A note from Erik Zenger, PA-C Dear Patients, I am writing to let you know that after being a part of Dermatology of Bellevue for three years, my last day was June 20, 2019. I am moving closer to family to be in a better position to help my aging father work through some health […]
They said he was supposed to be dead in 1970, due to a kidney condition–he is still alive! A patient came in for a growing lesion on his leg for the past few years. It finally started to bleed. My astute PA-C Jonathan immediately took a deep biopsy and sent it in for a stat pathology reading. It was the deepest basal cell carcinoma I had seen in years!!! This patient is cynical, pessimistic gentleman. He did NOT want to have it treated. I explained that surgery was not needed. We could perform Electronic Brachytherapy, a light, in office, radiation treatment to melt it away without surgery. He thought about it for one second and said: “No!” He stated that his kidneys are in low function and that they are likely to get him first. After an hour on the phone he finally agreed just to try one treatment. I told him it only takes 1.5 minutes per treatment! We met, marked out the area, answered all his questions and he is now on his way to a cure! Electronic Brachytherapy (eBX) is the way to go where surgery can be complicated or lead to complications. Moral of the story here is to take the time to explain all options and really speak to our patients to ensure they understand.
I recently returned from my annual American Academy of Dermatology Conference. No less than 18,000 were in attendance from all over the world. The exchange of ideas and techniques with colleagues was exhilarating. Here is a summary of a few impressions I took away. We are in a new age of treatment for melanoma and […]
Given the following information, which of these people do you think is more likely to contract Eczema, a skin disease affecting primarily children, featuring rashes of dry, itchy, and scaly skin? Child A: Chad lives in a developed country (the United States) in the swanky section of a bustling city (Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York) […]
There is an Australian instrument called a Digory do. It is about a 5 inch wide, very long tube made out of wood and usually some sort of wax or plastic, covering up the top for a mouthpiece. It is played by breathing in and out almost simultaneously. An Australian patient of mine, who married […]
A nice internal medicine physician, originally Canadian, refers patients to me often from afar. I am very honored and humbled at the same time. Recently, he referred a patient in his early 60s. This patient had seen two dermatologists prior, in addition to his internal medicine physician, one who prescribed a corticosteroid and the other […]
It was a typical Tuesday afternoon and we started our second set of Mohs surgery patients. Emma had a squamous cell carcinoma on her left temple. After the initial excision, she already had a dime-sized hole in her head! Fortunately, her lesion cleared after two stages of surgery. We took her back to our amatory surgery center, […]
One routine Monday morning, I came in to Examination Room 5 to perform a full skin exam on Bob, the father of a young former patient I treated a decade ago for Morphea – a skin hardening condition. Prior to beginning, Bob thanked me for diagnosing his daughter’s condition, and I expressed my appreciation for […]
As physicians, we hear it time and time again – “By the time I came in to see you, my rash disappeared!” Well, no longer. More and more patients come into our clinic, showing us photos of their skin ailment on their mobile devices taken over a few days or even weeks at a time. […]
Prior to every surgery in our clinic, we conduct a final examination consisting of a patient assessment, an infusion of local anesthetic and a marking of the surgical area. It was during a recent examination of this type that I encountered a young man who was to have a scalp cyst removed. Normally, while waiting […]
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