Faculty Bibliography

INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) is a chronic inflammatory condition of hair follicles characterized by inflamed papules and pustules, with increased risk in individuals with curly or coarse hair. While psychiatric comorbidities in acne are well studied, limited research exists on PFB's psychological impact. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:dataset, which includes EHR data from US adults since 2018. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:= 0.15). DISCUSSION/UNASSIGNED:Our study demonstrated a significant association between PFB and mood disorders like depression or anxiety. Future studies should examine PFB severity and treatment efficacy on psychological outcomes.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:TikTok, a social media platform, is a tool for disseminating dermatological public health education. On TikTok, like other social media platforms, both board-certified dermatologists and non-medical providers ("influencers") provide dermatological advice, but how the quality of the advice compares between the two creator groups is unclear. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:This study sought to assess similarities and differences in the language used within content, user receptibility, and engagement and the utility of online education in understanding hair and scalp disorders. METHODS:A cross-sectional analysis of 97 TikTok videos from 2023 was performed to evaluate the content quality of videos made by dermatologists and influencers regarding three common hair and scalp disorders: seborrheic dermatitis, telogen effluvium, and traction alopecia. RESULTS:Dermatologists and influencers had similar user engagement, but 49% of dermatologists were more likely to recommend standard treatments compared to 27% of influencers; 46% of influencers were more likely to recommend alternative treatment options compared to 25% of dermatologists. An analysis of user comments to assess audience understanding indicated that the three disorders were often confused with at least 2-3 other similar hair and scalp conditions. CONCLUSIONS:This study highlights a need to clarify for patients the standard of care for common hair and scalp disorders. This study also identified a universal lack of messaging encouraging users to seek in-person medical attention for their dermatological concerns.

Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is an autoimmune blistering disorder that can involve the esophagus, potentially leading to complications such as stricture or stenosis. Diagnosis of MMP is challenging owing to overlapping clinical features with other subepithelial blistering diseases and limitations of current diagnostic techniques. Although direct immunofluorescence (DIF) remains the gold standard, it requires fresh tissue samples, which are not always available, particularly in cases without active mucosal or cutaneous lesions. Complement fragment 4d (C4d) immunohistochemistry (IHC) on formalin-fixed tissue has demonstrated diagnostic utility in bullous pemphigoid but has been less explored in MMP. This case highlights that C4d IHC may serve as a useful ancillary test to support MMP diagnosis, especially for mucosal or esophageal biopsies received in formalin, offering a potential diagnostic pathway when fresh biopsy samples are unavailable.