This was our first time attending the World Congress of Pediatric Dermatology. It was organized in Buenos Aires from April 7 to April 11, 2025. The number of participants was around 2,500 doctors from all over the world. During this congress, four of our advisors gave presentations, and doctors from many countries whom we know were present.
The first day began with a course on vascular malformations featuring:
- Dr. Ana Giachetti (approach and multidisciplinary management of the patient with vascular anomalies).
- Prof. Dr. Veronica Kinsler (new insights into Sturge-Weber syndrome).
- Prof. Dr. Beth Drolet (genotype-phenotype correlations in vascular anomalies).
- Prof. Dr. Laurence Boon (treatment strategies for venous malformation).
- Dr. Daniel Brualla (the role of laser therapy in vascular malformations).
- Dr. Marta Ivars (screening and management).
That same afternoon, a second course on vascular malformations was given, featuring:
- Prof. Dr. Ilona Frieden (hemangiomas: lessons learned).
- Prof. Dr. Eulalia Baselga (understanding congenital hemangioma).
- Dr. Elena Pope (kaposiform hemangioendothelioma: diagnosis and management).
- Dr. Maria Rosa Cordisco (approaching infants with multiple lesions).
The final session of that day was titled ‘Technologic Innovation in Pediatric Dermatology’ with:
- Dr. Lucero Noguera Morel (teledermatology in pediatric dermatology).
- Dr. Mark Koh (artificial intelligence in pediatric dermatology).
- Dr. Lynette Wee (virtual and augumented dermatology in pediatric dermatology).
- Dr. Luis Mazzuoccolo (wearables and the Internet of Things (IoT) in pediatric dermatology).
- Dr. Johann Bauer (advances in genetic sequencing techniques).
On Tuesday evening, the opening ceremony was held, featuring, of course, a musical performance with tango dancers.
On Wednesday, Dr. Ramon Grimalt spoke about the impact of social media (particularly TikTok) in promoting all kinds of skin ointments and similar products. This turns out to be a multi-billion-dollar industry.
On Thursday, we first attended a session on ichthyosis. This was because we are active in a coalition of patient organizations in the Netherlands focused on skin conditions, which also includes collaboration with the ichthyosis organization.
At the end of one of the presentations, we were given the microphone and were able to briefly explain what we do as a patient organization. Two earlier speakers in the session had already mentioned that they collaborate with patient organizations, which provided a great opportunity to connect. Immediately after the applause, several doctors approached us, eager to learn more about our organization.
That same morning, presentations were given by Prof. Dr. Miikka Vikkula and his wife, Prof. Dr. Laurence Boon, on Genetic basis and therapies for vascular anomalies.
Friday was the final day, and we attended the last session on “What’s new?”.
- Dr. Jemima (genetics).
- Dr. Lisa Weibel (clinics).
- Dr. Lawrence Eichenfield (therapeutics).
- Dr. Brigitte Dréno (microbiome).
- Prof. Dr. Ilona Frieden (vascular).
We also had a stand again, in a fairly good location. What was exceptional was that most of the informational materials we had brought were already gone within a day. Once again, our stand was the most eye-catching—mainly thanks to our banner, the colors of our brochures, and of course the Dutch clog slippers and the mini stroopwafels. We went through a pack of mini stroopwafels each day.
Our branding through stroopwafels over many years is clearly paying off! People see them and come straight to us. Those who are unfamiliar with stroopwafels react very enthusiastically and often ask where they can buy them. Several people came by more than once to grab another stroopwafel. Especially when our stand wasn’t staffed, the stroopwafels disappeared quickly.
Our colorful banner also stands out clearly, and we were frequently asked whether the clog slippers were for sale.
We asked several presenters to provide a summary of their presentation, with the intention of sharing them on our website.
