Dermatology

Dermatology is the branch of medicine that deals with the body’s largest organ, the skin.  Shown here is a selected set of resources which have been graded by specialists in dermatology, and arranged to follow the curriculum on the right. Generally, resources which are interactive and/or include self assessment score more stars than those without.

SEE ALSO [Dermatology Resources] and [Dermatology Guidelines]

Please use the box on the right to navigate to the area you are interested in.

However, the  resources listed just below cover the whole field of dermatology and have been selected as the best general sites to either learn dermatology from or use as reference tools, with the caveat that most resources are produced in countries where fair caucasian skin predominates.

The first resource is my pick as it covers just about everything dermatological.

These are handbooks for novices.

These next resources are courses which aim to teach dermatology to medical students.

This has a comprehensive list of patient information leaflets and links to clinical guidelines.

These sites cover dermatology – please browse to see which suit your purpose.

And now on to some more specific resources:

Anatomy, physiology and pathology

As the primary interface between ourselves and our environment the skin has several important functions including thermoregulation, mechanical protection, immunological protection, metabolic functions and sensation. The anatomy of the skin reflects this functional complexity.  The first resources introduce skin anatomy/pathology and the later resources are for those with more knowledge.

 

Clinical examination

A careful history and thorough examination of the skin, nails, hair and mucous membranes is necessary to make the correct diagnosis.  It is important to be able to accurately describe the skin rash or lesion, and these resources contain the necessary terminology.

Judicious use of further specific tests such as dermatoscopy, Wood’s light examination, biospy (+/- immunofluorescence) – please see pathology resources above, microbiology (mycology, bacteriology, virology), patch testing, prick tests and phototesting, may aid diagnosis.

Emergency dermatology

 

Drug eruptions

Cutaneous reactions induced by drugs are common (approximately 3% of hospital in patients will have one) and the majority are mild.  Serious drug eruptions are estimated to occur in around 1 in 1000 patients. There may be some overlap in resources addressing these serious adverse cutaneous events and those in emergency dermatology above.

Skin infections and infestations

The first resources listed here cover infections that medical students would be expected to know about. The next resources are specific for particular infections.

Inflammatory diseases

The three most common inflammatory skin diseases are acne, eczema and psoriasis.  Guidelines on their management  can be found on the related page [DERMATOLOGY GUIDELINES]. The first resources have been grouped to cover these most common conditions.  The next resources cover other inflammatory skin disorders.

Skin tumours

Basic skin surgery techniques may be viewed here:

Signs of systemic disease

Treatments

Most of the resources discussed already contain information about disease management and treatment in each relevant chapters.

Clinical cases: self assessment

Dermatology atlases

Others