Dermatology

10 mg melatonin nightly improves mild–moderate adult atopic dermatitis without reported adverse effects

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 80 adults with mild–moderate atopic dermatitis received melatonin 10 mg or placebo for 4 weeks. Melatonin significantly improved SCORAD, pruritus-NRS, 12-PSS, AD sleep scale, and DLQI, while pain NRS did not change significantly. No adverse effects were reported in any participant during supplementation. These data support short-term melatonin as a low-cost adjunct to improve disease severity, itch, sleep, and quality of life in adult AD. 1

Oral JAK inhibitor plus 308‑nm excimer improves pediatric progressive vitiligo repigmentation vs tacrolimus plus excimer

This multicenter, prospective, single-blind randomized trial enrolled 188 children aged 2–18 years with progressive vitiligo treated for 48 weeks. Oral JAK inhibitor plus 308‑nm excimer achieved significantly higher repigmentation rates by VASI than topical tacrolimus plus excimer (P < 0.001). Adverse events with the JAK–excimer combination were generally mild to moderate, with overall good tolerability reported. Response correlated with age, disease duration, lesion location, and follicular depigmentation, suggesting potential stratifiers for counseling families. Limited follow-up and a single comparator constrain conclusions about long-term safety and relative efficacy versus other regimens. 2

Additional histologic factors refine recurrence risk in stage I–II melanoma

This cohort study evaluated 1,092 patients with stage IA–IIC cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 2010 and 2017. Multivariable analysis confirmed ulceration and thickness as recurrence predictors but also identified several additional high-risk features. Scalp/neck and facial locations had higher recurrence risk than arm melanomas, with hazard ratios above two. Neurotropism, lymphovascular invasion, and higher mitotic activity were independently associated with shorter time to recurrence. Incorporating these factors into pathology reports and follow-up planning may better target intensive surveillance for localized melanomas. 3

Early-onset androgenetic alopecia signals higher diabetes risk in younger adults

This population-based cross-sectional study of 11,968 adults in Shenzhen assessed androgenetic alopecia prevalence and cardiometabolic comorbidities. AGA prevalence was 18.94%, higher in men than women, and associated with obesity, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Among adults aged 18–49, especially <45, AGA remained associated with diabetes and dysglycemia after multivariable adjustment. In adults <45, AGA correlated with diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, elevated fasting glucose, and HbA1c ≥ 6.5%. No associations were found in adults over 45, and the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Dermatologists seeing early-onset AGA in younger adults should consider proactive screening or referral for metabolic risk assessment. 4