Dermasphere Podcast

  • Home
  • Dermasphere Podcast

Dermasphere Podcast Dermasphere is a podcast by dermatologists, for dermatologists, that delivers the latest dermatology research direct to your ears.

If you haven't listened to the newest episode yet, here are the topics we discussed!-Dr. Feldman joined yet again to dis...
05/10/2025

If you haven't listened to the newest episode yet, here are the topics we discussed!

-Dr. Feldman joined yet again to discuss the next chapter of his book - The Hedonic Treadmill
-Dr. Sreekantaswamy joined us to discuss L-methionine for warts!
-We also reviewed literature about neck stretches for scalp dysesthesia, extragenital lichen sclerosus, and pediatric androgenetic alopecia.

What was your favorite part of this episode?

And now for Michelle's ! 1. Pediatric atopic dermatitis carries a significant neuropsychiatric burden with common behav...
28/09/2025

And now for Michelle's !

1. Pediatric atopic dermatitis carries a significant neuropsychiatric burden with common behavioral comorbidities and frequent sleep disruption. This impact remains underrecognized and undertreated.

2. A retrospective analysis found dupilumab reduced neuropsychiatric risk in pediatric atopic dermatitis: overall 44% risk reduction (RR 0.56); behavioral disorders reduced by 38% (RR 0.62); anxiety disorders by 33% (RR 0.67); and learning disabilities by 59% (RR 0.41).

3. Dupilumab may reduce neuroinflammation through IL-4 and IL-13 blockade as their receptors are present in the brain. This may improve neuropsychiatric, sleep, and behavioral symptoms, possibly also stabilizing the blood–brain barrier by reducing systemic inflammation.

4. Dermatofibromas are benign fibrohistiocytic dermal tumors, typically presenting as hyperpigmented nodules or papules. Solitary lesions are incidental, but multiple (>5) should prompt evaluation for systemic associations (lupus erythematosus, immunosuppression, HIV...).

5. Histopathology of DF: Benign fibroblastic proliferation in the dermis with storiform architecture, collagen trapping, and Factor XIIIa positivity.

We also wanted to incude some key takeaways from Dr. Feldman's guest segment!
➡Belief bias: Anecdotes that align with what people already believe can be especially persuasive, while logical arguments that conflict with those beliefs are often discounted.

➡Clinical relevance: We should remain mindful of belief bias in both our patients and ourselves, using careful language that respects perspectives and helps preserve patient autonomy.

If you haven't listened to Episode 166 yet, here are Luke's !1. Belief bias explains why a compelling story, especially...
28/09/2025

If you haven't listened to Episode 166 yet, here are Luke's !

1. Belief bias explains why a compelling story, especially one with a believable conclusion, sometimes sways people more than data. Narratives can influence decision-making even when objective evidence is available.

2. Infantile hemangiomas with suboptimal response to standard propranolol were often segmental, located in the head/neck, and had deep or mixed components.

3. The incidence of IH is about 1.64 per 100 person years with an increasing trend over the last three decades. 12% of these infantile hemangiomas are high risk and require treatment consideration.

4. First-line dosing for IH is propranolol 2 mg/kg/day, often BID. It works 95% of the time.

5. Plausible mechanisms for propranolol’s effect include vasoconstriction, inhibition of angiogenesis, induction of endothelial cell apoptosis, increased pericyte contractility, and modulation of adipogenesis/hemangioma stem cell differentiation.

Episode 166 dropped last week! Have you listened? If not, here are the topics that were discussed in the episode! 🎧 ➡Dr....
21/09/2025

Episode 166 dropped last week! Have you listened? If not, here are the topics that were discussed in the episode! 🎧

➡Dr. Steve Feldman on BELIEF BIAS
➡Dupilumab and improved neuropsychiatric diagnoses
➡Hemangiomas that don't respond to propranolol
➡Multiple DF associations

And now for Michelle's Top Five from Episode 165!🎧➡Chronic hand eczema is challenging to manage because hands are consta...
14/09/2025

And now for Michelle's Top Five from Episode 165!🎧

➡Chronic hand eczema is challenging to manage because hands are constantly exposed to irritants and mechanical stress, and treatment must also be tailored to multiple subtypes.

➡A CASCADE trial showed that once-daily full-body emollient use in a community-based population, not selected for risk, reduced atopic dermatitis incidence by 16% at 24 months (NNT=15).

➡L-carnitine is essential for mitochondrial fatty acid transport; deficiency causes fatigue, weakness, and fat accumulation. This overlaps with side effects of myalgias and weakness seen with isotretinoin treatment in cystic acne.

➡A study reported that isotretinoin reduced serum carnitine levels and increased urinary excretion; carnitine supplementation improved MSK symptoms in affected patients and allowed for continuation of therapy.

➡Recommended carnitine supplementation is typically 500 mg TID (1500–2000 mg/day). Doses >3 g/day can cause a fishy odor in sweat, urine, and breath.

Check out Luke's Top Five from Episode 165! 🎧➡Chronic hand eczema includes the subtypes: atopic dermatitis, allergic con...
14/09/2025

Check out Luke's Top Five from Episode 165! 🎧

➡Chronic hand eczema includes the subtypes: atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, hyperkeratotic eczema, irritant contact dermatitis, and vesicular/dyshidrotic eczema.

➡Delgocitinib, the first topical pan–JAK inhibitor, was FDA-approved in July 2025 for chronic hand eczema. In an RCT of topical steroid-refractory patients, treatment success (IGA-CHE 0–1 at 16 weeks) was achieved in 25% on delgocitinib vs 9% on placebo.

➡Retinoids reduce scaling and are effective for some ichthyosis phenotypes (lamellar, PPK) but should be avoided in others such as Netherton syndrome. Retinoids are not a permanent solution, and symptoms recur after discontinuation.

➡Acitretin can persist in your system for up to 3 years due to its conversion to etretinate, which accumulates and gets stored in fat. Use caution in patients of childbearing potential.

➡Long-term, retinoids may cause skeletal toxicities, including premature epiphyseal closure, tendon/ligament calcifications, osteophytes, DISH (diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis), and altered bone density.

If you haven't listened to Episode 165 yet, here are the topics that were discussed! We were once again thrilled to have...
13/09/2025

If you haven't listened to Episode 165 yet, here are the topics that were discussed! We were once again thrilled to have Dr. Feldman as our special guest on this episode! 🎧

➡Delgocitinib cream for hand eczema
➡Dr. Feldman on MEANING
➡Systemic retinoids for ichthyoses
➡Prevent AD by greasing up your baby
➡Carnitine for isotretinoin-induced myalgias

And now for Michelle's Top Five!➡N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor of cysteine and glutathione used in acetaminophen...
09/09/2025

And now for Michelle's Top Five!

➡N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor of cysteine and glutathione used in acetaminophen toxicity and decreasing impulsivity, cravings, and compulsive behaviors through effects on the cysteine-glutamate exchange system.
➡73% of pediatric patients with behavioral issues such as hair pulling, nail biting, or cutaneous habits improved with NAC, and none worsened, with a mean treatment duration of 30 months.
➡Pyogenic granulomas are common, benign, rapidly growing vascular neoplasms usually of skin or mucous membranes, most commonly found in children and adolescents.
➡Imiquimod was effective for pediatric pyogenic granulomas, including infants as young as 4 weeks, with no systemic complications, making it a cost-effective, noninvasive therapy that reduces hospital and clinic visits.
➡Extramedullary plasmacytomas are monoclonal plasma cell tumors outside bone that can rarely develop in the skin after trauma and are often associated with multiple myeloma.

We got a bit behind on Top Five Posts - but here are Luke's Top Five from Episode 164! ➡Patients who received 200,000U o...
08/09/2025

We got a bit behind on Top Five Posts - but here are Luke's Top Five from Episode 164!

➡Patients who received 200,000U of vitamin D one hour after an experimentally induced sunburn had reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, decreased leukocyte migration and IL-6 signaling, and higher expression of skin barrier repair genes.
➡After an inflammatory insult, M1 macrophages enter the skin and produce inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) during an oxidative burst to prevent infection.
➡Excessive iNOS production causes tissue damage and impairs repair, but vitamin D3 inhibits TNF-α, thereby reducing macrophage iNOS.
➡Patients on prednisone for more than 3 months should receive age-appropriate calcium and vitamin D, maintain serum vitamin D between 30–50, exercise, and avoid smoking and excess alcohol.
➡When starting chronic steroids in patients 40+, calculate fracture risk with the FRAX calculator. If prednisone equivalent >7.5 mg, adjust the FRAX score by multiplying major osteoporotic fracture risk ×1.15 and hip fracture risk ×1.2.

Have you listened to Episode 164 yet? If not, here are the topics that Luke & Michelle discussed. Comment below somethin...
28/08/2025

Have you listened to Episode 164 yet? If not, here are the topics that Luke & Michelle discussed. Comment below something you found valuable from this episode!

➡NAC (N-acetylcysteine) in kids
➡Vitamin D for sunburn
➡Imiquimod for PGs
➡How to prevent bone issues in patients on steroids
➡Cutaneous extramedullary plasmacytoma
➡DRESS by drug

🎙🎧

And now for Michelle's Top 5 from Episode 163! 🎧1. A higher cumulative dose of isotretinoin (not a higher daily dose) is...
21/08/2025

And now for Michelle's Top 5 from Episode 163! 🎧

1. A higher cumulative dose of isotretinoin (not a higher daily dose) is associated with lower acne relapse rates. Treatment recommendation: Treat until ~150 mg/kg and 2 months of clearance.
2. Females with lower cumulative isotretinoin exposure need closer follow-up for relapse. Spironolactone is a well-used alternative for retrial in women.
3. Prurigo nodularis (PN) is an intensely pruritic, papulonodular condition driven by neural inflammation and dermal fibrosis that sustains an itch-scratch cycle.
4. Atopic disease is a common comorbidity in PN (15–50%), and those with atopic diatheses often respond especially well to dupilumab.
5. Both dupilumab (PRIME/PRIME2 phase-3 trials) and nemolizumab (IL-31R antagonist) show strong, replicated efficacy for PN. Choose dupilumab when atopic/type-2 features predominate.

Check out Luke's Top 5 from Episode 163!1. GVHD: More mature T-cells in in a graft are associated with higher rates of a...
20/08/2025

Check out Luke's Top 5 from Episode 163!

1. GVHD: More mature T-cells in in a graft are associated with higher rates of acute GVHD.
2. TEN: SCORTEN is the standard mortality score for TEN, but it now overestimates mortality since supportive care has improved.
3. Hair products with oils, waxes, or pomades (commonly implicated in “pomade acne”/acne cosmetica) can clog follicles; use water-based/non-comedogenic products near the hairline.
4. Neonatal dacryocystitis: Presents in the first 1-2 weeks of life as lacrimal-sac inflammation and should be treated promptly with systemic antibiotics to prevent progression to cellulitis.
5. STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness): Follows lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) bites; the causal agent is uncertain. The rash is self-limited; treat as Lyme in areas of co-endemicity or clinical concern.

Address


Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dermasphere Podcast posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Dermasphere Podcast:

Shortcuts

  • Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Share