Alice He

Seasonal variation of itch: A study using real-time data from 2004 to 2016

REFERENCES 1. Havlickova B, Czaika VA, Friedrich M. Epidemiological trends in skin mycoses worldwide. Mycoses. 2008;51(Suppl 4):2-15. 2. Panackal AA, Halpern EF, Watson AJ. Cutaneous fungal infections in the United States: analysis of the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), 1995-2004. Int J Dermatol. 2009;48(7):704-712. 3. Borghi A, Corazza M, Minghetti S, Biolo G, Maritati M, Virgili A. Mycological visits requested in a tertiary referral center: what can be hiding behind a suspected skin mycosis? G Ital Dermatol Venereol. PMID: 26484881. Published online October 15, 2015.

Addressing minority representation in dermatology: Answering a call to action through structured mentorship and instruction

This study uses course evaluation responses and anecdotal feedback to assess a pilot program that includes direct mentorship to encourage inner-city high school students from populations underrepresented in medicine to consider careers in dermatology.

Interleukin-31 receptor and pruritus associated with primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis.

odeficiency-associated lymphoproliferative disorders. In: WHO Classification of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues (Swerdlow SH, Campo E, Harris NL, Jaffe ES, Pileri SA, Stein H et al., eds), 4th edn. Lyon: International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2008; 350. 4 Curry JL, Prieto VG, Jones DM et al. Transient iatrogenic immunodeficiency-related B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of the skin in a patient with mycosis fungoides/S ezary syndrome. J Cutan Pathol 2011; 38:295–7. 5 Rausch T, Cairoli A, Benhattar J et al. EBV cutaneous B-cell lymphoproliferation of the leg in an elderly patient with mycosis fungoides and methotrexate treatment. APMIS 2013; 121:79–84. 6 Koens L, Senff NJ, Vermeer MH et al. Methotrexate-associated Bcell lymphoproliferative disorders presenting in the skin: a clinicopathologic and immunophenotypical study of 10 cases. Am J Surg Pathol 2014; 38:999–1006. 7 Dojcinov SD, Venkataraman G, Raffeld M et al. EBV positive mucocutaneous ulcer – a study of 26 cases associated with various sources of immunosuppression. Am J Surg Pathol 2010; 34:405–17. 8 Salloum E, Cooper DL, Howe G et al. Spontaneous regression of lymphoproliferative disorders in patients treated with methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases. J Clin Oncol 1996; 14:1943–9. 9 Kim YH, Tavallaee M, Sundram U et al. Phase II investigatorinitiated study of brentuximab vedotin in mycosis fungoides and S ezary syndrome with variable CD30 expression level: a multi-institution collaborative project. J Clin Oncol 2015; 33:3750–8. 10 Novelli M, Merlino C, Ponti R et al. Epstein-Barr virus in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas: evaluation of the viral presence and significance in skin and peripheral blood. J Invest Dermatol 2009; 129:1556–61.

Cytochrome P450 isoform genotyping in poor propranolol responders for hemangioma treatment

Ozeki et al. studied the outcome of an efficacious dose of oral propranolol on 35 children with infantile hemangioma and found 26% of their subjects to be poor responders based on visual analogue scale of size after 24 weeks of treatment. The authors did not find any differences in patient demographics or hemangioma characteristics between good and poor responders. The authors, however, did not examine differences in cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme phenotype between good and poor responders, a variable in determining propranolol efficacy and response. Propranolol is metabolized by numerous CYP enzymes, including CYP2D6, CYP1A2, and CYP2C19. These enzymes are polymorphic with variable genotypes that result in phenotypes of different enzymatic activities. Four major phenotypes have been described based on enzyme activity for CYP2D6: poor, intermediate, extensive, and ultra-rapid metabolizer. Similarly, CYP1A2 has rapid and poor metabolizing phenotypes, and CYP2C19 has ultra-rapid, extensive, and poor metabolizing phenotypes. Patients with the ultrarapid or rapid metabolizer phenotype of CYP2D6, CYP1A2, or CYP2C19 will metabolize propranolol rapidly, resulting in lower plasma concentration of propranolol and decreased clinical response. Furthermore, enhanced propranolol clearance could also be caused by a combination of mixed phenotypic scenarios among the CYP enzymes involved. For example, enhanced clearance may result from ultra-rapid status of one enzyme, or extensive and rapid metabolizer status among multiple or all enzymes. The importance of genotyping drug metabolizing enzymes has recently gained increasing attention and momentum after recent reports of fatal reactions to codeine by children with the ultra-rapid metabolizer form of CYP2D6. We suggest that future clinical studies or treatment teams consider genotyping for CYP2D6, CYP1A2, and CYP2C19 when using propranolol to treat hemangiomas, particularly for poor responders or refractory patients. We acknowledge that while metabolic phenotype is unlikely to explain all the poor responders, it could explain a significant proportion of poor responders. Dosing adjustments may be necessary for patients with evidence of ultra-rapid or rapid metabolizing phenotype for any of the CYP450 enzymes.

Scarring Alopecias Related to Hairstyling Practices

Over time, traumatic hairstyling practices can lead to both scarring and nonscarring forms of alopecia. In scarring alopecia, fibrous scar tissue replaces hair follicles, resulting in permanent hair loss. In nonscarring alopecia, such as traction and chemically related alopecias, hair regrowth is possible. However, repeated trauma can lead to permanent, scarring hair loss. Additionally, hair styling practices can exacerbate existing alopecia. Understanding the role hair care practices play in the development of hair loss is critical to management of these conditions.

Ethnic Hair Considerations for People of African, South Asian, Muslim, and Sikh origins

By the year 2060, there are expected to be almost 80 million foreign-born Americans, representing nearly 20 % of the US population. Dermatologists will increasingly come into contact with immigrant populations, and cultural considerations should be taken into account. Many will continue to adhere to time-tested cultural practices in hopes of achieving or maintaining healthy hair, though some may lead to hair and scalp disorders. Awareness of some of the more common hair practices in different racial and ethnic groups can help dermatologists make informed decisions regarding treatment guidelines and recommendations.

Chemical and Physical Properties of Hair: Comparisons Between Asian, Black, and Caucasian Hair

Although the fundamental structure and function of the hair are similar among all races, there are important anatomic and molecular differences that contribute to the unique characteristics of ethnic hair and impact its health and management. Hair researchers have generally classified hair into African, Asian, and Caucasian subgroups. Though this may be an oversimplification, this classification scheme is used in this chapter for the sake of uniformity.

The role of topical anesthetics in the management of chronic pruritus

AbstractChronic itch is a debilitating symptom that significant decreases patients’ quality of life. Topical corticosteroids and antihistamines are commonly used for itch. However, these therapies are not long-term solutions for chronic pruritus because of their feared side effects, including skin atrophy and cognitive impairment, respectively. As such, dermatologists require additional therapies for long-term management of chronic pruritus. Topical anesthetics have been shown in many studies to be effective antipruritic agents. We performed a review of the literature on various types of chronic pruritus treated with topical anesthetics. The randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective studies, and case series available suggest that topical anesthetics have potential to be rapidly effective antipruritic agents for a variety of causes of chronic pruritus, including pruritic dermatoses (e.g. contact dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis), postburn pruritus, and neurogenic itch (e.g. nostalgia par...