Many physicians and patients believe that dermatology does not involve life-threatening situations and that it is, like beauty, only skin deep (e.g., it is mainly an aesthetic specialty). Although the horrors of the syphilitics and the lepers of medieval times no longer exist, there are contemporary emergencies with which the dermatologist needs to contend, as well as cutaneous diseases that require rapid management.

Although the dermatologist is not likely to be the primary care physician responsible for the severely ill patients in the hospital setting, the skin disease specialist is still frequently the first clinician to examine these patients before hospital admission. The specialist may be responsible for making the initial diagnosis; for differentiating mundane skin ailments from more serious, life-threatening conditions; and also for being the first to identify a critical situation, to stabilize the patient, and to choose urgent and appropriate interventions.

Dermatologic emergencies and life-threatening skin diseases should be spared the “atrophy” that threatens knowledge that is not applied in everyday practice and fails to be refreshed from time to time. Dermatologists have no choice but to continue to be on the front line of diagnosing and treating all skin diseases, especially the more severe and acute ones.

This book brings together the top “players” in the lively, complicated, and multifaceted field of dermatologic emergencies and life-threatening skin diseases with the purpose of assisting the practicing physician in coping with dermatologic conditions that require urgent intervention.