Skinema, dermatology in the media blog

Ewan McGregor skin cancer?


Ewan McGregor says he had a skin cancer removed...		...yet we doubt his face shows scars like melanoma survivor John McCain.

Hot on the heels of Eric Dane's skin "cancer" scare, Ewan "Obi-Wan" McGregor now tells the BBC news that he had a facial lesion removed:

"I had a little skin cancer under my eye," reports the 37-year-old star. "I went to see a specialist who thought they (his facial moles) were better to be removed, and indeed, he was correct." McGregor said the surgery was "not that big of a deal" and he is now "fine."
As a dermatologist, while this has been reported as skin cancer, it is unlikely to be melanoma. A facial melanoma, even if caught early, is a big deal and would result in a substantial scar. US Senator John McCain has had them removed from his cheek and neck with obvious residual skin defects. Instead, McGregor's spot was likely a "dysplastic" or atypical mole. Debate rages whether these are truly precancerous, or merely a marker for a risk of later melanoma. Patients prone to dysplastic moles, which look irregular in shape and color, deserve routine followup, anywhere from every 4 months to annually. Changing lesions may require biopsy. Sun protection is important and tanning beds should be avoided. In McGregor's case, the surgical technique was not specified. Most doctors turn to scalpels, rather than light sabers or merely using the force.

Does Amy Winehouse have a Staph Aureus infection?


British singer Amy Winehouse had a swollen cheek...	...and crusting consistent with a bacterial infection.

Buzzing bloggers banter about blue singer's bacterial burden. The internet went mad for R & B chanteuse Amy Winehouse's appearance with a left cheek as swollen as her beehive hairdo. While some surmised trauma, the official word was that she had developed "impetigo," a type of contagious bacterial infection. The most common cause of impetigo is strep bacteria. Dried, yellow, and flaking, the appearance of the disease is often described as "honey crusted." While it is certainly possible that Winehouse is fending off a routine case of skin strep, certain aspects are not typical. Usually strep impetigo is seen in children, who are still developing a mature immune system. The affected area may be red and tender but not usually swollen.

The appearance of Winehouse's markedly bloated cheek raises the possibility of an infection with Strep's sinister cousin, Staph Aureus. This pesky pest tends to cause more swelling and blistering than strep, and commonly affects adults. Certain strains, known as MRSA (Methicillin resistant Staph Aureus) have developed a resistance to certain antibiotics and can be particularly hard to clear. Infection sites can be swabbed and the bacterial culprit identified. Along with the appropriate antibiotic pill, surgical drainage of the swollen area may be necessary. We assume that Amy will be more open to antibacterial treatments then she has been about rehab.

March 03, 2008 in Music | Permalink | Comments (0)

Paris Hilton Skin


To some, Paris Hilton is considered 'Hot"...	...While this character might be thought the opposite...	...from blemished head to toenail.

The producers of the Paris Hilton feature "The Hottie and the Nottie" know bad skin. Posing as a foxy Los Angeleno, Hilton's looks are contrasted with those of her not attractive girlfriend, a role thanklessly tossed to Christine Lakin. In person, Lakin looks quite good, so the makeup crew covered her with a dermatology textbook's worth of conditions. She's got a jutting mole on her chin. Her chest is dappled with acne. She has strange scrapes on her thighs, her hair is prematurely grey...and that toenail. Swollen, thick and crusted, this is toenail fungus as envisioned by a horror movie director.

All of this abnormal skin is supposed get teen filmgoers to chuckle, but there is little to laugh about nail fungus. Glamour issues aside, the presence of fungus can cause rigid nails to lift and cause discomfort. Treatment includes prescription topical creams, lacquers and antifungal pills. Results are maddeningly slow, much like stretches of the "Hottie and the Nottie." Consider some preventive medicine: To avoid the critters in the first place, wear flip flops or sandals in gym locker rooms, around pools and public showers. If fungus infects the skin (athlete's foot), treat aggressively with antifungal creams. And for your general wellbeing, consider passing on this uninspired flick.

Al Pacino's nail fungus

February 18, 2008 in Film | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eric Dane has skin cancer?

Eric Dane appears extremely well, just weeks after his bout with "cancer."

Actor Eric Dane, star of TV's "Grey's Anatomy," has been reported to have skin cancer. Before his legions of fans panic, it appears that his prognosis is excellent. Though he is not our patient, he reportedly noticed an odd patch above his lips which a dermatologist treated with a freezing treatment, liquid nitrogen. In short, McSteamy got a quick freeze. This lesion is apparently not a life threatening melanoma, but rather a sun-induced pre-cancerous lesion called an actinic keratosis. If untreated, these scaly spots, due to sun exposure early in life, can turn into a form of non-melanoma skin cancer called squamous cell skin cancer (SCC). Unlike melanoma, SCC usually does not metastasize, go to lymph nodes, or act in a life-threatening manner. Actinic keratoses typically respond to freezing treatments and heal without scarring. Dane has since gone on record that the report was exaggerated, confirming our assessment. We don't have a problem with alerting the public about the dangers of long term sun exposure, but let's call a cancer a cancer and call a premalignant actinic keratosis...that.

President Bush was treated for actinic keratoses

February 07, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)