Stasis dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease of the lower extremities. It typically occurs in older individuals and is the cutaneous manifestation of venous hypertension caused by venous reflux. Such retrograde venous blood flow is the result of incompetent venous valves, valve destruction, or venous obstruction. Stasis dermatitis is eczematous. The associated impairment of venous valves may cause swelling of the legs, leading to serious conditions including venous ulcerations. Diagnosis can be challenging because of its clinical resemblance to other skin conditions and poor clinical recognition by physicians. The cornerstones of stasis dermatitis treatment are compression therapy to ameliorate pain and swelling, topical treatments to alleviate secondary skin changes, and interventional treatment options to correct the underlying causes of venous reflux. Given the central role of inflammation of the lower extremities in driving the cutaneous changes characteristic of stasis dermatitis, new therapeutic approaches that target the inflammation are under clinical evaluation in patients with stasis dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is predominantly characterized by intense itching, but concomitant skin pain is experienced by more than 40% of patients. Patients with AD display considerable somatosensory aberrations including increased nerve sensitivity to itch stimuli (hyperknesis), perception of itch from innocuous stimuli (alloknesis), or perception of pain from innocuous stimuli (allodynia). This review summarizes the current understanding of the similarities and differences in the peripheral mechanisms underlying itch and pain in atopic dermatitis. These distinct yet reciprocal sensations share many similarities in the peripheral nervous system including common mediators (such as serotonin [5-HT], endothelin-1 [ET-1], interleukin-33 [IL-33], and thymic stromal lymphopoietin [TSLP]), receptors (such as members of the G protein-coupled receptor [GCPR] family and toll-like receptors [TLRs]), and ion channels for signal transduction (such as certain members of the transient receptor potential [TRP] cation channels). Itch-responding neurons are also sensitive to pain stimuli. However, there are distinct differences between itch and pain signaling. For example, specific immune responses are associated with pain (type 1 and/or type 3 cytokines and certain chemokine C-C [CCL2, CCL5] and C-X-C motif ligands [CXCL]) and itch (type 2 cytokines, including IL-31, and periostin). The TRP melastatin channels TRPM2 and TRPM3 have a role in pain but no known role in itch. Activation of mu-opioid receptors is known to alleviate pain but exacerbate itch. Understanding the connection between itch and pain mechanisms may offer new insights into the treatment of chronic pain and itch in atopic dermatitis.

Moisturizers are commonly prescribed after laser and chemical peel aesthetic procedures, but the evidence regarding their efficacy and safety of such use is scarce. We conducted four single-blind, three-week, controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical Dexpanthenol-containing products (Bepantol^® spray and Bepantol^® cream) using petroleum jelly as a positive control. Skin recovery was assessed after four aesthetic procedures: (1) non-ablative facial laser resurfacing, (2) laser depilation on the external genital and inguinal regions, (3) chemical peel on the external genital and inguinal regions, and (4) ablative facial laser resurfacing. Efficacy was assessed through transepidermal water loss (TEWL) combined with clinical assessment of the skin by the investigators and the participants. In studies (1) and (4), the erythema intensity was evaluated by measuring dermal temperature with a thermal imaging camera. Safety was assessed through adverse event reporting and acceptability through a questionnaire. Dexpanthenol-containing products significantly decreased TEWL and dermal temperature, therefore maintaining skin integrity, promoting its recovery, and reducing erythema. No statistical differences with the positive control were observed. In addition, Dexpanthenol-containing products were well appreciated by the participants from a sensory perspective. These findings suggest that these Dexpanthenol-containing products are adequate for post-procedural care in aesthetic dermatology.

Introduction Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by nonscarring hair loss that may impact quality of life (QoL). After 2021, new therapies were approved to treat severe AA in Taiwan; however, there is no global definition of severe AA. Dermatologists may use other criteria in addition to scalp hair loss (SHL) when estimating severity. This study evaluates the impact of AA on patient QoL and how dermatologists assessed disease severity and managed AA in Taiwan prior to availability of new therapies. Methods Dermatologists completed the Adelphi Real World AA Disease Specific Programme™ cross-sectional survey. Each provided their perspective on assessing AA severity and available AA treatments, and information on patients consulting with AA. Results were analyzed descriptively and stratified by dermatologist-assessed AA severity. Results Fifty dermatologists reported median (interquartile range) SHL of 45% (31–51%) and 76% (51–90%) as typical of “severe” and “very severe” AA, respectively, based on 285 patients. Multiple factors were considered, including SHL, disease duration, and prior treatment responses. Mean (SD) time on current therapy was 8.3 (13.0) months. Patients with severe/very severe disease received varied first- and second-line treatments and had more severe QoL impacts, including anxiety/worry, depression, and impairments in daily life and activities. Most dermatologists felt confident in diagnosing AA; however, few were satisfied with treatment options for patients with severe AA. Conclusions Dermatologists in Taiwan did not define AA disease severity solely based on extent of SHL, and many felt there was an unmet need for effective treatments for severe disease.