dermatology

The dermatology is the field of medicine that deals with diseases and changes in human skin. The diagnosis and treatment of venereal diseases can also fall within the scope of dermatology. In 2012 there were more than 5300 practicing dermatologists in Germany.

What is dermatology?

The dermatology ranks among the specialties in medicine and deals with the diagnosis, treatment, research and prevention of skin diseases.

These include infections as well as non-infectious diseases, which also include tumors and other skin changes. After completing a medical degree, prospective dermatologists must complete a 60-month training course to become a specialist.

They can specialize in one of the sub-areas of dermatology, for example dermatallergology, dermatosurgery or venereology (this area is primarily concerned with sexually transmitted diseases). Dermatologists can work in clinics as well as in their own doctor's offices.

Treatments & therapies

The dermatology is always used when it comes to diseases or changes in the human skin. The range of treatments in the specialty begins with comparatively harmless diseases such as acne and extends to allergic skin reactions and infections of various kinds up to skin cancer.

This also includes acute injuries from burns or chemical burns. Patients usually go to a dermatologist if they notice a change in the skin on one or more parts of the body. This can be, for example, permanent itching, swelling or a rash. Massive skin imperfections that cannot be removed, or dandruff or psoriasis are also a case for the dermatologist.

Patients are often referred to the specialist by the family doctor if the specialist determines that the disease falls under the treatment of dermatology. In principle, all changes in the skin can be presented to the dermatologist, even if they may only be the symptom of an existing disease that is not directly related to the skin. This is the case, for example, with numerous allergic reactions.

The reason for the sometimes stubborn wheals and swellings, which are often associated with itching, is an allergy to a certain substance. The reaction on the skin is only a symptom and therefore not a skin disease in the strict sense. Since the disciplines of medicine overlap in many cases, there are also specialists within dermatology who have been optimally trained for such overarching diseases. These include, for example, dermatosurgeons, dermatooncologists and dermatallergologists.

Diagnosis & examination methods

At the beginning of a dermatological examination, there is a detailed discussion with the patient. In this the exact complaints and possible triggers can be discussed. The patient's medical history is also taken into account during the examination, as it can provide information about previous stresses or individual risks.

The dermatologist then inspects the affected areas of the skin. A blood test, often together with a smear or tissue sample, helps with the diagnosis. In this way, it can be determined precisely in the laboratory what cause the complaints are based. Once it is clear which disease it is, the appropriate treatment can be initiated. Under certain circumstances, minor complaints can already be cured with ointments or medicinal baths.

In the case of allergic reactions, the symptoms are treated first, but then the allergy itself. This usually includes avoiding the triggering substance; often there is also a desensitization. If there is an infection, an antibiotic or a similar drug is prescribed to eliminate the pathogen. A skin change that has been caused by or suggests cancer, for example, can be surgically removed.

If it is actually a malignant skin tumor, radiation can also take place together with chemotherapy. Dermatologists therefore work with numerous different devices and substances, all of which can be found in other fields of medicine. Depending on the severity of the disease and the type and intensity of therapy, treatment can either be carried out on an outpatient basis in the practice or in an inpatient clinic.