Monthly Archives: September 2018

Medically Unexplained Dermatologic Symptoms (MUDS): Hiding in plain sight?

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By David J. Elpern, M.D. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018 Jul;32(7):e265-e266 Keywords: medically unexplained symptoms, somatoform disorders, symptoms, illness, disease Illness is not the same as disease. Illness refers to “the innately human experience of symptoms and suffering.”1 Disease “is what the practitioner creates in recasting illness in terms of theories of disorder.” A person’s subjective experience of how she feels may not assume an underlying pathology. Illness can be organic, psychological or spiritual. A person can feel ill, but not have a disease. Consider Sara (not her real name), a 31-year-old social worker who sought dermatological care for a seven-year history of painful vulvodynia and generalized pruritus. Her … Continue reading →

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In Full Bloom

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Anita Gade, BA; Cassandra Johnson, MS; Nikhil Anbarasan, BS; Matthew Apicella, MS Keywords: Art, Nature, Pleomorphic Lipoma, CTCL, dermatomyositis, IgA Pemphigus, Varicella, Tuberosclerosis, Pityriasis Rosea, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Erythema Gyratum Repens, SLE, Alopecia Areata, Melanoma, Pseudomonal Pyoderm Springtime evokes a sense of revitalization. Sprouting plants emerge from fertile soil nourished by rainfall and sunshine. Blades of grass sway in the cool breeze, synchronizing with the melody of birds chirping. The essence of spring, exquisitely captured by revolutionary American writer Harriet Ann Jacobs (1813-1897) in her autobiography Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl1: The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to … Continue reading →

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My Illness Narrative: the Autopathography Project

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You may have a complex health problem that doctors have not solved. When you enter a new doctor’s office, a perky young person at the reception area asks who referred you and then requests your insurance cards. Next, you will be given numerous forms to fill out. Then you are seen by an assistant who records your weight, blood pressure, pulse, and even the oxygen saturation from a fingertip. Finally, the physician or his “extender” sees you for 10 – 15 minutes, at least half of which time he is focused on your electronic medical record. After this ceremony, what does the medical professional know about whom you are and … Continue reading →

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A Pioneer of Dermatologic Literature

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Jake Gibbons, B.S., Tyler Marion, B.S., M.B.A. Keywords: Geronimo Mercuriali; scabies; medical history; pharmacology; skin disease; humanities In 1572, Italian physician Geronimo Mercuriali, Hieronymus Mercurialis in Latin, published De morbis cutaneis.  This storied book, whose title translates to “On Diseases of the Skin,” is the first published manuscript dedicated to diseases of the skin.1 In this work, Mercuriali outlines various dermatologic diseases, describing the physical manifestations of such conditions and proposing various homemade, therapeutic concoctions. Born to a working-class family in Forli, Italy in 1530, Geronimo Mercuriali spent his early life learning Greek and philosophy. As a young man, he studied medicine in Padua, Italy before returning to his birthplace to … Continue reading →

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Skin Stretching

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Tyler Marion, B.S., M.B.A., Kevin Cao, B.S., Jorge Roman, M.D. Keywords: Skin stretching; Lip plates; Skin modification; lip stretching; beauty; Mursi. Skin stretching, as a form of body modification, has been used for centuries across many different cultures. Ear lobe stretching in particular dates back roughly to 1500 BC in ancient Egypt, Central America, and South America.1 The stretching of earlobes has been seen in many different tribes including the Aztecs, Mayans, and Asian Hill tribes. This form of skin stretching was even used by King Tutankhamen, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.2 A unique variation of skin stretching can be observed in Africa amongst the Mursi, Chai, and Tirma tribes in the form … Continue reading →

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