Joshua A. Arcaira, MD, DPDS

01/10/2024

To my dear patients and colleagues,

During this difficult time for my family, I hope you understand that I may not physically be able to hold clinic and see patients in person.

I am opening my online consultation platform for those who wish to set a follow-up with me or attend to referrals you may have.

My tentative schedule is daily from Monday to Saturday, 9-11am.

My apologies in advance for the inconvenience.

Please continue to offer prayers for my family. 🙏🏻

13/09/2024

This 71-year-old gentleman came in for a 10-year history of a slow-growing mass on the right cheek. He worked on a port in Saudi Arabia and had prolonged sun exposure daily. It started as a “pimple-like” lesion which he tried to conceal with a band-aid. Up to the day of consult, he still tried to hide the growth with a band-aid.

Punch biopsy showed a sebaceous carcinoma and a wide excision was planned. Since the tumor was abutting the lower eyelid, I wanted to design a closure that 1) redirected tension away from the lower eyelid preventing ectropion, and 2) conceal the line of closure along the relaxed skin tension lines.

Hence, a modified V-to-T advancement flap closure was done. Incision lines were tactfully placed along his existing rhytides and careful undermining of the flaps allowed wound closure with minimal tension.

Two weeks post-op, his scar has healed beautifully. ✨ It’s cases like these where I truly appreciate the art in dermatologic surgery.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

12/09/2024

This 41-year-old woman came to the clinic asking if there’s anything that can be done with her right ear piercing that has widened. She claims that her earrings weren’t that heavy, and interestingly, the other side was perfectly fine.

I offered that I could repair the deformity but this would close off the hole. She said she doesn’t plan to wear earrings anymore so went ahead with the procedure.

The key is to refresh both sides of the defect to allow re-epithelialization. A through-and-through incision was made on both sides then sutured together. Best to wait at least 3-6 months before another piercing.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

10/09/2024

This middle-aged kind lady was referred to me by my colleague, ! She came in for a growth on her finger for two years, causing significant deformity of her nail. Biopsy proved to be benign, an Acquired Digital Fibrokeratoma.

The lesion was initially removed by a general surgeon, but grew back only after a few weeks (2nd photo). She was then referred to my care for complete removal.

After a distal digital (wing) block, a 45 degree incision was made on the proximal nail fold to expose the base of the lesion. After the growth was completely excised, skin was sutured back together.

For those wondering, yes, the nail will grow back to normal after removing the impinging mass.

Truly appreciate referrals like these! 🙏🏻

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

09/09/2024

Here we have a 63-year-old female with an ulcerated nodule on the left upper cutaneous lip. Allegedly, she had a spot on her upper lip since birth, and with the onslaught of products online, they tried a particular mole remover cream causing the area to ulcerate. Persistence prompted consult. Given the morphology, BCC was suspected.

After excision with wide margins, a V-Y advancement (island pedicle) flap was done to close the defect. A key consideration in repairing the perioral area is its unique anatomy and function. This flap allows natural movement of the mouth as well as maintaining the symmetry of vermillion border.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

08/09/2024

This 73-year-old female was brought to the clinic for evaluation of “skin tag” on the right lower back. It quickly grew over just 2 months and raised the suspicion for malignancy.

Biopsy showed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and the tumor was removed via wide excision.

23/07/2024

CLINIC ADVISORY:

Please be advised that due to inclement weather, clinic today at DLSUMC is cancelled.

For rescheduling or urgent concerns you may message my secretary.

Thank you and stay safe everyone.

02/05/2024

Third time’s the charm! After several setbacks, I am proud to share that our paper entitled,“ Casting a Wider Net: Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Retiform Hemangioendothelioma” has been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Dermatology!

This opportunity was made possible through my 🇺🇸 mentorship training in Mohs Micrographic Surgery under the International Society of Dermatology (). Words cannot express how grateful I am to my esteemed mentor, Dr. Ally-Khan Somani () and derm brother Dr. Abe Abdulhak () for their guidance and collaboration. 🙏🏻

25/04/2024

The Philippine Dermatological Society is now on tiktok!

Click the link below and learn a little more on what DERMOSCOPY is!

https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSFcYDe9H/

Check out PDS DermAuthority’s video.

19/04/2024

PATCH TESTING is now available at De La Salle University Medical Center!

For Derm Colleagues in the south, you may refer your suspected Contact Dermatitis cases to us for testing as well.

Please contact the UMC Dermatology & Laser Center for more information:
481-8000 local 5519 or +63 966 658 7785

21/03/2024

Procedure Highlight

This young man came in to have his “mole” checked. Present since birth and started as a pretty small bump on his nose, gradually growing over the years. He was concerned as the mole now had a warty appearance and was being noticed as well by his peers.

Organoid Nevus or Nevus Sebaceus of Jadassohn is a benign follicular tumor most commonly seen on the scalp, but may also occur on the face and neck. It can be associated with secondary tumors hence close monitoring with a dermatologist is advised.

In this case, a full thickness excision was done, with incision lines placed along the nasal sidewall. Some tightness was initially experienced by the patient immediately post-op but this settled down nicely. On the 2nd month post-op, there is just residual redness that will diminish with time.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

20/03/2024

Still on a high from our successful campaign launch at , in collaboration with .ph and ! Sharing some snippets from the event showcasing the new offerings at the clinic.

20/03/2024

The one thing you need to do to prevent premature skin aging!! 👇🏻

20/03/2024

Case Highlight

This good fellow came in to our clinic concerned about the “wart” on his ear. It was expanding over the years and has taken over a great portion of his ear.

Seborrheic Keratoses are warty growths on the skin that commonly appear as we age. They tend to increase in number as we age and have been postulated to be influenced by sun exposure as well. They are benign and not worrisome. Simple clinic procedure is all it takes to remove them.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

15/03/2024

Case Highlight

This young woman came in concerned about an enlarging bump near her left arm pit. It started out several years ago as a reddish bump and eventually grew into what you see here. They were worried about skin cancer and finally decided to have it checked.

Hemangiomas are benign tumors composed of blood vessels. The growth was excised completely and diagnosis was confirmed by pathology.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

14/03/2024

Case Highlight

This middle-aged woman came in to have a lump on her back checked. It wasn’t painful or anything but she has noticed some discharge coming out of it. She popped it one time and it somewhat became smaller. Persistence prompted consult.

Epidermal Inclusions cysts usually result from a blocked pore. It’s capsule eventually gets filled up with dead skin cells and oil, causing it to enlarge. A simple elliptical excision was done.

Swipe to see the intact cyst!

All photos posted with patient’s consent.

08/03/2024

Procedure Highlight

This young man was referred for a lump on his right cheek, which grew over a few months. He started getting conscious about it as it was noticed by his peers as well.

⚠️ Derm Surg tip: Always plan your incisions along the natural skin tension lines - especially for cosmetically sensitive areas such as the face. The cheek is a bit tricky as it is convex.

All photos posted with patient’s consent.