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Background: Although telemedicine emerged more than 100 years ago, the recent pandemic underlined the role of remote assessment of different diseases. The diagnoses of cutaneous conditions, especially malignant lesions, have placed significant stress on the fast-track pathway for general practitioners (GPs), dermatologists, and plastic surgeons. The aim of the study was to compare (pre- and during the pandemic) the ability of professionals to face the challenge. Methods: The study was composed of 1943 consecutive patients (mean age 61.9 ± 18.3, 53.8% female) assessed by GPs, face-to-face (988 patients, 50.8%, between October 2019 and March 2020) and by virtual (video/photo) visits (955 patients, 49.2%, between March 2020 and October 2020) for skin lesions, and referred to secondary care via the two-week wait pathway for suspected skin malignancy. Results: The two groups had similar primary skin malignancies identification rates (24.3% vs. 22.1%, p = 0.25). The virtual visits identified squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) better than face-to-face consultations (p = 0.04), but identified basal cell carcinoma less-well (BCC, p = 0.02), whereas malignant melanoma (MM) was equally identified in the two groups (p = 0.13). There was no difference in the median breach time (days) of the two-week wait pathway (12, IQR = 6 vs. 12, IQR = 5, p = 0.16) in the two groups. Virtual assessments (by GPs) of skin lesions suspected of malignancy, and referred via the two-week wait pathway, increased the probability of diagnosing SCC by 42.9% (p = 0.03), while for malignant melanomas, face-to-face and virtual consultations were alike (p = 0.12). Conclusions: The equivalent outcomes in the management of skin cancers (SCC, MM) via the two-week pathway through virtual consultations and face-to-face appointments underline the role of telemedicine as a reliable alternative to face-to-face assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of herbal remedies for various medical issues is becoming increasingly commonplace in all fields of medicine, and dermatology is no exception. This review focuses on traditional dermatologic herbal remedies, commonly used in Russia, as the rich array of 11 different plant zones has resulted in a great variety of medicinal plants. Herbal remedies warrant deeper investigation and research, especially due to their active substance content, which may interfere with or reinforce the effect of modern medications, something that medical professionals should be aware of when prescribing treatments. Although there are a great number of traditional herbal treatments in Russia, only the most commonly used and known treatments and applications will be described as an introduction to the field, which has had many books of varying quality written about it. The preparation and application of treatments for vitiligo, pyodermas, parasitic and infectious skin diseases, acne, dermatitides, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, rhytides, psoriasis, and hyperhidrosis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key content Pregnancy results in various physiological skin changes. As a consequence, some common dermatoses can present more frequently in pregnant women. In addition, there are a number of skin eruptions unique to pregnancy., The aetiology of physiological skin changes in pregnancy is uncertain but is thought to be due to hormonal and physical changes of pregnancy., The four dermatoses of pregnancy are: atopic eruption of pregnancy, pemphigoid gestationis, polymorphic eruption of pregnancy and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy., Learning objectives To understand the physiological skin changes in pregnancy., To identify the skin conditions that require appropriate referral., To be able to take a history, to diagnose the skin eruptions unique to pregnancy, undertake appropriate investigations and first-line management, and understand the criteria for referral to a dermatologist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dicaprylyl maleate (DCM) has been reported rarely as a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. The objectives of this study were to identify patients from multiple centres with allergy to DCM in cosmetic products confirmed by patch testing and, in addition, to investigate the effect of testing with aged DCM. This is an international multicentre study of 22 patients with 26 reactions to products containing DCM. Patch testing was carried out to ingredients including DCM obtained from the manufacturer. Further testing was carried out with deliberately aged DCM in a sample of patients. 22 patients had clinical and positive patch test reactions at 4 days to a total of 26 cosmetic products containing DCM. 5 patients did not react to DCM prepared by the manufacturer from concurrent factory stock but did have positive reactions to a deliberately aged batch of DCM. DCM is an emerging cosmetic allergen. Testing with aged material yields a greater number of positive results. Co-operation between cosmetics manufacturers and clinicians is important in the identification of new allergens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]