Dermatology is a medical specialty for a number of reasons, the most important of which is the high degree of complexity of clinical dermatology, which requires not only a specific commitment but also an extensive base of general medical knowledge.
The difficulty this represents is further increased by the fact that, in order to fully characterize clinical pictures in Dermatology, there needs to be a correlation with microscopic morphology, and therefore dermatopathology constitutes an essential field of dermatology, which can only be accessed with extensive prior clinical knowledge.
Indeed, because the skin is an external organ, in Dermatology, biopsies are a basic and routine diagnostic procedure, and their interpretation requires mastery not only of microscopic morphology but also, and primarily, of clinical morphology.
Dermatologists also rely on the use of special therapeutic techniques, like those of topical pharmacological treatment, the application of certain physiotherapy methods that are specially designed for dermatological use (cryotherapy, phototherapy, low-penetrating ionizing radiation, etc.), and of course surgical methods.
In conclusion, Dermatology may also be defined more precisely as "a complete medical-surgical organ specialty that comprises the skin, skin appendages, dermopapillary mucous membranes and the related external configuration". In addition, in almost every country, including Spain,
venereal or sexually transmitted diseases have traditionally fallen within the scope of Dermatology, which can be explained by a number of reasons, notably the fact that the clinical treatment of these diseases largely relies on clinical dermatology, given that many of the diagnostic problems posed by such diseases are also dermatological.
With respect to the foundations of Dermatology, the specialty is most directly based on general medical knowledge, since no area of this knowledge can be isolated from dermatological matters. In this regard, it is worth noting the role played in Dermatology by immunology and allergies, microbiology, parasitology in general and in particular mycology, genetics, cyto- and histo-pathology, pharmacology and so on, and of course by internal medicine and surgical pathology.
It is clear that Medical-Surgical Dermatology and Venereology has areas bordering other specialties, where their respective fields or activities overlap. However, this occurs not only with Dermatology but also with all medical specialties, which is inevitably and necessarily the case, since the subdivision of medical knowledge cannot break its cohesion or completely separate some subdivisions from others.
The super specialization of HM Hospitals is strengthened in its Dermatology service.
Special units:
- Oncology Dermatology Unit
- Psoriasis Unit
- Aesthetic Dermatology Unit
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