P1101
P1103
Dermatology interviews database: Medical student organization collects and displays residency interview dates online Matthew Molenda, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH, United States; Andrea Losch, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Jeanette Waller, University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, United States; Joseph Kvedar, MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States The Dermatology Interviews Database (DID) is a Web site (http://www.derminterest. org/interviews) that displays all known dermatology residency interview dates in the country. Medical student representatives of the national Dermatology Interest Group Association (DIGA; http://www.derminterest.org) have taken responsibility for collecting interview dates from specific programs. As the dates become known, DIGA representatives submit them to the database using a password-protected data entry system. After submission, the dates become dynamically available to anyone viewing the website. Online visitors may display the interview dates in calendar format by month, or in list format sorted ‘‘by State’’ or ‘‘by Date.’’ The DID will provide a one-stop source for both dermatology residency programs and applicants during the planning phases of interview schedules. Ideally, the database will help minimize scheduling conflicts on both national and local levels. Furthermore, it may help reduce the number of unnecessary calls to the administrative staff of dermatology departments. The DID was introduced to complement the 2006-2007 residency interview season. DIGA plans to continue the database in following years and hopes to increase the awareness and use of this online resource.
Dermatology education and telemedicine Edward Prodanovic, MD, Akron General Medical Center, Akron, OH, United States; Eliot Mostow, MD, MPH, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Rootstown, OH, United States
DIGA and its poster costs are supported by unrestricted educational grants from Astellas (20%), Connetics (40%), and Medicis (40%). Web hosting done for free by www.Derm.md.
Discussion: Incorporating such a strategy into IM residency training will not only increase dermatology education for general medicine residents, but also lead to more rapid care for patients with dermatologic issues as well as more efficaciously utilize the attending dermatologists’ time.
Background: Dermatologic cases may present difficult situations in tertiary care community hospitals without dermatology residency programs, particularly when attending dermatologists are located offsite. One solution may be to incorporate increased dermatology education into the general internal medicine (IM) program, where IM residents may respond to the consult request and communicate information regarding dermatologic cases to the offsite dermatologist for confirmation of diagnosis. Objective: We present a schematic implemented at our institution with data on 30 cases supporting the successful execution of such a program. Methods: Residents in a medicine/pediatric program, who received additional training in dermatology, were asked to evaluate dermatology consults. Pertinent information including digital photographs was obtained, and cases were presented via phone and electronically to the offsite dermatologist. The dermatologist would then confirm the diagnosis made by the resident and the resident would subsequently begin treatment. Results: Using this method, patients were able to be started on appropriate, rather than empiric, therapy for their condition more rapidly. The attending dermatologist was able to then follow-up with all dermatology cases in the hospital at the same time giving due consideration to his/her office schedule and travel time.
Commercial support: None identified.
P1102 Novel human growth factor and cytokine skin cream improves skin surface topography of aged facial skin as assessed by 3D in vivo optical skin imaging Michael Gold, MD, Gold Skin Care Center, Tennessee Clinical Research Center, Nashville, TN, United States; Mitchel Goldman, MD, La Jolla Spa MD, San Diego, CA, United States; Julie Biron, MBA, Tennessee Clinical Research Center, Nashville, TN, United States
P1104
Whereas the crucial role of growth factors and cytokines in cutaneous wound healing is well described, their use for skin rejuvenation is less studied. A novel skin cream which contains a mixture of human growth factors and cytokines was recently marketed for skin rejuvenation. The mixture was obtained through a biotechnology process using cultured human fetal skin cells, which originate from a dedicated cell bank originally established for the development of products in wound healing. We previously reported the beneficial use of this cream for reducing signs of facial skin aging based on visual scoring and subject questionnaire. Here, we present the data obtained after measuring skin surface topography using a 3D in vivo optical skin imaging system, which allows quantitative and little artifact prone measurement of skin topography and lines. After obtaining informed consent, 20 female volunteers between 35 to 65 years of age with demonstrable facial wrinkling were included in a placebo-controlled and double-blinded study. They were asked to apply the cream and its placebo (identical cream without growth factor and cytokine mixture) twice daily on the randomized half-face over a period of two months. Skin topography of the peri-orbital area was measured before and after treatment. Twice daily cream application for two months resulted in a significantly reduced average roughness (Ra), mean roughness depth (Rz), maximum roughness depth (Rzmax), base roughness depth (R3z), maximum base roughness depth (R3zmax) and ten point average roughness (RzISO) by 10 to 18% depending on the roughness parameter. Treatment with placebo resulted only in significantly improved Ra and Rz, while the ‘‘extreme’’ roughness parameters Rzmax, R3z, R3zmax, and RzISO did not change significantly. These ‘‘extreme’’ roughness parameters are descriptive for the pronounced signs of facial skin aging such as moderate and deep wrinkles including crow’s feet. Concluding, this study using an objective measure for skin aging confirmed the beneficial role of a novel human growth factor and cytokine skin cream in reducing signs of facial skin aging. Further, the placebocontrolled data suggests that the reduced depth of the moderate and deep wrinkles may be attributed to the presence of human growth factors in the cream. Growth factors are known stimulators of collagen formation.
A new method for simulating the visual effects of haemoglobin and melanin changes within the skin Robert Morse, PhD, Astron Clinica, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Symon Cotton, PhD, Astron Clinica, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Mark Chellingworth, Astron Clinica, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Steve Preece, PhD, Addenbrooks Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom Non-contact SIAscopy is an established method for measuring haemoglobin and melanin concentration within the skin, based upon their specific absorption spectra. As such, the individual digital image maps produced can be manipulated and recombined to show how skin can potentially appear after treatments to modify the melanin and haemoglobin levels in the skin. The non-contact SIAscopy method involves building a model of the interaction of light with the skin using a standard calibrated digital camera and flash unit as a broadband spectrometer. The model of the skin is generated by comparing the specific absorption spectrum of the color CCD of the camera combined with a lookup table of all the possible combinations of melanin and blood concentrations in skin. This allows a mathematical link between the RGB color data of the camera, and the concentration and distribution of pigment in the skin to be made, enabling accurate prediction of the amount of haemoglobin and melanin for each pixel within the image. As the blood and melanin maps produced are constructed of floating point data, this data can be changed to simulate changes in chromphore concentration and distribution. Therefore, by building this model in reverse, it is possible to predict the changes in blood and melanin caused by changes in RGB space. Consider techniques such as pulsed-dye or Ng Yag lasers, which are tuned to specific pigmentary absorption frequencies. The effect of manipulating the corresponding colours in the RGB space can be shown in the reconstruction of the pigmentary map and so the appearance of the skin. The same would be true for increases in pigmentation, such as tanning. The reconstructed image will represent the predicted effect of the changes in concentration of the chromophores, providing valuable visual data in predicting the potential effects of treatments. Algorithms have been generated to simulate treatments specifically targeting melanin and hemoglobin presence in the skin, such as laser therapies or tanning. Ongoing analysis is allowing further algorithms to be developed for other chromophore manipulating treatments and the prospect of exploring the potential benefits of treatments before they are undertaken is highly significant.
100% of poster costs to be paid by Neocutis.
100% sponsored by Astron Clinica.
AB98
J AM ACAD DERMATOL
FEBRUARY 2007