Resident’s Forum
Section Editor: Jerry Tan, MD
Resident Section Editors: Sanjay Bhambri, DO, and Joshua Zeichner, MD

Anne Han, MD; Joshua A. Zeichner, MD

Dr. Han is Clinical Dermatopharmacology Fellow, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. Dr. Zeichner is Chief Resident, Department of Dermatology, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York. Section Editor: Jerry Tan, MD, FRCPC, is Adjunct Professor, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario; President, Windsor Clinical Research Inc., Windsor, Ontario; and Consultant, Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He is also in private practice. Read the rest of this article »

Jason J. Emer, MD; Claire Wolinsky, BS
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, New York, New York

Abstract
The treatment of many dermatological disorders, such as autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases, consists of the use of systemic corticosteroids alone or in combination with other steroid-sparing immunosuppressants. Often, these treatment regimens are sufficient to control disease activity with relatively few side effects if monitored by a diligent physician. Some patients, however, may be refractory to treatment or develop intolerable side effects from therapy. For these patients, alternative treatment modalities with less toxicity and greater efficacy are required. Rituximab is a genetically engineered, chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the B-cell lineage specific CD20 antigen. Originally developed for the treatment of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, rituximab has increasingly been used to treat a variety of autoimmune and immune-mediated disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura to name a few. Since very few randomized, controlled, clinical trials exist regarding the use of rituximab in the treatment of dermatological disorders, guidelines for the off-label use of this medication come from anecdotal case reports and cohort studies. Further clinical studies are needed to validate the safety and efficacy of rituximab therapy in dermatological disorders. Until then, we present a literature review of the emerging use of this B-cell depletion therapy.

(J Clin Aesthetic Dermatol. 2009;2(5):29–37) Read the rest of this article »

A Multicenter, Randomized, Investigator-blind, Controlled Study of Short-term Healing

David Pariser, MD, Department of Dermatology, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Virginia Clinical Research, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia; James Spencer, MD; Department of Dermatology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York; Brian Berman, MD, PhD; Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; Suzanne Bruce, MD; Private Practice, Houston, Texas; Lisa Parr, PharmD, RAC; Obagi Medical Products, Inc., Long Beach, California; Kenneth Gross, MD, Skin Surgery Medical Group, Inc., San Diego, California, and Division of Dermatology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California. Read the rest of this article »

Michael H. Gold, MD
Gold Skin Care Center and Tennessee Clinical Research Center, Nashville, Tennessee Read the rest of this article »

Resident’s Forum
Section Editor: Jerry Tan, MD
Resident Section Editors: Sanjay Bhambri, DO, and Joshua Zeichner, MD

by Joseph F. Sobanko, MD; Lindsay Meijer, BS;
Thomas P. Nigra, MD Read the rest of this article »