Primary Care Dermatology
Preface Beyond Superficial: Primary Care Dermatology
George G.A. Pujalte, MD, FACSM Editor
This issue is written for primary care physicians, who are often the first to see skin conditions in their clinics. Skin conditions are often not stand-alone ailments; they may be the result of underlying conditions that may worsen if not diagnosed early. It is the responsibility of primary care physicians to recognize skin manifestations of such conditions. Some conditions are also uniquely linked to certain segments of the population, such as athletes or women. The implications of skin conditions in sports medicine also need to be known to primary care physicians. This issue aims to address all manner of ways skin conditions may present in primary care clinics and on the first visit. It discusses the tests that need to be ordered and addresses the latest, evidence-based treatments for each ailment. Naturally, images and figures are used extensively in this issue, and it is hoped that they serve the primary care clinician well as a quick resource in a busy clinic. Comprising the collective expertise of experienced primary care physicians and dermatologists alike, this issue is an amalgamation of knowledge. It is an accumulation of the insight of physicians who see skin conditions early in their progression, as well as a range of patients and conditions that go beyond dermatology, and the invaluable input of learned dermatologists, sharing their knowledge borne of specialized treatment of skin diseases. Gathering images that would prove useful to potential readers proved to be a challenging undertaking, as was the difficult process of coordinating input from physician authors from different institutions. In the end, however, we hope this issue becomes a testament to the benefits of working together and sharing knowledge. I am thankful to my colleagues from and at the University of the Philippines, the Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, the University of Michigan, Penn State University, the Mayo Clinic, and other institutions, for their efforts and their willingness to push through with this project despite the challenges posed by distance and individual schedules. Without them, this issue would not have been possible.
Prim Care Clin Office Pract 42 (2015) xv–xvi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2015.09.001 0095-4543/15/$ – see front matter Ó 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.
primarycare.theclinics.com
xvi
Preface
The most rewarding way to read this issue, in my opinion, is to peruse the images as delineated by the text and the headings. Once a condition seen in clinics appears compatible, more details can be read. In instances where images are not available, the descriptions of the skin conditions may be used; we have endeavored to make the descriptions as useful as possible in this regard. We hope that each article in the issue provides ample guidance for every skin condition of interest to primary care physicians. George G.A. Pujalte, MD, FACSM Family Medicine and Sports Medicine Department of Family Medicine Mayo Clinic 4500 San Pablo Road Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA E-mail address: [email protected]
Preface Beyond Superficial: Primary Care Dermatology
George G.A. Pujalte, MD, FACSM Editor
This issue is written for primary care physicians, who are often the first to see skin conditions in their clinics. Skin conditions are often not stand-alone ailments; they may be the result of underlying conditions that may worsen if not diagnosed early. It is the responsibility of primary care physicians to recognize skin manifestations of such conditions. Some conditions are also uniquely linked to certain segments of the population, such as athletes or women. The implications of skin conditions in sports medicine also need to be known to primary care physicians. This issue aims to address all manner of ways skin conditions may present in primary care clinics and on the first visit. It discusses the tests that need to be ordered and addresses the latest, evidence-based treatments for each ailment. Naturally, images and figures are used extensively in this issue, and it is hoped that they serve the primary care clinician well as a quick resource in a busy clinic. Comprising the collective expertise of experienced primary care physicians and dermatologists alike, this issue is an amalgamation of knowledge. It is an accumulation of the insight of physicians who see skin conditions early in their progression, as well as a range of patients and conditions that go beyond dermatology, and the invaluable input of learned dermatologists, sharing their knowledge borne of specialized treatment of skin diseases. Gathering images that would prove useful to potential readers proved to be a challenging undertaking, as was the difficult process of coordinating input from physician authors from different institutions. In the end, however, we hope this issue becomes a testament to the benefits of working together and sharing knowledge. I am thankful to my colleagues from and at the University of the Philippines, the Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, the University of Michigan, Penn State University, the Mayo Clinic, and other institutions, for their efforts and their willingness to push through with this project despite the challenges posed by distance and individual schedules. Without them, this issue would not have been possible.
Prim Care Clin Office Pract 42 (2015) xv–xvi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pop.2015.09.001 0095-4543/15/$ – see front matter Ó 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.
primarycare.theclinics.com
xvi
Preface
The most rewarding way to read this issue, in my opinion, is to peruse the images as delineated by the text and the headings. Once a condition seen in clinics appears compatible, more details can be read. In instances where images are not available, the descriptions of the skin conditions may be used; we have endeavored to make the descriptions as useful as possible in this regard. We hope that each article in the issue provides ample guidance for every skin condition of interest to primary care physicians. George G.A. Pujalte, MD, FACSM Family Medicine and Sports Medicine Department of Family Medicine Mayo Clinic 4500 San Pablo Road Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA E-mail address: [email protected]
