Dermatology and skin

140 articles · Since 2011

Articles, page 7

Mohs surgery is vilified, physicians again fail to respond effectively

January 29, 2014Jan 29, 201415

An article published in the New York Times last weekend has been circulating widely on the Internet, and I feel that more than ever, physician voices are needed to reach the public and counter certain misconceptions put forth by the…

An article published in the New York Times last weekend has been circulating widely on the Internet, and I feel that more than ever, physician voices are needed to reach the public and counter certain misconceptions put forth by the media.

The article, “Patients’ Costs Skyrocket; Specialists’ Incomes Soar,” charts the growth of specialist incomes in the past decade, using the case of a patient from Arkansas who had a …

Conditions and diseases

Skin cancers are never truly benign

J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD

January 27, 2014Jan 27, 2014

I spent 4 hours on New Year's Eve sitting in the surgeon's chair getting a skin cancer taken off my nose. Nothing about the experience fits the "benign" label so many professionals, including yours truly, have used: routine; easy to…

I spent 4 hours on New Year’s Eve sitting in the surgeon’s chair getting a skin cancer taken off my nose. Nothing about the experience fits the “benign” label so many professionals, including yours truly, have used: routine; easy to treat; nothing to worry about. Friends, after this experience, which left me looking like a tall, white-haired Rudolph the …

Read more…

Skin cancers are never truly benign

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 72-year-old man with diffuse, intractable itching

mksap

January 25, 2014Jan 25, 2014

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 72-year-old man is evaluated for a 3- to 4-month history of diffuse, intractable itching involving most of the body. He uses emollients regularly.…

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 72-year-old man is evaluated for a 3- to 4-month history of diffuse, intractable itching involving most of the body. He uses emollients regularly. He cannot identify any precipitating causes. He was relatively healthy before the onset of the itch but now feels chronically fatigued. The itch is relentless. He has used …

Real physician voices, twice a week

Free, and one click to unsubscribe.

Medical education

Doctors should hone their abilities to recognize visual patterns

Paul Bergl, MD

December 10, 2013Dec 10, 2013

Nothing puts more fear into the heart of an internist than a dermatologic chief complaint. And for good reason: we have very little exposure to the breadth of the field. To us, all rashes seem to be maculopapular, all bumps…

It’s not that we internists don’t care about the skin or don’t appreciate its complexity. Rather, we simply haven’t seen enough bumps, rashes, and …

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 32-year-old woman is evaluated for a pruritic rash

mksap

October 19, 2013Oct 19, 2013

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 32-year-old woman is evaluated for a recurrent pruritic rash on her hands. She works as a dental hygienist and notices that it improves…

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 32-year-old woman is evaluated for a recurrent pruritic rash on her hands. She works as a dental hygienist and notices that it improves when she goes on vacation. Topical corticosteroids alleviate the rash, but it quickly recurs.

On physical examination, she has scaling, erythematous patches on her dorsal hands, fingers, and wrists. She has …

Conditions and diseases

3 products that your dermatologist won’t like

Val Jones, MD

October 15, 2013Oct 15, 20133

As a light skinned, be-freckled woman with a history of pre-melanoma, I have been sternly instructed to keep my dermatologist on speed dial. Every six months I dutifully return to his office for inspection -- nervously eyeing the biopsy tray…

In preparation for my most recent trip, I decided to be “an empowered patient” and …

Conditions and diseases

Melanoma refuses to abide the laws of general civilization

Samyukta Mullangi

August 6, 2013Aug 6, 201312

The man who had been seated in room 2 by the medical assistant had been seen 6 months previously for a small, pigmented lesion behind his left ear, which a punch biopsy subsequently proved to be malignant melanoma in situ. He was sent to the Mohs surgeon in the interim who carefully excised just as much skin as was absolutely necessary and …

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 27-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-week history of wheals

mksap

August 4, 2013Aug 4, 2013

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 27-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-week history of wheals, characterized by a burning sensation without pruritus. Each individual lesion persists for 48…

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 27-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-week history of wheals, characterized by a burning sensation without pruritus. Each individual lesion persists for 48 hours and slowly resolves, leaving a bruise. Current medications are diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine, cetirizine and oral contraceptives. The patient’s mother has systemic lupus erythematosus.

On physical examination, vital signs are normal. She …

Conditions and diseases

This is why you should wear sunscreen

Joyce Ho, MD

July 5, 2013Jul 5, 201311

I recently celebrated my birthday with a 9-hour picnic and for the first time in my life I was aware that some of my friends were starting to wear large hats and sunscreen. In fact, one of my friends was…

Finally we are all now realizing what our mothers have been telling us since day 1 and what was popularized …

Read more…

This is why you should wear sunscreen

Conditions and diseases

Skin cancer does not discriminate

Adam Friedman, MD

May 15, 2013May 15, 201313

For people of color, skin cancer may not be top of mind as a significant health threat. But as I tell my patients in the multi-cultural borough of the Bronx, NY, skin cancer does not discriminate and it impacts all…

While somewhat rarer in skin of color, skin cancers, including potentially deadly melanoma, do occur and can be quite …

Read more…

Skin cancer does not discriminate

Conditions and diseases

How the nanny state mentality hurts public health

Sherry Pagoto, PhD

April 16, 2013Apr 16, 201313

When my daughter was born, I hired a nanny. Her name was Kelly. She was great, a savior. She collaborated with me in running the household, enforcing the rules of the home. She even had a set of her own rules. I learned from her and her rules because she had more experience tending children than me. She wasn’t a dictator, …

Drugs and prescribing

Who really won when Accutane was pulled off the market?

Michael Kirsch, MD

January 28, 2013Jan 28, 20133

I was engaged in one of my pleasures, sitting in a coffee shop leafing through medical journals. Usually, I am perusing newspapers. I spend many hours each week combing through various newspapers and routinely forward items of interest to folks of interest. No newspapers today. I have a few gastroenterology journals to look through. My professional reading habits have evolved over my career. I am more interested in reading about …

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 27-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-week history of wheals

mksap

January 20, 2013Jan 20, 2013

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 27-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-week history of wheals, characterized by a burning sensation without pruritus. Each individual lesion persists for 48 hours and slowly resolves, leaving a bruise. Current medications are diphenhydramine, hydroxyzine, cetirizine, and oral contraceptives. The patient’s mother has systemic lupus erythematosus.

On physical examination, vital signs are normal. She …

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 46-year-old woman with an intensely pruritic rash

mksap

December 1, 2012Dec 1, 2012

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 46-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-day history of an intensely pruritic rash on her face and neck. She started using a new…

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 46-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-day history of an intensely pruritic rash on her face and neck. She started using a new facial moisturizer about 1 week before the onset of the rash. She has stopped using the moisturizer, but the rash has persisted. She has treated the rash with calamine lotion …

Physician voices

Why doctors should care about fracking

Deep Ramachandran, MD

October 20, 2012Oct 20, 20122

Let’s all agree on two things. First, that energy independence is good for our country. Second that clean drinking water is also good for the country. The development of America’s huge stores of natural gas, have given us a remarkable…

Let’s all agree on two things.

First, that energy independence is good for our country. Second that clean drinking water is also good for the country.

The development of America’s huge stores of natural gas, have given us a remarkable opportunity to accomplish the former. In particular, the process of “fracking” has made it possible to increasingly tap those huge natural gas stores. Natural gas sits in rock formations, but releasing it …

Read more…

Why doctors should care about fracking

Conditions and diseases

MKSAP: 40-year-old woman with a symmetrically distributed rash

mksap

October 7, 2012Oct 7, 2012

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians. A 40-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-month history of symmetrically distributed, severely pruritic, grouped erosions on her elbows, knees, back, and buttocks. The…

Test your medicine knowledge with the MKSAP challenge, in partnership with the American College of Physicians.

A 40-year-old woman is evaluated for a 4-month history of symmetrically distributed, severely pruritic, grouped erosions on her elbows, knees, back, and buttocks. The skin lesions began as red spots that developed into papules and then vesicles, which broke down as she scratched them. She reports normal bowel habits. She has no other medical …

Physician voices

Why doctors should attend residency graduations

Wes Fisher, MD

June 19, 2012Jun 19, 2012

June in the United States heralds the month when residencies end and new ones begin. While much will be written soon about the dangers of entering hospitals this time of year (this story never seems to tire with mainstream media), I would like to step back and reflect on why doctors should consider attending residency graduations. I had the pleasure of doing so recently.

Excitement. With all of the dreary news of …

Physician voices

They don’t make protocols for patients like me

Dan McCoy, MD

December 11, 2011Dec 11, 201115

The instruments were indicating to the two co-pilots at the controls of the Airbus that they needed to pull back on the stick. They held back on the stick for 54 seconds. This is the position they were in when…

The instruments were indicating to the two co-pilots at the controls of the Airbus that they needed to pull back on the stick.

They held back on the stick for 54 seconds.

This is the position they were in when the Air France jet plunged into the cold water of the Atlantic killing everyone on board.

The fix?

Recognizing that a protocol or guideline might be giving them wrong instructions, seeing that there …

Dermatology and skin

Articles, page 7

Real physician voices, twice a week

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular