Results From the First Annual Association of Professors of Dermatology Program Directors Survey

The first annual Association of Professors of Dermatology (APD) program director (PD) survey was distributed in November 2022 and included 53 respondents from individual Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) programs. This survey included 137 in-depth questions to identify similarities and differences among programs regarding 12 broad categories: program characteristics; PD demographics; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residency training; available resources; quality improvement; clinical instruction; didactic instruction; research content; diversity, equity, and inclusion; wellness; evaluation systems; and graduation outcomes of postgraduate year (PGY) 4 residents. The survey provided preliminary insight to similarities and differences between programs, such as varying academic time and research resources, while also challenging norms seen in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As future surveys are optimized to obtain greater response rates, these metrics can be captured in a centralized database accessible to PDs to reflect trends and identify strengths and weaknesses of dermatology residency programs.

15-Year Diversity Trends Among Dermatology Resident Trainees Compared With Other Specialties

This cross-sectional study examines racial and ethnic diversity trends among dermatology resident trainees and applicants compared with other specialties.

Limited utility of repeated vital sign monitoring during initiation of oral propranolol for complicated infantile hemangioma

BACKGROUND

Initial propranolol recommendations for infantile hemangioma published in 2013 were intended as provisional best practices to be updated as evidence-based data emerged.

METHODS

A retrospective multicenter study was performed to evaluate utility of prolonged monitoring after first propranolol dose and escalation(s). Inclusion criteria included diagnosis of hemangioma requiring propranolol of greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/kg per dose, younger than 2 years, and heart rate monitoring for greater than or equal to 1 hour. Data collected included demographics, dose, vital signs, and adverse events.

RESULTS

A total of 783 subjects met inclusion criteria; median age at initiation was 112 days. None of the 1148 episodes of prolonged monitoring warranted immediate intervention or drug discontinuation. No symptomatic bradycardia or hypotension occurred during monitoring. Mean heart rate change from baseline to 1 hour was -8.19/min (±15.54/min) and baseline to 2 hours was -9.24/min (±15.84/min). Three preterm subjects had dose adjustments because of prescriber concerns about asymptomatic vital sign changes. No significant difference existed in pretreatment heart rate or in heart rate change between individuals with later adverse events during treatment and those without.

CONCLUSION

Prolonged monitoring for initiation and escalation of oral propranolol rarely changed management and did not predict future adverse events. Few serious adverse events occurred during therapy; none were cardiovascular.

Evaluating the Safety of Oral Propranolol Therapy in Patients With PHACE Syndrome

Importance

Oral propranolol is widely considered to be first-line therapy for complicated infantile hemangioma, but its use in patients with PHACE (posterior fossa malformations, hemangioma, arterial anomalies, cardiac defects, eye anomalies) syndrome has been debated owing to concerns that the cardiovascular effects of the drug may increase the risk for arterial ischemic stroke.

Objective

To assess the incidence of adverse events among patients with PHACE syndrome receiving oral propranolol for infantile hemangioma.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This multicenter retrospective cohort study assessed the incidence of adverse events among 76 patients with PHACE syndrome receiving oral propranolol for infantile hemangioma at 11 tertiary care, academic pediatric dermatology practices. Medical records from January 1, 2010, through April 25, 2017, were reviewed.

Exposures

Patients received oral propranolol, 0.3 mg/kg/dose or more.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was the rate and severity of adverse events occurring throughout the course of treatment with oral propranolol, as documented in the medical records. Adverse events were graded from 1 to 5 using a scale derived from the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events and were considered to be serious if they were grade 3 or higher.

Results

A total of 76 patients (59 girls and 17 boys; median age at propranolol initiation, 56 days [range, 0-396 days]) met the inclusion criteria. There were no reports of serious adverse events (ie, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or cardiovascular events) during treatment with oral propranolol. A total of 46 nonserious adverse events were reported among 29 patients (38.2%); the most commonly reported nonserious adverse events were sleep disturbances and minor gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract symptoms. In a comparison with 726 infants who received oral propranolol for hemangioma but did not meet criteria for PHACE syndrome, there was no significant difference in the rate of serious adverse events experienced during treatment (0 of 76 patients with PHACE syndrome and 3 of 726 patients without PHACE syndrome [0.4%]).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that oral propranolol was used to treat infantile hemangioma in 76 patients with PHACE syndrome and that no serious adverse events were experienced. These data provide support for the safety of oral propranolol in this patient population.

Localized infantile hemangiomas of the face and scalp: Predilection for the midline and periorbital and perioral skin

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Infantile hemangiomas are common vascular tumors. Identifying sites of predilection may provide insight into pathogenesis. Previous studies have suggested a predilection for the boundary of facial metameres. The objective was to observe patterns of localized hemangiomas on the face and scalp, determine sites of predilection, and place these patterns in a developmental context.

METHODS

A retrospective review of photographic archives at 10 Hemangioma Investigator Group pediatric dermatology centers identified localized infantile hemangiomas of the face and scalp. Heat map software was used to identify areas of predilection. Dot maps were used to assess frequency, and densities of infantile hemangiomas were compared between facial units using t-testing. The scalp was divided into quintiles to assess relative frequencies.

RESULTS

Four thousand one hundred fifty-three focal face and scalp infantile hemangiomas were mapped, of which 2962 (71%) were mapped to a frontal facial template. On the face, 73.8% (2186/2962) of hemangiomas occurred along the midline axis or perpendicularly across the ocular axis in a cross-shaped area of predilection intersecting at the glabella. Scalp hemangiomas show a predilection for the midline, with 149/295 (50.5%) noted on the top of the scalp at the midline (P < 0.001). Localized hemangiomas do not demonstrate a preferential laterality.

CONCLUSION

The distribution of localized infantile hemangiomas of the face and scalp is not random. There is preferential involvement of the midline face and scalp and the ocular axis. The regions corresponding to the boundaries between the embryonic facial segments, including the maxillary and mandibular metameres, are not accentuated in the distribution of infantile hemangiomas.

Topical Timolol Maleate Treatment of Infantile Hemangiomas

BACKGROUND

There has been a dramatic increase in the off-label use of ophthalmic timolol maleate, a β-blocker used for infantile hemangioma (IH) treatment as a topical counterpart to oral propranolol. Its safety and efficacy in a pediatric population with IH have not been evaluated in a large cohort. Our goal was to retrospectively assess timolol's effectiveness, discern characteristics associated with response, and document reported adverse events.

METHODS

A multicenter retrospective cohort study of 731 patients treated with topical timolol was completed at 9 centers. Inclusion required an IH suitable for timolol in the treating physician's judgment and access to clinical details including photographs. Logistic regression analysis and descriptive statistics were performed. Primary outcome measures were efficacy assessed by using visual analog scales for color and for size, extent, and volume from review of digital photographs taken as standard of care.

RESULTS

Most IHs were localized (80.1%) and superficial (55.3%). Risk of disfigurement was the most common indication for therapy (74.3%). Duration of therapy (P < .0001), initial thinness (P = .008), and subtype (P = .031) were significant predictors of response. Best response occurred in superficial IHs <1 mm thick. Fifty-three (7.3%) required subsequent therapy with systemic β-blocker. Adverse events were mild, occurring in 25 (3.4%) patients. No cardiovascular side effects were documented.

CONCLUSIONS

Timolol seems to be a well-tolerated, safe treatment option with moderate to good effectiveness, demonstrating best response in thin, superficial IHs regardless of pretreatment size. Timolol can be recommended as an alternative to systemic β-blockers and watchful waiting for many patients.