Introduction

ADVANCES IN DERMATOLOGY AND INTERNAL MEDICINE

Introduction

Dec
2006
Vol. 25. No. 4
Lindy P. Fox, MD

My goals as guest editor of this issue are 2-fold. First, I hope to bring to the forefront new and exciting issues in medical dermatology. Rather than take a traditional approach of using disease systems to summarize the dermatologic manifestations of internal diseases, I have decided to embark on an issue devoted to highlighting “hot topics” in advanced medical dermatology that necessitate a multidisciplinary approach to diagnosis and management. Each chapter is intended to provide cutting-edge, yet germane information that can be easily gleaned from the text and applied universally to everyday practice in any setting. Indeed, the contributing authors for this issue come from a variety of practice settings, including academia, university hospitals, and private practice, where patients range from the healthy child to the critically ill, hospitalized cancer patient. Second, through this extensive but hopefully relevant overview, I aim to accomplish the second goal for this issue: the introduction of a group of emerging investigators in medical dermatology, each of whom is sure to make his or her mark on our rapidly evolving specialty. The issue begins with a comprehensive update led by Dr. Nathaniel Jellinek on syndromes wherein the astute dermatologist uses the cutaneous examination to be the first to make the diagnosis of a systemic disease. Drs. Steven Mays and Philip Cohen review emerging dermatologic issues in the oncology patient, including invasive mold infections, the newly recognized cutaneous reactions to the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, and skin cancers in patients with hematologic malignancies. To round out the discussion of cutaneous diseases in the hematologic transplant patient, Dr. Julie Schaffer provides an exhaustive update on graft-versus-host disease. The following article focuses on emerging infectious diseases in dermatology, as Dr. J. Mark Jackson discusses community acquired methicillin-resistant staphylococcal infection, Epstein-Barr virus-associated conditions, and atypical mycobacterial infections as would be seen primarily in the outpatient setting. The next 2 articles focus on connective tissue diseases, as Dr. Melissa Costner leads a review on novel concepts in the pathogenesis and treatment of lupus, dermatomyositis, and scleroderma, and Dr. David Fiorentino directs a detailed review of cutaneous vasculitis. Finally, as no current medical dermatology update is complete without discussing uses of biologics in dermatology, Dr. Michael Heffernan heads a tour-de-force on a 2006 update of off-label uses for biologics in dermatology. It has been a real honor to work with this inspirational group of authors. I hope that readers of this issue of Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery find the information contained herein fresh, relevant, and applicable to the daily practice of medical dermatology.

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