Introduction Dermatology is a fascinating specialty with over 2,000 skin, hair, and nail diseases. Patients span all ages and skin types with varied presentations of disease. It offers a unique blend of medical, surgical, and cosmetic care, allowing practitioners to address a wide range of conditions, from life-threatening skin cancers to chronic issues like psoriasis
Skin cancer is usually categorised as melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer, the latter including squamous cell (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). Risk factors Basal cell carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma Malignant melanoma Ultraviolet radiation exposure Ultraviolet radiation exposure Ultraviolet radiation exposure Increasing age Increasing age Increasing age Previous BCC Previous SCC Previous melanoma (8-10 fold
Skin cancers have one of the highest global incidences of any type of cancer. Early diagnosis and management of melanoma can be life-saving. Junior doctors are in a position to spot such lesions and it is therefore important to be able to recognise them. The different types of skin cancer can usually be identified clinically,
Sutures are placed to aid with wound healing following a traumatic laceration or surgical incision and to promote haemostasis. In this article, we will look at the different types of suture classifications, the indications for each type of suture and the common suturing techniques that are used. Alternative methods of tissue closure Steri-strips Often used
Dermatology is a vast topic that junior doctors often find daunting. Do read our article on describing skin lesions. Fortunately, there are only a handful of conditions that are important to know as a junior doctor on the wards. These will be covered below: Eczema/Dermatitis Dermatitis is a generalised term describing irritation of the skin
It is quite common for you to need to describe rashes for documentation purposes, to senior colleagues or to refer to various specialties including dermatology. Here is a refresher of the terminology to describe common skin lesions. For more detail, check our source. Systematic Examination Inspect – Observe the overall appearance of the lesion i.e.
