"The idea came to combine and take the synergistic effect of the ultraviolet and the Alitretinoin to see how effective it could be and if we can save the patients the potential side-effects of the high dose of Alitretinoin and improve the outcome of our patients receiving ultraviolet therapy."

Dr Mohannad Abu-Hilal of McMaster University joins Kirk to discuss his article in the May-June issue of the Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery: “Low Dose Oral Alitretinoin with Narrowband Ultraviolet B Therapy for Chronic Hand Dermatitis.”

In this fascinating and in-depth conversation, Kirk says of Dr Abu-Hilal's study:

"There's significant value here in returning to this kind of concept, of not just combination therapy, but retinoids and light. There's a lot to be learned here."

Dr. Mohannad Abu-Hilal is a dermatologist and assistant professor in the department of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Dr Abu-Hilal's co-author on this study was Dr. Dimitra Bednar of McMaster University.

The article is open access:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/12034754211071123

For more on the work of the Canadian Dermatology Association, please visit our website at dermatology.ca

JCMS Author Interviews is produced by the CDA and David McGuffin of Explore Podcast Productions in Ottawa.

Our theme music was composed by Lee Rosevere.