There are generally three broad categories that we use to guide our approach to diagnosis your condition or conditions: Inflammatory Skin Conditions, Neoplastic Growths, and Infectious Processes. Of course, many different skin conditions within the three categories will overlap between categories but understanding the classic features of each of the categories will guide the basic management approach.
Inflammatory Skin Conditions
The predominant feature of inflammatory skin conditions is that your body’s immune system is dysfunctional in the skin. There are multiple ways in which this can occur, with each presenting in slightly different patterns. Derm Health’s primary approach within this category is to control the abnormal immune response and look for any underlying systemic disease. Classic inflammatory skin conditions include:
- Acne / Rosacea
- Eczema
- Psoriasis
- Lichen Planus
- Granuloma Annulare
- Vasculitis
- Hives
- Pigmentation Disorders
- Blistering Disorders
- Hair Abnormalities
- Panniculitis
Neoplastic Skin Growths
Neoplastic Skin Growths can be separated into benign and malignant growths. Every cell in the body has the potential to grow abnormally. Sometimes the abnormal growth is controlled and stops before it causes a problem – these are benign lesions. Unfortunately, abnormal growth can also be excessive and harmful – these are malignant lesions. When approaching neoplastic skin growths, the primary question is whether the growth needs to be removed. Sometimes benign lesions do need to be removed because although they are rarely life-threatening, they can be bothersome and cause dysfunction to the structures in the surrounding area. However, if a lesion does not need to be removed, we recommend non-surgical procedures whenever appropriate.
The first step in the management of malignant conditions is to biopsy the lesion to identify whether it is truly malignant and if it is malignant, how to best treat it. Each malignant growth is best treated in a specific way, so Derm Health works with pathology specialists to determine the type of growth prior to treatment. Common neoplastic growths include:
- Actinic Keratosis
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Melanoma
- Moles
- Cyst
- Lipoma
Infectious Processes
Infections generally come in four types: bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral. This category of skin conditions frequently overlaps with the other two categories. When addressing infectious processes, the most important question Derm Health providers seek to understand is “why is the infection occurring?” Common infections are treated with appropriate antimicrobial medication. Uncommon or atypical infections need to be cultured to determine the infectious agent and how best to treat it. Common infectious processes include:
- Warts
- Tinea
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Folliculitis
- Abscess
- Scabies
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