Alopecia areata (AA) is a complex autoimmune condition that causes nonscarring hair loss. It typically presents with sharply demarcated round patches of hair loss and may present at any age. In this article, we review the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, and new treatment options of AA, with a focus on the immunologic mechanism underlying the treatment. While traditional treatment options such as corticosteroids are moderately effective, a better understanding of the disease pathogenesis may lead to the development of new treatments that are more directed and effective against AA. Sources were gathered from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database using the keywords: alopecia, alopecia areata, hair loss, trichoscopy, treatments, pathogenesis, and epidemiology.

Wound management involves repeated clinical trips and procedures of lab tests over days. To eliminate this time lag and provide real-time monitoring of a wound's progress, we have designed an enzymatic biosensor for determining uric acid (UA) in wound fluid. Uric Acid is a biomarker, having an established correlation with wounds and their healing. This electrochemical biosensor comprises enzyme urate oxidase (uricase, UOx) entrapped in a polyvinyl alcohol based cationic polymer for enhanced stability. Results show that the use of a redox electron shuttle, ferrocene carboxylic acid (FCA), enabled electron transfer between the enzyme and the transducer. The immobilized uricase in the polymer matrix provided stable continuous measurements at body temperature for a week with minimal deviation. Detection of uric acid in wound fluid has been determined from volumes as low as 0.5-50μL. Studies from different wound samples have shown an average recovery of 107%. The sensor has been interfaced with LMP91000 potentiostat and controlled by CC2650 microcontroller on a Kapton tape-based miniaturized flexible platform.

There are many new low-level laser technologies that have been released commercially that claim to support hair regrowth. In this paper, we will examine the clinical trials to determine whether the body of evidence supports the use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to treat androgenic alopecia (AGA). A literature search was conducted through Pubmed, Embase, and Clinicaltrials.gov for clinical trials using LLLT to treat AGA. Thirteen clinical trials were assessed. Review articles were not included. Ten of 11 trials demonstrated significant improvement of androgenic alopecia in comparison to baseline or controls when treated with LLLT. In the remaining study, improvement in hair counts and hair diameter was recorded, but did not reach statistical significance. Two trials did not include statistical analysis, but showed marked improvement by hair count or by photographic evidence. Two trials showed efficacy for LLLT in combination with topical minoxidil. One trial showed efficacy when accompanying finasteride treatment. LLLT appears to be a safe, alternative treatment for patients with androgenic alopecia. Clinical trials have indicated efficacy for androgenic alopecia in both men and women. It may be used independently or as an adjuvant of minoxidil or finasteride. More research needs to be undertaken to determine the optimal power and wavelength to use in LLLT as well as LLLT's mechanism of action.

Background Dermatology consultations in the inpatient hospital setting can improve diagnostic accuracy and management. Objective Characterize dermatologic diagnostic and treatment trends in the hospital setting and identify variables that may affect patient care. Methods Retrospective chart review from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2017 at Jackson Memorial Hospital (JMH) (Miami, Florida, USA), an academic non‐profit tertiary care centre affiliated with University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was performed. Patients who received dermatology consultations in the emergency department (ED) or inpatient settings were included. Patient demographics, admission information, provisional diagnosis and management plans by primary teams, final diagnosis, management plans and testing recommendations by the dermatology consults team, and follow‐up information were collected. Analysis using Microsoft Excel of how time to consultation, admission length, inpatient versus ED setting and primary team affected diagnostic accuracy was also performed. Results The 1004 consultations for 812 patients (n = 812) were reviewed (359 women, 453 men). Most patients were Hispanic (n = 359; 44.2%) or African American (n = 273; 33.6%). Mean admission length was 20.6 days (range 0–439; median 6). The most common consulting service was internal medicine (n = 452). In 387 cases (47.6%), primary teams did not give a provisional diagnosis. The most common provisional diagnoses were bacterial infection (n = 93), viral infection (n = 49) and drug reaction (n = 44). The most common diagnoses by dermatology were viral infection (n = 93), bacterial infection (n = 90) and drug reaction (n = 80). Dermatology consultation changed the provisional diagnosis in 55.7% of cases, more often in cases where consultation took place ≥2 days after admission (P < 0.05). Primary teams followed dermatology treatment recommendations in 85.2% of cases. Conclusion Dermatology consultation improves diagnostic accuracy in skin disorders in the hospital setting and serves as a valuable resource for inpatient care. A notable aspect of data from this study is the unique patient population, predominantly comprised of underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities including Hispanics and African Americans.

Purpose of Review: The purpose of this review is to raise awareness, examine the challenges faced by wound care researchers and explore opportunities for potential improvements. Recent findings: Chronic wounds are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and they represent a major medical and financial burden. Despite this, no new therapy has received FDA efficacy approval for the treatment of chronic wounds since 1997. Previous preclinical studies using animal models did not translate to human wounds due to inherent limitations of experimental models, variability in assessment methods and overall experimental design. Clinical trials continued to be challenged by the balance of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the high cost and time expenditure of the trials, and the constraint of a single FDA-acceptable outcome of complete wound closure. Summary: Wound research faces multiple challenges in both pre-clinical and clinical research that slowed progress and development of efficacious therapies. Solutions to such challenges will provide new opportunities for improved study design in the future.