The Cutaneous Connection

Itisha S. Jefferson, a medical student, patient advocate, and one of the co-founders of the Scarring Alopecia Foundation's medical student program, shares the inspiring advocacy journey and team effort behind the approval of ICD-10 codes for scarring alopecias.

We recently caught up with Peter Lio, MD, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, at the 2024 Society for Pediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting. Lio presented a session on changing the disease course in pediatric atopic dermatitis, alongside Amy Paller, MD. We'll dive into the highlights of their talk, the role of disease progression, and the exciting pipeline ahead.

In today’s episode, Drs Vikash Oza, MD, and James Treat, MD, delve into the topic, “Does Food Trigger Eczema?” Oza, an associate professor of dermatology and pediatrics and the director of pediatric dermatology at NYU in New York City, and Treat, a professor of clinical pediatrics and dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine and an affiliate of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, participated in 1 of 3 “Great Debates in Peds Derm” at the 2024 Society for Pediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The duo shared insights from their debate and pearls for clinicians related to allergy and eczema.

In today’s episode, Albert Yan, MD, FAAP, FAAD, research director at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, professor at the Perelman School of Medicine, and executive at Inner Archways LLC, discusses pearls and insights from his lecture presented at the 2024 Society for Pediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Yan spoke on artificial intelligence and ChatGPT and the balance of positive yet harmful potential of AI chatbots in medicine.

James Song, MD, FAAD, chief medical officer and director of clinical research at Frontier Dermatology in Seattle, Washington, delves into the complexities and advancements in treating atopic dermatitis (AD). Song highlights the challenges of transitioning patients from topical to systemic therapies, emphasizing the need for timely conversations and patient comfort. He discusses the efficacy and rapid response of oral JAK inhibitors compared to biologics, while addressing safety concerns and the necessity for blood monitoring. Song also explores patient-specific factors in treatment choices, the importance of systemic therapy for moderate to severe cases, and the promise of emerging biologics targeting IL-31 and OX40 pathways. This episode is a comprehensive guide for dermatology clinicians navigating the evolving landscape of AD treatments.