We are proud to announce that Neil Alan Fenske, M.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery has been elected as the new 2010 President of the Florida Society of Dermatologic Surgeons.  This election took place on November 7, 2009 at the 28^th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida.  Dr. Fenske was honored by this society in 1999 as the recipient of the Practitioner of the Year Award.  He has contributed many hours and held several positions with this society, including a position on the board of directors from 1992-1997.

Dr. Neil Alan Fenske

Aric Almirola pits the No. 15 during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 in Avondale, Ariz

Tampa native and NASCAR driver Aric Almirola has a slogan on the hood of his Toyota Tundra designed to turn heads: “Is it AK or OK?”

AK stands for actinic keratosis, a common, precancerous skin lesion caused by chronic overexposure to the sun. Almirola, 25, volunteered to become national spokesperson because it just made sense to him.

“Every weekend I see hundreds of thousands of fans sitting in the sun. I have no doubt that not many are wearing sunscreen,” says the Hillsborough High School grad, who now lives in Mooresville, N.C.

AK looks like small, rough, crusty spots on the arms, legs, face, lips, shoulders, backs of hands, a bald scalp, any part of the body that is habitually exposed to sun. At first they’re so small that you can’t see them, but the skin feels like sandpaper. Eventually they can reach an eighth-inch to a quarter-inch in size.

Left untreated, AK can develop into squamous cell carcinoma, a serious form of skin cancer that spreads easily to surrounding organs and tissue and can be deadly.

Dr. Neil Fenske, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at USF Health, says if you have several AKs, there is a 10 percent chance that you will develop squamous cell cancer in 10 years.

“The problem is we don’t know which ones are going to morph into this dangerous cancer,” said Fenske, “so we treat them all, including the ones we may not be able to see yet in the area around the lesions.”

Treatment options include prescription topical creams, freezing the growths with liquid nitrogen and photodynamic therapy, strong light that destroys AK. Prevention is simple: Use a high-SPF sunscreen often and liberally and cover up when outdoors.

Almirola wraps up the 2009 Truck Series season Friday with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He hopes his truck and his AK awareness message are headed for victory lane.

By Irene Maher,

St. Pete Times Reporter

Melasma is a condition in which brown patches typically appear on the face, particularly on the cheeks, upper lip, jawline and forehead. Other body sites which may be affected include the forearms, nipples and genital regions. It tends to occur in young females and darker skin types. Of the cases of melasma, only 10% involve males. Adults frequently develop melasma in association with sunlight exposure and pregnancy—referred to as “chloasma,” the mask of pregnancy. Other associated risk factors include birth control pills, menopause, ovarian diseases, and hormonal imbalances. Another drug implicated in melasma is the anti-seizure medication, Dilantin. Although the melasma may improve after childbirth or after the discontinuation of the discontinuation of the offending medication, it may last up to many years. Patients seek treatment due to cosmetic dissatisfaction with their appearance.

Many topical treatments are available to treat melasma. First, and foremost, sunlight exposure should be avoided, and a complete sunblock with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB coverage should be applied daily. The cornerstone of therapy is the bleaching cream containing prescription-strength hydroquinone 4% applied twice daily to the affected areas. A potential side effect of hydroquinone is local exogenous ochronosis, which causes further skin darkening. Another effective remedy which may be used in conjunction with the hydroquinone is tretinoin cream. Other topical agents include azelaic acid, kojic acid, glycolic acid, cystamine and buthionine sulfoximine. Chemical peels, including glycolic acid peels, have been proven to be efficacious also. Laser treatments have also been utilized in the treatment of melasma, but may not be appropriate for all skin types due to the risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation.

by

Mary H. Lien, MD

Click the link below for an ABC Action News Story on Vitiligo featuring Dr. George Cohen, USF Dermatologist

http://www.abcactionnews.com/content/taking_action_for_you/story/New-treatments-for-embarassing-skin-condition/KnL1lLFfeUuSYOgfwwHkCg.cspx

Neil Fenske, MD, professor and chair of Dermatology at USF Health, was among four dermatologists in the Southeast and 17 nationwide named among America’s Top Doctors for Women in Women’s Health magazine.

Women’s Health magazine teamed up with research firm Castle Connolly to create a definitive list of America’s best doctors for women in 10 specialties. The list appears in the November 2008 issue of the magazine and is available online atWomensHealthMag.com. It was compiled through a comprehensive screening process conducted by Castle Connolly’s physician-led team of researchers.

Using mail and telephone surveys and electronic ballots, physicians and the medical leadership at leading hospitals were asked to identify exceptional candidates. Each doctor’s experience was then thoroughly screened before a final selection was made.

Dr. Fenske’s special expertise in skin cancer and melanoma was noted. Melanoma is the second most common cancer in women in their late 20s, but when treated early the success rate tops 90 percent.

Dr. Neil Alan Fenske

Essrig Elementary School PTA    NEWS

Essrig Elementary School

Covered Court Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Fall Festival

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2009, 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

Tampa, Florida – (October 27, 2009) – The Cecile Essrig Elementary School and the School Parent Teacher Association will host a community Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on October 30, 2009, at 5:00 pm, at Essrig Elementary School’s Proud Panther Pavilion in Tampa, at 13131 Lynn Road.  The ribbon cutting ceremony is free and open to current and former Essrig Elementary School students and families and the community.

The event is the culmination of over three years of hard work and fundraising among a variety of partners, all for sun safety and protection and the benefit of the school children, staff and their families.  The newly constructed Proud Panther Pavilion provides students and staff with shade protection and reduced sun exposure while participating in activities on the existing outdoor courts.  The purpose of the event is to acknowledge its installation, thank many of the donors and publicly open the covered court for use. 

Funding for the Proud Panther Pavilion has come from many events and activities supported by the school, the students and their families, the PTA, and the School Advisory Council (SAC).  Grants and donations have come from St. Lucy’s Vision, SAMS Club’s Shade Foundation Grant, Dr. Nalin Patel, Library Interior Signage, and The American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) Shade Grant, sponsored by USF Health and AAD Dermatologist, Neil A. Fenske, MD.  In addition, the Hillsborough County Public School System provided nearly $50,000 in matching funds.

Children love playing outdoors but usually are not aware of the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.  The covered court provides year-round protection from UVA and UVB radiation for students during physical education and other outdoor activities, after-school and summer programs as well as special events –many of which occur during the peak sun hours of 10am to 4pm.  Dr. Fenske will conduct a presentation during school hours prior to the ribbon cutting to acknowledging the grant award and reiterating the importance of sun protection.

Immediately following the ribbon cutting ceremony, the PTA will host its annual Fall Festival event until 8 pm.  This fun-filled family event features a sun safety education and protection booth, Karaoke booth, a bounce house, a football obstacle course, games, activities, food and drinks, and the opportunity to dunk school staff in a dunk tank.  Tickets to the Fall Festival may be purchased at the door for $7.00 for adults and $6.00 for youth.

###

About Cecile Essrig Elementary School:  Essrig Elementary School is a Hillsborough County Public School and is located in the Carrollwood community.  The school is named for Cecile Waterman Essrig, an outstanding educational leader, and the first woman elected to serve on the Hillsborough County School Board, in 1967.  The school serves children in Pre K through 5^th grades and currently has 860 students enrolled.  Mrs. Teresa Campbell is the school principal.  http://essrig.mysdhc.org

About PTAs: The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation.  From universal kindergarten to a juvenile justice system—National PTA advocates have been at the heart of our nation’s greatest advances for youth.  Local PTAs work to provide parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child, while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students.  Elementary School PTAs serve as a type of forum where parents, teachers, administrators, and other concerned adults discuss ways to promote quality education, strive to expand the arts, encourage community involvement, and work for a healthy environment and safe neighborhoods.  http://www.pta.org

FROM USF Website, May 2008

Grant from American Academy of Dermatology will help build shade structure -

A local elementary school that partnered with USF Health dermatologist Neil Alan Fenske, MD, is one of 37 organizations nationwide to receive a 2008 Shade Structure Program Grant from the American Academy of Dermatology.

The $8,000 grant will support Cecile B. Essrig Elementary School’s fundraising initiative to build a pavilion that will cover the school’s existing outdoor basketball court. Essrig was one of only three schools in Florida receiving the AAD grant this year, and the only one in Hillsborough County.

The Proud Panther Pavilion is intended to help protect the school’s 800 students and their families and faculty from the damaging ultraviolet rays of Florida’s sun. The school currently has no gymnasium and all recreational activities are outdoors. The pavilion will be used during physical education and other outdoor classes, after-school recreational activities and school-wide events – many which occur during the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Dr. Fenske, endowed chair of the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery and a long-time fellow of ADD, wrote the letter in support of Essrig’s Shade Structure Program grant. Grant applicants must be sponsored by an AAD dermatologist.

Over the last two years the school and its Parent Teacher Association (PTA) have raised more than $80,000 toward the $130,000 pavilion, and Essrig expects to break ground for the structure sometime this fall, said Kathy Murphy, PTA board member and grant writer.

“Dr. Fenske and his team at the USF Department of Dermatology have been very responsive and supportive of our sun safety protection program,” Murphy said. “Having a local academic dermatologist who is internationally known as a sponsor definitely adds credibility to our educational initiative.”

“The grant is a real tribute to this PTA and school, which have been so proactive in demonstrating their commitment to sun safety,” Dr. Fenske said.

“It’s easier to persuade younger kids to use sunscreen, hats and other measures to protect their skin from sun overexposure than to try to convince teenagers,” he added. “Intervening early in life is best, because 80 percent of lifetime exposure to the sun occurs before age 18, and most skin cancers are caused by skin damaged in childhood.”

In late May, Dr. Fenske was interviewed about sun protection and skin cancer prevention by two elementary school students from Essrig – brothers Matthew, 10, and Daniel, 7, Lydon. The videotaped interview aired over the school’s closed circuit TV system the last week of school and will be rebroadcast for new students this fall.

Dr. Fenske also spoke with parents at the school’s end-of-the-year PTA family night on June 3, encouraging them to incorporate sun safety into their children’s outdoor activities and providing AAD brochures and bookmarks on the ABCs of safe fun in the sun. The Dermatology Department also plans to disseminate information to community sports programs frequented by Essrig students.

The AAD’s Shade Structure Program is supported by Johnson & Johnson. It is open to non-profit organizations or educational institutions serving children and teens under age 18, for permanent shade structures over outdoor locations not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, and other recreational areas.

This year more than 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. The American Cancer Society ranks Florida second in the country for incidents of skin cancer.

- Story by Anne DeLotto Baier, USF Health Communications

Tired of applying medicated topicals and/or taking medications for your acne without results, light treatment may help as an adjunct to your current treatment.  Many acne patients need a plan of care that has more than one treatment to keep their acne under control. Acne occurs as a result of one or more of the following: increased production of P. acnes, excessive sebum production, accelerated release of inflammatory substances, and rapid shedding of skin cells. Treatment is based on what is causing the acne. This is why acne treatments are individualized by the dermatologist because often multiple treatments are needed because there are usually multiple causes for the acne. Also, this is why acne can be very difficult to treat because it may be hard to figure out the cause in return making it difficult to find the correct treatment. Light treatments may be that additional treatment you need to control your acne, if the traditional treatments are failing. Light treatments still are not routinely being prescribed to treat acne because they are not covered by insurance. They are considered emerging technologies.  Also, some providers do not offer them because they may not have access to these treatments in their office. To shed some light on these treatments, I would like to explain how these nontraditional treatments may help some to battle their acne. If your acne is caused by P. acnes, then light treatment may help. Data from clinical trials are limited, but recent studies indicate that light treatments demonstrate much promise in treating acne. The FDA has approved narrow-band, high-intensity Blue-Light therapy to treat acne. Blue-Light works by killing the acne-causing bacteria, P. acnes. Blue-Light is best used to treat inflammatory acne vulgaris. Blue-Light treatment patients receive treatment in increments of approximately eight sessions given over a four-week period. Therefore, a Blue-Light session is performed twice a week on nonconsecutive days for four weeks with each session lasting 15 minutes under the light. Side effects tend to be mild. They may include temporary pigment changes, swelling of the treated areas, and dryness. Noticeable improvement is seen by 50% to 70% of patients. If you would like to be more aggressive and get even better results and some cosmetic result you may want to consider ALA with light therapy with either Blue-Light or IPL. Patients receiving this treatment undergo a two-step process. First, a solution of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) medication is applied to the skin being treated to increase the skins sensitivity to light. The ALA is kept on the skin for a period of time ranging from 15 to 60 minutes depending on the severity of the acne. Then the ALA is removed and the skin is treated with the light therapy for 8-15 minutes. Because the ALA makes the skin more light sensitive, patients are instructed to use sun protection for 48 hours after treatment. Number of treatments are usually needed, but vary pending on severity of the acne and response to treatment. While the results from studies are promising, the use of light treatments to treat acne are still in the investigational stages and are not usually the first choice or only choice for treating acne. One must remember acne is usually caused by multiple problems and light treatment only targets one cause P. acne.  If other factors are present, blue-light treatment will not clear the acne alone. If you are considering light treatment to treat acne, you should see a dermatologist that offers these procedures and set up a consultation. Dermatologists are specifically trained in treating skin conditions such as acne, therefore they are your best choice in a provider to administer such a light treatment.

Robin McClain ARNP-C

PUVA and Narrow Band Photo Light Therapy are used for the treatment of various skin diseases and disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, itching and hard to treat atopic dermatitis. The benefits to photo light therapy is the improvement of existing lesions, reduction of new lesions, and in some cases a near total clearing of the disease process. USF Health Dermatology is proud to be one of the few to have this technology in the Tampa area.