Dermatology, the science of the skin and its appendages, is one of the many specialties that evolved from general internal medicine during the course of the nineteenth century. Till this time, physicians with few exceptions, were little concerned with the skin, apart from the exanthematic eruptions of acute fevers. During the last decades of that century, contributions of some, such as Heberden...

Palmoplantar keratodermas (PPKs) represent a diverse group of hereditary and acquired disorders characterized by hyperkeratosis of the skin on the palms and soles [1]. The three major patterns of involvement are diffuse, focal and punctate. There are clinical distinguishing features for each disease in this group, for example, transmigration to areas beyond the palmoplantar skin. Also the exten...

Pediatric dermatology deals with diseases of skin from birth to adolescence including neonatal period (from birth to 1 month), infancy (1 month to 2 years), childhood (2 to 12 years), and adolescence (12 to 18 years). Each period has specific dermatological diseases and problems. Dermatological problems account for 30% of all outpatient visits to a pediatrician. Further, around one third of all...

Benign Pigmented Lesions in Older Adults: A Field Guide Gordon E. Searles, OD, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACP, Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Western Canada Dermatology Institute, Edmonton, AB. SKIN DISORDERS

the munich International summer Academy of Practical Dermatology – IsA 2011 will be held for the second time from July 24 till 29, 2011 in munich, Germany. Founded in 2007 by the Department of Dermatology of the Ludwig-maximilian University of munich, the first meeting was a great success with more than 700 participating dermatologists form 38 countries around the world. From 2011 on, the munic...

Systemic drugs have been used widely in the treatment of many skin diseases. Although dermatologists are familiar with the guidelines of selecting appropriate patients and prescribing systemic drugs, their knowledge about the side effects and significant interactions of systemic drugs used in dermatology is more limited. So a short review on important drug interactions seems to be useful. Some ...

Extracorporeal photochemotherapy or photopheresis is an immunomodulatory therapy that combines leukapheresis with phototherapy. Blood from the patient is processed to give a leukocyte-rich plasma, which is then treated ex vivo with a photosensitizer and ultraviolet A radiation before reinfusion back into the patient. The exact mechanism of action of photopheresis has not been fully elucidated a...