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LEARNING The Erudite: Transformative
CURVES

Dermatological Skills in Clinical Practice

By: Dr. Melanie Joy Doria-Ruiz, DPDS

he 17th post graduate course marks a
few firsts for the JRRMMC Department
Tof Dermatology. In the recent past years,
the previous venue proved to be inadequate in
size, It was a leap of faith to hold it this year,
in the Crowne Plaza’s Grand Ballroom; a bigger
and better area, although this entailed more
responsibilities. In this event, we also launched
The Filipino Skin Lecture Series: An Anthology
of Challenging and Interesting Cases. Having
been assigned as the institution’s Head of the
Scientific Committee for the past few years, it
has always been my desire to include cases that
have been handled in the clinics. The conditions
can be rare in occurrence or interesting and
complex, whether in terms of diagnosis or
management. Dermatologic diseases and
conditions traverse age, gender, ethnicity and
other factors; however, the focus on the cases
encountered in our country is necessary. We
are aware that there are limiting factors in our
practice; certain diagnostic tests, medications
or treatment modalities are not readily The Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center Department of Dermatology 17 Post-graduate Course -
th
available or accessible in our setting. It is our The Erudite: Transformative Dermatological Skills in Clinical Practice
vision that this undertaking will help refresh
our knowledge on the fundamentals or lead us
to learn novel ideas. May this also serve as an
avenue for the PDS dermauthorities to share
ideas on how to manage such cases. It is our
intention to include it as a regular part of our
succeeding post graduate courses.

There were different lectures that covered
the skin, hair and nails, as these encompass
the field of dermatology. Dr. Evangelista-
Huber summarized the options for systemic
treatment of dermatologic conditions in certain
groups of individuals, such as pregnant and
immunocompromised patients. Dr. Bunagan
discussed methotrexate and the use of liquid
nitrogen cryotherapy as some of the promising
options in the treatment of recalcitrant or
extensive alopecia areata. Dr. Bunagan also
mentioned that although biotin is commonly
prescribed for hair disorders, its use is not
backed by research; in contrast, there are
published studies that suggest benefit with zinc
supplementation. Dr. Chua-Aguilera touched JRRMMC Chair Dr. Ma. Flordeliz Abad-Casintahan and Vice-Chair Dr. Daisy King-Ismael along with the moderators Drs. Lilian
on the nail anatomy, the different options for Lopez-Villafuerte, Edessah Sanchez-Dipasupil, Abelaine Venida-Tablizo and Zharlah Gulmatico-Flores with the speakers
digital block and the type of biopsy depending
on the nail condition. More importantly, she
cautioned about the risk of avascular necrosis,
which can cause significant morbidity for the
patient. Dr. Medina-Oblepias graciously shared
to the audience, the combination of chemical
peels for non-facial sites that she utilizes in her
own clinical practice. Dr. Dumandan-Adraneda
presented the before and after photos of
her own patients that underwent various
treatment modalities, ranging from chemical
peeling to microneedling, subcision and laser
therapy for acne scars. Dr. Lim-Bueser gave an The JRRMMC Post-graduate course was held last July 5, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Grand Ballroom
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Volume 16 Number 63 • SKIN CONTACT August 2019 • p15