Letter from the Editor

Dear Colleagues,

The Dutch Dermatology Days 2025 showcased a rich and compelling repertoire of topics directly relevant to clinical practice, all of which are captured in this report.

In paediatric dermatology, important advances were discussed, particularly in the management of atopic dermatitis. With the growing availability of new biologics and small molecules, new questions have arisen regarding their optimal and sustainable long-term use. Furthermore, the updated classification of vascular anomalies in children was addressed, given its importance in guiding the appropriate therapeutic approach.

The report also highlights novel biomarkers for monitoring treatment response and disease progression in Sézary syndrome. It also revisited a long-standing question on whether vitiligo increases the risk of skin cancer. The role of TFAP2a in skin health was further unravelled, shedding light on its involvement in coal tar treatment and its potential as a therapeutic target for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

In dermato-oncology, emerging intralesional therapies for basal cell carcinoma were presented. The diagnosis of melanoma remains challenging, prompting the addition of melanocytoma to the classification system and acknowledging that some lesions are difficult to classify.

For actinic keratosis, it was highlighted that topical 5% 5-fluorouracil remains the first-line therapy, despite the availability of new treatments.

Another session addressed the growing concern around the spread of uncontrolled and often inaccurate information on social media. Strategies for clinicians to counteract misinformation were discussed.

Lastly, auto-inflammatory diseases, a group of rare diseases including Schnitzel syndrome and VEXAS syndrome, were explored in detail.

Overall, the Dutch Dermatology Days were a great success, delivering valuable insights and practical updates that will inform and enhance clinical dermatology practice.

Best 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 5 June 2025