ICYMI: Highlights From SPD 2025

Our top coverage from this year’s 50th annual meeting of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology (SPD) conference in Seattle, Washington, included the latest data on therapies for pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis and multiple conversations with experts on navigating challenges of pediatric dermatology.

Here are the SPD 2025 highlights, and click here for all of our coverage from the conference.

5. Across 8 Trials, Ruxolitinib Cream Shows Favorable Safety in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis

New research synthesized across 8 clinical trials reassured the long-term safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib in children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis. Adverse events were rare or absent in pediatric patients included in the trial. The findings highlighted the potential of using Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors in dermatology for vulnerable pediatric patients.

Read the full article about the ruxolitinib findings.

4. Navigating Challenges in Pediatric Dermatology Access, Addressing Disparities: Elizabeth Garcia Creighton

The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®) spoke with Elizabeth Garcia Creighton, BA, a medical student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, on the challenges of expanding pediatric dermatology access. Creighton said that one of the biggest challenges was awareness, as many rural communities and Hispanic and Latino communities were unaware of the subspecialty. Another challenge she pointed out was the limited representation and physician exposure to a wide range of skin colors.

Read the interview with Creighton.

3. A Rising Researcher’s Take on Underrecognized Pediatric Skin Conditions: Hira Ghani, DO

AJMC^® also spoke with Hira Ghani, DO, a dermatology research fellow at Brown University, about her presentation on therapies for pediatric segmental vitiligo. Ghani explained that compliance in younger children can be difficult, as they can be reluctant to twice-daily applications. Another challenge she mentioned was diagnosing pediatric patients with skin of color, as many skin conditions appear differently when compared with White children, leading to more misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed children.

Watch the interview with Ghani.

2. Navigating Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Q&A on Early Diagnosis and Effective Treatment

In a written Q&A with AJMC^®, Robyn Guo Ku, BS, a medical student at the Duke University School of Medicine, discussed the practical implications of developing an educational module to raise awareness of and destigmatize hidradenitis suppurativa among pediatric patients. Her colleagues, Tarannu, Jaleel, MS, and Daniela Kroshinsky, MD, of the Department of Dermatology at the Duke University School of Medicine, joined the conversation, adding that diagnosis is often delayed because early symptoms resemble acne, folliculitis, or abscesses.

Read the interview with Guo Ku, Jaleel, and Kroshinsky.

1. IgE Mediation in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis, Concurrent Immune Disorders: Amy Paller, MD

In another interview with AJMC^®, Amy Paller, MD, a pediatric dermatologist and clinical researcher at Northwestern Medicine’s Feinberg School of Medicine, discussed her findings of dupilumab significantly reducing immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis. Though IgE-mediated immune response isn’t the primary driver of atopic dermatitis, the authors note this IgE reduction may benefit concurrent or future type 2 immune disorders (eg, asthma, food allergy) in these patients.

Watch the interview with Paller.