Skin disease is ubiquitous and, for cosmetic reasons, a relentless driver for an ever-increasing attendance at hospitals and clinics in the tropical countries. With an increasing number of dermatologists, the frequency of skin biopsies seeking pathological diagnosis is also on the rise in these countries.

Many of these diseases are apt to appear similar clinically and not a few of them have common histiogenetic and molecular bases and, therefore, may present diagnostic challenges to the pathologist in routine bench work. This is not helped by the limited number of specialist dermatopathologists and near-total lack of relevant immunohistochemical, molecular techniques and genetic tests and a dearth of relevant textbooks and atlases that describe these disease entities in our setting.

Dermatopathology: A Quick Diagnostic Guide is an attempt to bridge these chasms. In it, we describe a simplified, systematic approach in the diagnosis of common tropical skin diseases and tumours as well as tropical diseases with cutaneous manifestations. It suggests useful, ancillary diagnostic special stains and immunohistochemistry to aid definitive diagnosis, where they could be procured.

The book is meant to serve as a diagnostic guide to skin diseases and will be useful for the practicing pathologists, pathology trainees, dermatologists and, indeed, general medical practitioners.

About the Author

Author, Modupeola Soetan Samaila, had her post-fellowship Dermatopathology training at the Department of Dermatopathology, University of California, San Francisco, USA and was also a Visiting Fellow at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island. She is currently a Professor of Pathology at the College of Medical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.