Bobby Buka ● Annemarie Uliasz
Karthik Krishnamurthy
Editors
2013
As dermatology residents, long before we are asked to discern papulosquamous from eczematous, mentors ask the much simpler question, “dangerous” or “benign?” It seemed so rudimentary at the time, but the response to this basic query dictates every other aspect of the patient encounter to follow. How quickly to act? How varied is the differential diagnosis? What treatments to offer and which would present an acceptable risk:bene fi t analysis? When must we swiftly enjoin additional subspecialists? The entire algorithm of care stems from this fi rst, most critical element: “Is this a crisis”.