Letter from the Editor

Dear colleagues,



The Dutch Dermatology Days 2024 was held between 11–12 April in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Herein, we select a series of abstracts that capture the latest developments in dermatology across different disease areas.

One notable observation is the increased frequency of bullous pemphigoid, which has risen by a factor of 2 to 5, accompanied by a mortality rate of more than 40% within 3 years. A treatment paradigm is given in this report, and promising new drugs are explained.

Epidermolysis bullosa, a prime example of successful translational research, has seen novel treatment options emerge through gene therapy.

An important statement made at the conference was: “With over 2 million newly diagnosed patients with squamous cell cancer worldwide, we are approaching the mortality rates of melanoma." Identifying the various risk categories for disease progression is crucial in defining effective treatment policies.

It is well known that skin cancer remains a substantial problem in organ transplant recipients. In this report, practical challenges concerning graft preservation and reducing the risk of skin cancer are presented and discussed. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for metastatic melanoma is an innovation with promising results, which are detailed in this report.

Artificial intelligence (AI) may have major applications in dermatology. Potential applications for dermatologists, now and in the future, are highlighted. AI may empower diagnostics, prediction, and patient interactions. Digital dermatology in the Netherlands is expanding, and its benefits for patients and physicians are presented in this report, as well as important pitfalls. An adequate reimbursement system is needed with further implementation of digital health in dermatology.

In the session “What is new in clinical dermatology?”, various clinical studies published recently are reviewed.

Additional topics of interest highlighted in the report include a potential novel therapy in high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia, the management of lymphoedema, and challenges of skin disorders diagnosis in patients with skin of colour.

An overview of the programme of the Dutch Dermatology Days showcases the innovative strides being made in dermatology in the Netherlands.

Kind regards,

Peter CM van de Kerkhof

 

Biography

Peter C.M. van de Kerkhof is emeritus Professor of Dermatology and immediate past chairman of the Department of Dermatology of Radboud University Nijmegen. He is currently the coordinating Medical Officer of the International Psoriasis Council and chair of the scientific advisory board of the Dutch burn association. He has been working for many years on the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis. He has published more than 700 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has given many presentations on invitation at international conferences. He has served as president of the ESDR, EDF, and the International Psoriasis Council, and was a board member of various international societies. Current interests are pathogenesis and development of biomarkers for psoriasis; real clinical practice research; and personalised medicine.

Conflict of Interest Statement:Consultancy services for: Celgene, Almirall, Amgen, Pfizer, Philips, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Novartis, Janssen Biotech, Janssen-Cilag, LEO Pharma,Sandoz, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Sandoz, Bristol Meyer Squibb, UCB, Dermavant.Speaker services for: Celgene, Almirall, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Jansen-Cilag, LEO Pharma, Sandoz, Bristol Meyer Squibb.



Posted on 31 May 2024