On the Heels of the PDE Symposium—Five Minutes with Dr. Nada Elbuluk and Dr. Amit Pandya!
Happy Summer, MedscapeLIVE! Dermatology readers! A lot is happening in dermatology, and the success of the recent Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium is a testament to that.
Dr. Nada Elbuluk, founder and director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program at Keck Medicine of USC and current President of the Skin of Color Society, was faculty at the recent PDE meeting. She took some time to speak with us about key takeaways from the event, including therapeutic approaches for postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, the management of other pigmentary disorders—both hyper- and hypopigmented—and the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired causes of hypopigmentation.
We also got to spend a bit of time speaking with PDE faculty, Dr. Amit Pandya. Dr. Pandya is a dermatologist in Sunnyvale, California, the president of the Global Vitiligo Foundation, and director of the pigmentary disorders clinic at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He gave us a taste of what he shared with attendees at PDE as well as a pearl or two he took away from the meeting as an attendee. We are very grateful to both faculty thought leaders for taking the time to share some critical points and lessons.
Need CME? We’ve got you covered! Check out these critical CME conference opportunities and get your CME requirements lined up:
26th Annual Las Vegas Dermatology Seminar
September 11-13, 2025 | Las Vegas, NV
For more info, click here!
October 3-5, 2025 | New York, NY
For more info, click here!
January 16 - 19, 2026 | Orlando, FL
For more info, click here!
Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium
June 6-7, 2026 | Chicago, IL
For more info, click here!
The Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium will be returning to Chicago, IL June 6-7, 2026! Click here to learn more and save your spot.
Don’t miss this month’s Derm Resource section—which includes articles from JAMA Dermatology, Dermatology News, Cutis, NEJM and more. Please contact me at colleen@cmhadvisors.com with comments or suggestions. Thanks for reading!—Colleen Hutchinson
Five Minutes with Dr. Nada Elbuluk and Dr. Amit Pandya
Dr. Nada Elbuluk is a board-certified dermatologist and Associate Professor at the USC Keck School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology. She is the founder and director of the USC Skin of Color and Pigmentary Disorders Program and Fellowship. She is also the Director of the Dermatology Diversity and Inclusion Program, as well as the Director of Curriculum Equity for the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Dr. Elbuluk serves as President of the Skin of Color Society.
You have been involved with the Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium for a couple years now. What does this unique meeting offer that other meetings don’t?
Dr. Nada Elbuluk: PDE is unique for its focused expertise on pigmentary disorders, offering in-depth discussions led by top specialists. It provides a collaborative, interactive environment where attendees can engage directly with experts, explore cutting-edge research, and learn about emerging treatments. The symposium covers a wide breadth of pigmentary conditions offering a well-rounded approach for dermatologists and health care providers. With a global perspective and an emphasis on the latest advancements, PDE offers a specialized, forward-thinking platform that stands out from broader dermatology meetings.
What was covered in Session IV: Post-inflammatory Hyperpigmentation & Other Hyper- and Hypopigmentary Disorders: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, & Therapeutic Interventions?
Dr. Elbuluk: A variety of therapies were covered, including topical prescriptions and cosmeceuticals, oral and procedural treatments, as well as discussion of photoprotection strategies and emerging therapies.
Can you give us a couple pearls you shared in the Medscape PDE presentation, Congenital and Other Acquired Disorders of Hypopigmentation?
Dr. Elbuluk: I covered congenital and acquired disorders of hypopigmentation, including how to diagnose these conditions, differentials to consider, and treatment considerations. For genetic conditions, the importance of multidisciplinary treatment and which subspecialties should be included in management were also discussed.
Diagnostic tools to have in the clinic along with holistic treatment approaches were discussed to not only also optimize treatment efficacy, but also quality of life.
Bonus! A couple pearls from Dr. Amit Pandya at the PDE…
Can you tell us what you shared in your PDE presentation, Advances in Medical Therapies for Vitiligo?
Dr. Amit Pandya: One pearl I presented was that dermatologists should tailor their treatment of vitiligo based on the activity of the disease, extent of lesions, and shared decision-making with the patient. I also emphasized the need for careful examination to detect signs of activity and recommended systemic treatment for those with active disease.
Was there anything another PDE presenter shared that you took back to your practice?
Dr. Pandya: I liked Thierry Passeron’s lecture, which reviewed the factors deep in the skin produced by fibroblasts and blood vessels that cause melasma. He emphasized the need to address these factors with systemic treatment and lasers.
Dermatology Resource Section:
Medscape Medical News: Current and Future Uses for AI in Dermatology: An Expert’s View
Dermatology News MedBrief: What Role Does Diet Play in Managing Atopic Dermatitis?
Cutis Recommendations for Empiric Antibiotic Therapy in Hidradenitis Suppurativa
MEDSCAPE MD-IQ QUIZ: Atopic Dermatitis Prevention in Children
Loading ...