Examination of the Skin

A generalist is expected to be reasonably competent in examining a patient’s skin in order to be able to deal with a common skin condition himself, and to refer the difficult problem with intelligent remarks to a dermatologist. As many skin conditions have a predilection for certain anatomical areas, our expert dermatologist considers all the areas of the body and presents the possible conditions that may affect each of them, showing examples of each condition.

This tutorial covers most of the common skin conditions likely to be encountered by a general physician, and some of the less common conditions which are usually seen by a dermatologist but may present in a general medical clinic, and usually appear in the examination. The basic diagnostic approach is emphasised with many examples of skin conditions which can be diagnosed by a careful inspection alone.

Dr M Afzal Mir, Senior Lecturer and Consultant Physician, UHW, Cardiff.