Cutaneous condition

A skin disease (medical term: dermatosis ) is a disease of the skin. Skin diseases are treated by a dermatologist (skin doctor).

Also, the skin appendages (hair, nails, sebaceous and sweat glands ) diseases are considered as skin diseases, since these structures are also referred to as Adnexorgane epidermal lineage, even if they are partly deep in the dermis.

Dermatologists treat at some centers, patients with AIDS, representing as venereologists the classic venereal diseases like syphilis, since they manifest disorders also on the skin, but no skin diseases in the strict sense. On the other hand, a variety of diseases in the field of Phlebology and Angiology with the resulting skin symptoms such as peptic ulcers are classified here.

No other organ of the human body has such a high number of lesions on the skin as because the skin is exposed to, inter alia, as a limiting organ in the human and animal body diverse influences from inside and from outside.

Dermatological diseases

Symptoms and complaints

Many skin diseases draw attention to themselves because the skin at the site looks different than healthy skin. One speaks also of the so-called " lesions ". A distinction is predominant primary such as spot ( macula ), nodules ( papules ), pus nodules ( pustule ), wheal (Urtica ), node ( Node ) or plaque from the secondary efflorescences, such as crust, cracks ( fissure, rhagade ), dander ( squama ), ulcer. Some of these lesions are otherwise not noticeable, while others also strong cause discomfort (itching, burning, pain ).

Causes

As already mentioned above, there are many different causes of skin diseases, which moreover also can interact to elicit a skin disease. So many people have a hereditary predisposition to the development of psoriasis or atopic eczema (neurodermatitis ), this can be strengthened but, for example, by stress or other infection, in addition to the progression of the disease can turn by a bacterial or viral infection worse. In many skin diseases you always do not know yet about the exact formation mechanism decision, which apply in many cases, dysregulation of the immune system and apoptosis as the cause.

Consequences and complications

Just as broad as the spectrum of skin disease itself is also the spectrum of severity of skin diseases.

There are many " skin diseases" that are eg only unsightly, but otherwise completely harmless (such as seborrheic keratosis or " Alterswarze ").

Inflammatory skin diseases are often annoyed by itching or pain. In addition, in many patients increases the psychological burden, because they are very stigmatized through the skin disease.

Some skin diseases such as skin cancer, untreated can cause death; the black skin cancer (malignant melanoma) is in some cases not curable even despite adequate treatment. Many skin diseases can draw very serious therapies by themselves, which in turn can be problematic due to their side effects.

Treatment

Lighter skin diseases (such as allergic rashes ) can be treated with anti-inflammatory ointment or cream. Some of these ointments contain disinfecting components or cortisone and should be applied only in the short term because of their side effects. The advantage is that the drug acts only where it is needed; also can be achieved by proper choice of the basis ( ointment, cream, paste, solution, lotion ) additional effects.

More serious skin diseases often do not respond to a sole local therapy with ointments or creams. Here, systemic medication, such as in tablet form, is used, can have side effects. Also, infectious diseases of the skin caused by bacteria or viruses require the administration of antibiotics or similar means.

Skin cancer is often surgery, even in advanced cases irradiated or treated with chemotherapy.

Literature, guidebooks, textbooks

• Peter Altmeyer, Klaus Hoffmann: Basic skills in dermatology, W3L GmbH Herdecke 2006, ISBN 3-937137-95-5
• Bernd Kardorff, Maria Kardorff: Patient Guide and short lexicon of skin diseases, venous diseases, allergic diseases and cosmetic medicine. BOD 2002, ISBN 3831132380
• Otto P. Hornstein, Matthias S. Gruschwitz, Eckart Haneke: " skin diseases and skin care in old age", Scientific Verlagsgesellschaft Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3804718299
• Bernd Kardorff: Healthy Skin - Glossary from A to Z. Springer Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2004, ISBN 3540205659
• Roland Niedner, Yael Adler: skin diseases in the eye for the coat pocket. Scientific Verlagsges. 2004, ISBN 3804720455
• Otto Braun - Falco, Gerd Plewig, Helmut H. Wolff: Dermatology and Venereology. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2005, ISBN 3540405259 bla
• Britta Wulf Horst and Hans Joachim Schwanitz: skin diseases and skin protection, Munich April 2001
• Schwanitz Szliska: occupational dermatoses, Munich 2001