ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Dermatologists have the advantage over other clinicians in that their patients present with diseases that are usually visible and accessible. This means that the majority of skin diseases may be treated topically with treatment delivered directly to the desired site of action, thereby avoiding, or at least we hope attenuating, the potential for systemic side effects. Systemic treatment may be needed if the skin disease is severe, recalcitrant, or fails to respond to topical therapy. The aim of this chapter is to provide a brief synopsis of common skin disorders and their current topical treatment for nonspecialists. A glossary of common dermatological terms has been included at the end of this chapter (see Sec. XII).
