SPD Annual Meeting Covered All Facets of Pediatric Dermatology

The Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) Annual Meeting took place from July 11 to July 14, 2024, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The meeting focused on different topics within pediatric dermatology, including inflammatory hair disorders, use of corticosteroids, hormonal therapies, and the misinformation crisis, among other topics. With more than 650 participants in attendance, the meeting was the most successful SPD meeting to date.

The SPD Annual Meeting featured multiple presentations across the 3 days of general sessions. Jen Miller, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at Lurie Children’s Hospital, was among the first speakers and highlighted the use of systemic corticosteroids in pediatric dermatology. This included how much doctors should be dosing, how corticosteroids could affect the adrenal gland, and how to wean the patient off of corticosteroids so as not to impact the adrenal gland. “Work on being aware of the signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency or steroid withdrawal symptoms, regardless of what series your patient's been taking; be willing to learn about these things.… Be willing to check for recovery of adrenal function, and ask us if you have any questions,” Miller concluded.

SPD covered numerous topics related to treating pediatric patients with skin conditions. | Image credit: kwanchaichaiudom - stock.adobe.com

Systemic hormonal therapies were highlighted on the second day of the conference and presented by Andrea Zaenglein, MD, a dermatologist at Penn State/Hershey Medical Center. Zaenglein went over different ways of addressing acne in pediatric patients, including screening for polycystic ovarian syndrome and using contraceptives to treat the acne. This can also include using emergency contraceptives with these pediatric patients. Zaenglein also suggested thinking about using combined oral contraceptives to treat these patients.

Misinformation was also a big talking point during the meeting. Timothy Caulfield, JD, professor in the faculty of law and the school of public health at University of Alberta, gave a presentation on how misinformation can affect medicine. Caulfield highlighted how celebrities and algorithms can affect information. He highlighted a study done at Oxford that found that 20% of all disinformation originated from celebrities and 69% of what other US citizens spread was from that celebrity. Caulfield emphasized that physicians have one of the most trusted jobs within the country. “You guys, this room, can make a difference,” he said. “So what do we need to do? Teach critical thinking skills [and] media literacy.”

Romy Cho, MD, a pediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario, gave a presentation on when to involve child protective services when evaluating a child’s condition. This included showing pictures of past incidences of parents neglecting to treat their child’s condition and pictures of skin conditions that a divorced parent claimed were caused by the other parent. Cho stated that pictures to assess these potential hazards for the child are inherently limited due to lighting and the limitations of the camera lens, even if they do make dermatology consults a little easier to perform. Cho emphasized that framing the needs of the patient as well as what needs aren’t being met and what the harms are could help in addressing child protective services if there is ever a need to call on them after a consult, whether it be on camera or in person.

Toxicology in topicals was one of the last sessions of the meeting, conducted by Lawrence Schachner, MD, a pediatric dermatologist at the University of Miami. Schachner focused on how dangerous topical treatments could be in especially young children, as the toxicity could kill them if the medicines are not applied properly. “There’s great safety and efficacy in what we give people. However, babies do have a variable level of disruption and babies with skin conditions that we see the most have a high variability of increased disruption,” said Schachner.

The SPD Annual Meeting saw multiple topics covered in a short amount of time by experts who taught all in attendance about the various aspects of dermatology. These topics highlighted various areas that are important in taking care of children with skin conditions, from newborns to the late teen years, with this information enabling their clinicians to give them the best possible care.