About 40 percent of children with the disease outgrow it, while the remainder have eczema throughout their lives. Smith is currently the only pediatric specialist among the 11 physicians in the VUMC dermatology division, but recruitment is expected to begin later this year for a second pediatric dermatologist to support the extensive research program that encompasses adult and pediatric issues. Smith predicts an increase in studies on a variety of children's inflammatory skin disorders because of efforts by the FDA and other organizations to include more children and adolescents in clinical drug trials. He explains that all drugs submitted for FDA approval must now be evaluated for testing in children. In addition, the agency offers pharmaceutical companies a six-month extension of their exclusive right to market a drug if the company runs tests to determine children's responses.
Angiogenesis inhibitors block the development of new blood vessels, preventing tumor formation.
Since angiogenesis appears to play a role in the development of hemangiomas, drugs that block this action could lead to significant advancements in the treatment of these lesions, according to Smith. In the meantime, Smith is busy addressing children's skin diseases with today's best therapies. Frequently, his role as a specialist is to look at continuous lesions to determine whether more than a routine rash or series of bumps is involved. Epidermal nevus, for example, is a skin disorder characterized by distinctive birthmarks on the skin. In some cases, the birthmark itself may not be a problem, but it could signify the presence of a syndrome associated with neurological and skeletal abnormalities.