Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/699348
Case of the Month with Crutchfield Dermatology BY CHARLES E. CRUTCHFIELD III, MD JOB RECRUITMENT SCAMS ARE COMMON, AND E VEN IF SAV V Y PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HE ALTHCARE WORKERS PULL BACK THE MOMENT A PHONY RECRUITER REQUESTS BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION, THE Y CAN'T RECOUP TIME LOST PURSUING NON¨E XISTENT POSITIONS. K I N D R E D H E A L T H C A R E A N D A ccent Hea lt h a re a mon g t he m a ny organizations that have issued warnings about bogus openings. In Kindred's case, would-be candidates received email and texts, purportedly from executives or recr uiters for the company, telling them they qualifi ed for a job. The con artists eventually tendered a job o• er — coupled with a request for money to buy equ ipment . The ea rly tip-o• that could have prevented these candidates from wasting their time? The messa ges ca me f rom addresses t hat lacked the Kindred.com doma in na me. Patient-education media compa ny A c c ent Hea lt h s ay s s c a m mer s c on- ducted inter views for fraudulent jobs via tex t or insta nt messenger, which it does not use in its recruitment process, before asking for financia l information. These swindles are an international a• air. In 2014, a British physician wrote to an email address on the careers page of a hospital in the United Arab Emirates. It 's not cer ta in whether the hospita l website or the p h y s i c i a n 's computer was hacked, but he received a reply from a different address. A handsome salary, a car and an apartment awaited him if he paid "entry clearance" and other fees. He went so far as to send a copy of his passport — but no money — to the purported recruiters before he realized it was a scam, reported The National, a UAE-based publication. ■ Time-stealing Recruitment Scams BY STEVE BARRETT A 30…YEAR…OLD MAN pres- ents with an itchy rash on his wrists and ankles that he has experienced for four weeks. He is otherwise healthy. What's your diagnosis? DIAGNOSIS: LICHEN PLANUS Lichen planus is an idiopathic papulosquamous disorder producing violaceous papules that most commonly occur on the wrists and ankles. Some call it the "P" disease because the lesions are purple, pruritic, polished (shiny on the surface), polygonal (in shape), papular, puzzling (idiopathic) and problematic (di„cult to treat). They often have a lace-like pattern on the surface, which is known as Wickham's striae. Some cases have been associated with hepatitis, so a hepatitis screen is always appropriate. Some cases are associated with medication reactions, and others are associated with the ingestion of gold (as found in some fancy liquors). The lesions are generally reported to be pruritic, but excoria- tions are rarely observed. Patients report that rubbing, rather than scratching, makes them feel better. When oral lesions are present, advise patient to avoid ethanol and tobacco to reduce chances of developing oral carcinoma. Other variants of the disease can occur. On the nails, it can mimic fungal infections. On the scalp, it can appear as a scarring alopecia (lichen planopilaris). There are oral variants (ulcers and reticulated forms). A hypertrophic variant occurs on the lower extremities. An atrophic or flat variant occurs in the axilla and on the forehead region and genitals. Topical CutiCort Spray and narrow band ultraviolet B light are the best treatments. Untreated cases may run their course in months to years. For more information, visit crutchfielddermatology.com. ■ 1 4 1 4❱❱❱❱❱ D I A G N O S T I C S