Procedural Dermatology Specialist: Bassel Mahmoud, MD, PhD, FAAD

Dr. Mahmoud is an Associate Professor of Dermatology at the UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA and he is the Director of Teledermatology at UMass. Dr. Mahmoud is part of the Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center at UMass Chan Medical School, which incorporates a specialty clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with vitiligo. He is performing the Melanocyte-Keratinocyte Transplantation Procedure (MKTP); which has proven to be an effective treatment for patients of vitiligo who do not respond to other treatment options. 

We have had very promising results with MKTP with very high success rate of repigmentation of previously resistant vitiligo spots. We are also expanding our cutting edge research studies to define immunological markers of vitiligo lesions that could predict surgical outcomes for accurate determination of disease stability to optimize our results. These tests are uniquely done at our Vitiligo Clinic and Research Center at UMass. We are also working on assessing effects of emerging immunosuppressive treatment of vitiligo, together with MKTP, to be able to maximize our treatment results.

Dr. Mahmoud earned his MD and PhD degrees at Ain Shams University/ Faculty of Medicine, in Egypt. Dr. Mahmoud completed a Dermatology residency program at Ain Shams University Hospital. Thereafter he did a Dermatology residency program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan where he was part of the team who first started the MKTP procedure in the US for the treatment of vitiligo. This procedure is currently available at only 3 medical centers in the US and at a small number of sites throughout the world. Additionally Dr. Mahmoud completed a procedural Dermatology fellowship program at Lahey Clinic / Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mahmoud’s clinical interests are dermatologic surgery including vitiligo surgery, lasers, and Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancers. He is board certified in dermatology.

Dr. Mahmoud has been an editor of a textbook that was recently published highlighting the latest advances for the treatment of vitiligo. He has also authored multiple research publications and textbook chapters on vitiligo and other topics, and serves on a number of committees, including the American Academy of Dermatology. 

Dr. Mahmoud is an editorial reviewer for multiple research journals, both national and international, including the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, JAMA Dermatology, the Journal of Dermatologic Surgery, the Journal of Photochemistry photobiology and others. He received grant from the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery to support a study comparing different surgical techniques, in order to reach the best surgical approach for treatment of vitiligo. He has lectured on pigmented skin diseases and other topics; and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences.

Membership in Professional Societies:

• American Academy of Dermatology
• American Society of Dermatologic Surgery
• Skin of Color Society
• American College of Mohs Surgery

Publications:

Book Editor:

Iltefat Hamzavi, Bassel Mahmoud and Prescilia Isedeh (Ed.). (2016) Hand Book of Vitiligo: Basic Science and Clinical Management. JP Medical Ltd, London, UK.

Book Chapters:

Bassel Mahmoud, Hamzavi, I.H. (2008). Light Treatment of Follicular Disorders in Dark Skin. In Elma Baron (Ed.), Light Therapies for Skin of Color (pp. 135-169). Berlin, Germany. Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg.

Bassel Mahmoud, Hamzavi, I.H. and Lim, H.W. (2008). Acute and Chronic Photodamage from Phototherapy, Photochemotherapy, and Solar Radiation. In Jean Krutmann et al. (Ed.), Dermatological Phototherapy and Photodiagnostic Methods (pp. 313-332). Berlin, Germany. Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg.

Bassel Mahmoud and David Ozog. (2012) Radiesse/Radiesse with Lidocaine. In: Jean Carruthers & Alastair Carruthers (Ed.). 3rd edition in Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology Series: Soft Tissue Augmentation. Elsevier, inc. (pp. 28-33).

Bassel Mahmoud and Linda Stein. (2012). Research Pipeline I: Topical Therapies for Psoriasis. In. Jeffrey M. Weinberg and Mark Lebwohl (Ed.). Advances in Psoriasis. Springer, (pp. 217-226).

Bassel Mahmoud and Diane Jackson-Richards. (2014). CHAPTER 27 “Granuloma annulare”. In. Diane Jackson-Richards, Amit Pandya and Krisada Duangurai (Ed). Skin of Color Atlas. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, (pp. 147-152).

Bassel Mahmoud and Chris Burnette. (2014). CHAPTER 28 “BASIC SCIENCES”. In. Asra Ali (Ed.). 3rd edition of McGraw-Hill Specialty Board Review Dermatology: A Pictorial Review. McGraw-Hill, (pp. 559-584).

Bassel Mahmoud and Iltefat Hamzavi. (2016). Chapter 1 “Overview of Vitiligo”. In: Iltefat Hamzavi, Bassel Mahmoud and Prescilia Isedeh (Ed.). Hand Book of Vitiligo: Basic Science and Clinical Management. JP Medical Ltd, London, UK. (pp. 1-20).

Bassel Mahmoud and Suzanne Olbricht. (2016). Chapter 13 “Reconstruction of the nose”. In: Arisa Ortiz & Brian Jiang (Ed.). Reconstructive Dermatologic Surgery. JP Medical Ltd, London, UK. (In Press).

Bassel Mahmoud and Suzanne Olbricht. (2016). Chapter 230 “Squamous Cell Carcinoma”. In: Mark S. Lebwohl, Warren R. Heymann, John Berth-Jones & Ian Coulson (Ed.). Treatment of Skin Disease, 5th edition. Elsevier, inc., London, UK.

Bassel Mahmoud, Renee Sheinin and David Ozog. (2018). Chapter 7 “Radiesse/Radiesse with Lidocaine”. In: Jean Carruthers & Alastair Carruthers (Ed.). 4th edition in, Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology Series: Soft Tissue Augmentation. Elsevier, inc. (pp. 41-48).

Recent Publications:

Bassel Mahmoud, Hexsel CL and Hamzavi IH. An Update on New and Emerging Options for the Treatment of Vitiligo. Skin Therapy Letter. 2008 Mar; 13(2):1-6.

Bassel Mahmoud, Hexsel CL, Hamzavi IH and Lim HW. Effects of Visible Light on the Skin. Photochem Photobiol. 2008 Mar; 84(2): 450-462.

Bassel Mahmoud, Tierney E, and Hamzavi IH. Prospective controlled study of the efficacy of Nd:YAG for hidradenitis suppurativa. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008 Feb; 58(2 Suppl): AB10.

Hexsel CL, Bassel Mahmoud, Mitchell D, Rivard J, Owen M, Strickland FM, Lim HW, Hamzavi I. A clinical and molecular study of photoadaptation in vitiligo. Br J Dermatol. 2009 Mar;160(3):534-9.

Tierney E, Bassel Mahmoud, Srivastava D, Ozog DM and Kouba DJ. Treatment of surgical scars with nonablative fractional laser versus pulsed dye laser: a randomized controlled trial. Dermatol Surg. 2009 Aug;35(8):1172-80.

Tierney E, Bassel Mahmoud, Hexsel C, Ozog DM and Hamzavi IH. Randomized control trial for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa with a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser. Dermatol Surg. 2009 Aug;35(8):1188-98.

Marcus DV, Bassel Mahmoud and Hamzavi IH. Granuloma annulare treated with rifampin, ofloxacin, and minocycline combination therapy. Arch Dermatol. 2009 Jul;145(7):787-9.

Bassel Mahmoud, Tierney E, Hexsel CL, Pui J, Ozog DM, Hamzavi IH. Prospective controlled clinical and histopathologic study of hidradenitis suppurativa treated with the long-pulsed neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010 Apr;62(4):637-45.

Desai S, Bassel Mahmoud, Bhatia AC, Hamzavi IH. Paradoxical Hypertrichosis After Laser Therapy: A Review Dermatol Surg. 2010; 36:291–298.

Bassel Mahmoud, Srivastava D, Janiga JJ, Yang JJ, Lim HW, Ozog DM. Safety and Efficacy of Erbium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Fractionated Laser for Treatment of Acne Scars in Type IV to VI Skin. Dermatol Surg 2010; 36:1–8.

Bassel Mahmoud, Eduardo Ruvolo, Camile L. Hexsel, Yang Liu, Michael R. Owen, Nikiforos Kollias, Henry W. Lim and Iltefat H. Hamzavi. Impact of Long-Wavelength UVA and Visible Light on Melanocompetent Skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2010; 130(8):2092-7.

Lisa Y. Xu; Dakara Rucker Wright; Bassel Mahmoud; David M. Ozog; David A. Mehregan; Iltefat H. Hamzavi. Histopathologic Study of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Following Long-Pulsed 1064-nm Nd:YAG Laser Treatment. Arch Dermatol. 2011; 147:21-28.

Kouba DJ, Tierney E, Bassel Mahmoud, Woo D.  Optimizing closure materials for upper lid blepharoplasty: a randomized, controlled trial. Dermatol Surg. 2011 Jan;37(1):19-30.

Robert J. Sage, Matteo C. Lopicollo, Austin Liu, Bassel Mahmoud, Emily P. Tierney, and David J. Kouba. Subcuticular Incision versus Naturally Sourced Porcine Collagen Filler for Acne Scars: a Randomized Split-Face Comparison. Dermatol Surg. 2011 Apr;37(4):426-31.

Zhou L, Li K, Shi YL, Hamzavi I, Gao TW, Henderson M, Huggins RH, Agbai O, Bassel Mahmoud, Mi X, Lim HW, Mi QS. Systemic analyses of immunophenotypes of peripheral T cells in non-segmental vitiligo: Implication of defective natural killer T cells. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2012 Sep;25(5):602-11.

Pattamadilok B, Devpura S, Syed ZU, Agbai ON, Vemulapalli P, Henderson M, Rehse SJ, Bassel Mahmoud, Lim HW, Naik R, Hamzavi IH. Quantitative skin color measurements in acanthosis nigricans patients: colorimetry and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2012 Aug; 28 (4):213-5.

Bassel Mahmoud and Melody J. Eide.  Bendamustine-Induced “Flagellate Dermatitis”. Dermatol Dermatology Online Journal 2012; 18 (11): 12.

Matteo C. LoPiccolo, Bassel Mahmoud, Robert J. Sage, Austin Liu, and David J. Kouba. Evaluation of Orbicularis Oculi Muscle Stripping on the Cosmetic Outcome of Upper Lid Blepharoplasty: A Randomized, Controlled Study. Dermatol Surg. 2013 May;39(5):739-43.

Bassel Mahmoud, Kerr H. Histiocytic inflammation induced by granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factors. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;68:AB52-AB52

Bassel Mahmoud, McHargue C. Granuloma annulare heralding relapse of angioimmunoblastic t cell non-hodgkin lymphoma. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;68:AB146-AB146

Bassel Mahmoud, Shwayder T. Acute generalized exanthematous pustules induced by overdose of oral acetaminophen for suicide attempt. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2013;68:AB41-AB41

Shi YL, Weiland M, Li J, Hamzavi I, Henderson M, Huggins RH, Bassel Mahmoud, Agbai O, Mi X, Dong Z, Lim HW, Mi QS, Zhou L. 1. MicroRNA expression profiling identifies potential serum biomarkers for non-segmental vitiligo. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res. 2013 May;26(3):418-21. PMID: 23470042

Bassel Mahmoud, Zembowicz A, Fisher E. Controversies over subungual tumors in incontinentia pigmenti. Dermatol Surg. 2014 Oct;40(10):1157-9. PMID: 25255281

Bassel Mahmoud, Chris Burnett and David Ozog. Treatment of lateral periorbital wrinkles with non-injectable topical botulinum toxin A following ablative fractional CO2 laser. Dermatol Surg. 2015 Jan;41 Suppl 1:S75-81. PMID: 25548849.

Kauvar AN, Arpey CJ, Hruza G, Olbricht SM, Bennett R, Bassel Mahmoud. Consensus for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Treatment, Part II: Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Including a Cost Analysis of Treatment Methods. Dermatol Surg. 2015 Nov;41(11):1214-40. PMID: 26445288.

Bassel Mahmoud, David Ozog, Chris Burnett and Joel Cohen. Prospective Randomized Split-Face Comparative Study Between Topical Botulinum Toxin A Surface Application and Local Injection for Crow's Feet. Dermatol Surg. 2016 Apr;42(4):554-6. PMID: 26990256.