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. 2022 Jun 28;3(3):135-138.
doi: 10.36518/2689-0216.1483. eCollection 2022.

Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: An Introduction

Christian J Scheufele  1   2 , Delfin Weis  3 , Stephen E Weis  1   2
Affiliations

Presentations of Cutaneous Disease in Various Skin Pigmentations: An Introduction

Christian J Scheufele et al. HCA Healthc J Med. .

Abstract

Description Dermatological disease has historically been dependent on photography as a primary modality for education. Previously, photographs used for medical education were representative of the regional patient populations at that time; however, they have not proportionally reflected the rapidly changing demographics in the United States. Education on the diagnosis of cutaneous disease has, therefore, primarily relied on photographs of lighter skin tones. There is a need for a better representation of darker skin tones in dermatologic medical education. This article introduces a clinical series that highlights dermatological diseases in various skin pigmentations, which are commonly seen in the primary care office. The goal is to improve the diagnostic accuracy of primary care clinicians and to compare how certain cutaneous diseases may vary in appearance depending on the individuals' Fitzpatrick skin type.

Keywords: cutaneous disease; dark skin; demographics; demographics in dermatology; demographics in medicine; dermatology; ethnicity; light skin; primary care; race; skin; skin disease; skin of color; skin tones.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest The authors declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
United States population percentages based on reported race to the U.S. Census Bureau from 1900 to 2020 and projected change in reported “non-white” race in 2050.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A representation of the Fitzpatrick phototyping scale.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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