Each patient walks into a clinic room with a history and a dermatologic complaint. Some patients can tell the provider precisely when the lesion started, how it has changed, and how it responded to over-the-counter medications, home remedies, or even prescribed treatments. These exceptional historians afford the dermatologist critical contextual clues as to what he or she will soon see on a physical examination. The contextual background and the additional clinical findings create the opportunity for an effective, comprehensive diagnosis.
However, many patients are not able to report the time course of a particular lesion or any associated symptoms. In these cases, the clinical examination and diagnostic capabilities of the professional are the sole tools for the provider. For this reason, including a photo-oriented section within a dermatology journal that asks the reader to continue with diagnosis or treatment is crucial for the development and education of any dermatologic provider. Nearly every dermatology journal has a well-developed "Photo Challenge" or "Photo Quiz" section. These short cases show both difficult and common diseases for the physician to routinely and actively develop the skill of clinical diagnosis. Including this section in the JDNA will allow the journal to expand its scope, making a statement to promote the clinical education of the dermatology provider, sharing interesting photos, and making a conscious effort to engage in active learning.
The editorial board will begin a photo quiz section within subsequent publications. Interesting cases, photos, and treatment quizzes will be reviewed, focusing on common difficulties in diagnosis as well as more difficult clinical photos. This will be a valuable addition to the JDNA and shows the journal's goal of constant improvement. Interesting cases, photos, and treatment quizzes are invited for submission and review. We welcome submissions to this column and look forward to seeing your presented cases.
Eden Pappo Lake
Department of Dermatology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL