Lichen sclerosus, usually appearing in the dermatologic literature under the names of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, balanitis xerotica obliterans, and kraurosis vulvae, is an inflammatory disease with a multifactorial origin. A past association of lichen sclerosus and genital squamous cell carcinoma is not as close as once thought. Once considered primarily a surgical problem, especially when the genitals were involved, lichen sclerosus will respond to a variety of systemic and topical therapies.

When nodular fasciitis occurs in an unusual location, such as on the head and neck or at an intradermal location, it will not present as the deep, mobile, nontender nodule described in the dermatologic literature. Fine-needle aspiration and modern imaging techniques may help in the diagnosis and prevent unnecessary surgery for a self-limited condition.

Key opinion leaders (KOLs), also known as thought leaders, are the experts in their field upon whom we depend for original research leading to disease understanding and new therapies. We rely on them to write the articles, author the textbooks, and give the presentations that we absorb to become better dermatologists. KOLs have become intimately entwined with the marketing of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, used not only to lend credibility to claims of efficacy and safety but also to promote anecdotal and off-label use of these medications to increase industry profits. Identification and marketing of the KOLs themselves is being done more and more often by KOL management companies who are hired by industry to turn those involved in medical education and research into efficient and productive members of the sales force.

No abstract

No abstract