By Allison Sit
A team at Stanford Medicine has developed a new imaging method to create a three-dimensional reconstruction of skin or other tissue cells without taking a biopsy. The method uses higher resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) to create the cell-by-cell reconstruction. Researchers are then able to make cross-sectional images that mimic a standard biopsy. The April 10 issue of Science Advances includes a report about the new method.
“We’ve not only created something that can replace the current gold-standard pathology slides for diagnosing many conditions, but we actually improved the resolution of these scans so much that we start to pick up information that would be extremely hard to see otherwise,” said Adam de la Zerda, PhD, associate professor of structural biology and the article’s senior author.
“This has the potential to transform how we diagnose and monitor concerning skin lesions and diseases in the clinic,” noted co-author Kavita Sarin, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology.
In addition to noninvasively scanning the skin for cancer, the method could provide rapid results for biopsies taken of tissue in other parts of the body, which could reduce the need for additional surgeries.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) is sounding the alarm after reports of patients with botulism-like illnesses after undergoing cosmetic procedures. The AAD suspects the patients may have been injected with counterfeit botulinum toxin.
“The concerning rise in counterfeit injectables poses a grave threat to patient safety, potentially resulting in severe complications such as visual impairment, blindness, infection or even stroke,” said Seemal Desai, MD, president of the AAD, in a statement. “These complications underscore the urgent need for patients to carefully understand who they are selecting to perform Botox procedures.”
The AAD reminds patients that Botox injections are a medical procedure that should only be performed in a medical office by board-certified dermatologists or an appropriately trained non-physician clinician, under a board-certified dermatologist’s direct and on-site supervision.
The Wisconsin Dermatological Society is thanking legislators for enacting new legislation that limits teen access to tanning beds. Under the new law, teens 16 and 17 years old need parental or guardian consent in order to use UV-emitting equipment at commercial tanning facilities. Previously, Wisconsin banned tanning for teens 16 and younger, but had no restrictions on older teenagers.
“There are long-term health risks associated with indoor tanning, including deadly skin cancers later in life,” said Alex Means, MD, dermatologist and president-elect of the Wisconsin Dermatological Society. “Senate Bill 261 will ensure that parents can discuss these risks with their children as well as monitor their use of tanning beds.”
