at the time was…
New Opportunity for Early-Career Investigators Doing Vitiligo Research
A new partnership between the Dermatology Foundation and the Global Vitiligo Foundation (GVF) will fund a DF Career Development Award (CDA) dedicated to advancing vitiligo-focused research. The DF Research Award Program supports outstanding researchers whose forward-thinking ideas promise to shape the future of dermatology. “Vitiligo remains one of the most psychologically devastating and therapeutically challenging…
Breaking New Ground and Breaking Divides in South African Dermatology for Black Africans
As a Black South African living under apartheid, Ncoza Dlova, MD, faced racism at every turn. Yet she broke through systemic barriers to achieve a series of historic firsts. Dlova was the first Black African woman and dermatologist to graduate from the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South…
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…
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…
A Champion of Patient Safety and Education
Dr. James Taylor has dedicated his career to the Cleveland Clinic, embodying its mission of patient care, education, and research, the very values for which he received the Dermatology Foundation’s 2025 Practitioner of the Year Honorary Award. Taylor’s career is inextricably linked to the Clinic, where he has worked continually since graduating from the Indiana…
Melanonychia and the Study of Nail Diseases
For 35 years, Judith Domínguez-Cherit, MD, has worked as a dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at the Dr. Manuel Gea González General Hospital, the same practice her father, the distinguished dermatologist Luciano Domínguez-Soto, started in 1977. “When I was young, my father took me with him to the hospital,” she said. “I became interested…