Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin. It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical doctor who manages diseases related to skin, hair, nails, and some cosmetic problems.
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small localized patches to complete body coverage. Injury to the skin can trigger psoriatic skin changes at that spot, which is known as the Koebner phenomenon.
Pityriasis lichenoides et varioliformis acuta is a disease of the immune system. It is the more severe version of pityriasis lichenoides chronica. The disease is characterized by rashes and small lesions on the skin. The disease is more common in males and usually occurs in young adulthood, although it has been seen in every age group and every race. It is possible for the disease to go into remission for short periods of time or forever.
Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes are not contagious or life-threatening, but can be very uncomfortable.
Auspitz's sign is the appearance of punctate bleeding spots when psoriasis scales are scraped off, named after Heinrich Auspitz. It may also be seen in Darier's disease and actinic keratosis.
Onycholysis is a common medical condition characterized by the painless detachment of the nail from the nail bed, usually starting at the tip and/or sides. On the hands, it occurs particularly on the ring finger but can occur on any of the fingernails. It may also happen to toenails.
Parapsoriasis refers to one of a group of skin disorders that are characterized primarily by their resemblance to psoriasis, rather than by their underlying cause.
Blaschko's lines, also called the lines of Blaschko, are lines of normal cell development in the skin. These lines are only visible in those with a mosaic skin condition or in chimeras where different cell lines contain different genes. These lines may express different amounts of melanin, or become visible due to a differing susceptibility to disease. In such individuals, they can become apparent as whorls, patches, streaks or lines in a linear or segmental distribution over the skin. They follow a V shape over the back, S-shaped whirls over the chest and sides, and wavy shapes on the head. Not all mosaic skin conditions follow Blaschko's lines.
Prurigo nodularis (PN), also known as nodular prurigo, is a skin disease characterised by pruritic (itchy) nodules which usually appear on the arms or legs. Patients often present with multiple excoriated lesions caused by scratching. PN is also known as Hyde prurigo nodularis, Picker's nodules, atypical nodular form of neurodermatitis circumscripta, lichen corneus obtusus.
Hypnodermatology is an informal label for the use of hypnosis in treating the skin conditions that fall between conventional medical dermatology and the mental health disciplines.
Heinrich Koebner ; was a German-Jewish dermatologist born in Breslau.
Psychogenic pruritus, also known as psychogenic itch or functional itch disorder is pruritus not associated with a dermatologic or systemic cause. More often than not, it is attributed to a psychiatric cause. Psychogenic pruritus is not the same as neuropathic itch though both are conditions which require more research. This condition is not explained well in DSM-V and is typically considered a diagnosis of exclusion. This condition is not well-studied and it is difficult to ascertain as it is seen by both dermatologists and psychiatrists. In order to provide some consensus to this condition, The French Psychodermatology Group have created diagnostic criteria for this condition.
Psoriatic erythroderma represents a form of psoriasis that affects all body sites, including the face, hands, feet, nails, trunk, and extremities. This specific form of psoriasis affects 3 percent of persons diagnosed with psoriasis. First-line treatments for psoriatic erythroderma include immunosuppressive medications such as methotrexate, acitretin, or ciclosporin.
Large plaque parapsoriasis are skin lesions that may be included in the modern scheme of cutaneous conditions described as parapsoriasis. These lesions, called plaques, may be irregularly round-shaped to oval and are 10 cm (4 in) or larger in diameter. They can be very thin plaques that are asymptomatic or mildly pruritic. Large-plaque parapsoriasis is a common associate of retiform parapsoriasis, can be accompanied by poikiloderma vasculare atrophicans, and can in rare occasions be a precursor to cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.
Senile pruritus is one of the most common conditions in the elderly or people over 65 years of age with an emerging itch that may be accompanied with changes in temperature and textural characteristics. In the elderly, xerosis, is the most common cause for an itch due to the degradation of the skin barrier over time. However, the cause of senile pruritus is not clearly known. Diagnosis is based on an elimination criteria during a full body examination that can be done by either a dermatologist or non-dermatologist physician.
Goeckerman therapy is a regimen for treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis using a combination of crude coal tar and artificial ultraviolet radiation. It is a specialized form of light therapy.
Mark G. Lebwohl is an American dermatologist and author who is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology and the Dean for Clinical Therapeutics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
Brian V. Jegasothy was a dermatologist and visiting professor at over 50 Universities. and clinics, and was the Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh from 1987 to 1999.
Nicholas J Lowe is an English dermatologist who has published research into skin pharmacology, botulinum toxins, injectable filler and Lasers in cutaneous and cosmetic Surgery.
Jenna Lester is an American dermatologist and faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Lester founded the UCSF Skin of Color Clinic, where she is the director. The clinic looks to address health disparities by providing dermatological care to people of color.
