ABSTRACT
Dermatoepidemiology is an important emerging field in dermatology. For a long time, epidemiological issues seemed to have played only a minor role within dermatology. One of the reasons may be that dermatology is a relatively young specialty in medicine having evolved as a distinct specialty around 1850 (Apfelbacher et al. 2011). The term dermatoepidemiology was shaped only a few years ago and is now closely linked to the principles of evidence-based medicine. Its importance has increased over time in recognition of the fact that many skin diseases are not only highly prevalent (e.g., eczema) but also on the rise (e.g., skin cancer) (Apfelbacher et al. 2011) to the point that it is said to have flourished over the past decade (Barzilai et al. 2005).
