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Efforts to increase patient comfort by minimizing pain and anxiety have been shown to improve clinical outcomes, reduce pain thresholds, decrease analgesic requirements and complication risk, strengthen the physician-patient relationship, and increase overall patient satisfaction. Patients also have a strong preference for patient-centered communication and educational discussion with physicians. In recent years, the increasing emphasis on patient experience scores as a metric for quality care has had significant implications for physician practice and has reinforced attempts to provide more patient-centered care. Though different pharmacologic agents and techniques have been extensively reviewed in the dermatologic literature, there have been few studies of non-pharmacologic strategies for improving patient-centered care. This evidence-based review describes alternative techniques that have been suggested for use in dermatologic surgery. Mechanoanesthesia, cold therapy, verbal and audiovisual distraction, music, optimal needle insertion methods, hypnosis and guided-imagery, perioperative communication, and educational strategies have been reported to improve the patient experience in dermatologic surgery. These interventions are often cost-effective and easy to implement, avoid medication side effects, and serve as adjunct approaches to enhance patient comfort. This review examines the corresponding evidence for these nonpharmacologic strategies to provide a clinical resource for the dermatologic surgeon seeking to optimize the patient experience.

Purpose: Atopic dermatitis (AD) adversely impacts quality of life (QoL). We evaluated the effect of upadacitinib, an oral selective Janus kinase inhibitor approved for moderate-to-severe AD, plus topical corticosteroids (+TCS) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) over 52weeks. Materials and methods: In the phase 3 AD Up study (NCT03568318), adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD were randomized 1:1:1 to once-daily upadacitinib 15mg, 30mg, or placebo+TCS. Itch, skin pain/symptoms, sleep, QoL, daily activities, emotional state, mental health, and patient impressions of disease severity/improvement/treatment satisfaction were assessed. Results: This analysis included 901 patients. Within 1–2weeks, PRO improvements were greater with both upadacitinib doses than with placebo (p <.05). Improvements increased through weeks 4–8; rates were generally maintained through week 52. At week 52, the proportion of patients with clinically meaningful improvements in itch (Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale improvement ≥4), skin pain (AD Symptom Scale Skin Pain improvement ≥4), sleep (AD Impact Scale [ADerm-IS] Sleep improvement ≥12), daily activities (ADerm-IS Daily Activities improvement ≥14), and emotional state (ADerm-IS Emotional State improvement ≥11) ranged from 62.1%–77.7% with upadacitinib 15mg+TCS and 71.3%–83.6% with upadacitinib 30mg+TCS. Conclusions: Upadacitinib+TCS results in rapid, sustained improvements in burdensome AD symptoms and QoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeDermatologic adverse events (dAEs) in cancer treatment are frequent with the use of targeted therapies. These dAEs have been shown to have significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). While standardized assessment tools have been developed for physicians to assess severity of dAEs, there is a discord between objective and subjective measures. The identification of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments useful in the context of targeted cancer therapies is therefore important in both the clinical and research settings for the overall evaluation of dAEs and their impact on HRQoL.MethodsA comprehensive, systematic literature search of published articles was conducted by two independent reviewers in order to identify PRO instruments previously utilized in patient populations with dAEs from targeted cancer therapies. The identified PRO instruments were studied to determine which HRQoL issues relevant to dAEs were addressed, as well as the process of development and validation of these instruments.ResultsThirteen articles identifying six PRO instruments met the inclusion criteria. Four instruments were general dermatology (Skindex-16©, Skindex-29©, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and DIELH-24) and two were symptom-specific (functional assessment of cancer therapy-epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor-18 (FACT-EGFRI-18) and hand-foot syndrome 14 (HFS-14)).ConclusionsWhile there are several PRO instruments that have been tested in the context of targeted cancer therapy, additional work is needed to develop new instruments and to further validate the instruments identified in this study in patients receiving targeted therapies.

The majority of toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) cases are provoked by “high risk” medications (e.g. allopurinol, aromatic anticonvulsants, nevirapine, oxicam non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, and sulfonamides). TEN usually occurs 1 to 8 weeks after initial administration of the offending agent, but re-administration can evoke TEN within hours to days [1]. Hydroxychloroquine has rarely been associated with TEN, with one case proving fatal [2-4]. Herein, we report a case of hydroxychloroquine-induced fatal TEN complicated by angioinvasive Rhizopus. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of angioinvasive Rhizopus in a TEN patient. Initial misidentification of the offending agent causing TEN also serves as an important teaching point worth highlighting.

As the most common human cancer worldwide and continuing to increase in incidence, basal cell carcinoma is associated with significant morbidity and cost. Continued advances in research have refined both our insight and approach to this seemingly ubiquitous disease. This 2-part continuing medical education series provides a comprehensive and contemporary review of basal cell carcinoma. The second article in this series will present both the current standard of care and newly developed approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the most common human cancer worldwide and continuing to increase in incidence, basal cell carcinoma is associated with significant morbidity and cost. Continued advances in research have refined both our insight and approach to this seemingly ubiquitous disease. This 2-part continuing medical education article will provide a comprehensive and contemporary review of basal cell carcinoma. The first article in this series describes our current understanding of this disease regarding epidemiology, cost, clinical and histopathologic presentations, carcinogenesis, natural history, and disease associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: 5-fluorouracil has proven to be an effective therapy in the treatment of a variety of dermatologic conditions. Approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the topical treatment of actinic keratoses and superficial basal cell carcinoma, 5-fluorouracil has also demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of a variety of other dermatologic diseases. While best known for its use as a topical medication, 5-fluorouracil can also be delivered intralesionally for the treatment of dermatologic disease. Recently, laser-assisted modalities for increased delivery of 5-fluorouracil have also been described METHODS: A search of the MEDLINE standard computer database, MEDLINE advanced database, and EMBASE database was conducted., Results: 38 articles met criteria for inclusion in this review. These articles represented 14 randomized controlled trials and 24 case series. Each article was reviewed and summarized. The main limitation of this review is the limited number of large randomized controlled trials, as well as the non-uniformity in treatment regimens between studies., Discussion: Intralesional and laser-assisted 5-fluorouracil are used in a variety of dermatologic disease processes with a wide range of efficacy and levels of evidence. Based on extent and level of evidence, our disease-specific systematic review found that the evidence is strongest for intralesional 5-FU use in the treatment of keloids, hypertrophic scars, and keratoacanthomas. This review serves as a comprehensive summary of intralesional and laser-assisted 5-fluorouracil use in dermatology.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(3):274-280.

An elderly woman presented with a 3-month history of nonhealing, tender ulcers involving the right calf and both forearms. She denied any history of similar lesions or trauma. Two trials of oral antibiotics had led to no improvement. Her medical history was significant for rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, and prednisone. A review of clinical manifestations was otherwise negative for disease. Physical examination of the patient's right calf revealed two punched-out ulcers with central necrotic black eschars, underlying retiform purpuric pattern, and mild fibrinopurulent drainage (Figure 1). Similar lesions were present on her forearms (Figures 2 and 3). No other remarkable skin changes were noted. The differential diagnosis included polyarteritis nodosa, cutaneous necrosis secondary to antiphospholipid syndrome, cryoglobulinemic vasculitis, and an atypical presentation of pyoderma gangernosum.