History of Latin American Dermatology

PAULO R. CUNHAresearcher-doctor. The department also receives visiting doctors and conducts a specializationcourse for foreigners.Between 1991 and 1998, physicians of the Department presented around 76 scientificarticles in national publications and 42 in international publications, and edited 5 books:Dermatological Therapeutics, by José Eduardo Costa Martins and Luiz CamargoPaschoal; General and Systematic Classification of Fungi, by Carlos da Silva Lacaz;Handbook of Dermatology, by Luiz Carlos Cucé and Cyro Festa Neto; and Dermatology,by Sebastião Sampaio and Evandro Rivitti. Six permanent teams carry out systematic researchin the areas of immunodermatology, cutaneous oncology, infectious and parasiticdermatoses, pediatric dermatology, dermatological surgery, immunodeficiency and immunomodulation,histopathology, psoriasis and photobiology. Since 1989, the leadershipof the medical service is in the hands of Full Professor Evandro Rivitti, who graduated inMedicine in 1965 from SPU, obtained the degree of doctor in Dermatology and unchairedfaculty at MSSPU; his area of special interest is immunity in Dermatology.São Paulo Medical SchoolNicolau Rossetti in 1936 launched activities in Dermatology at the Paulista MedicalSchool of São Paulo’s Federal University, and was their first head, an office he held fortwenty years. He was succeeded by professors Newton Alves Guimarães, Abrahão Rotberg,Antônio Francisco Defina, Raymundo Martins Castro and Maurício Mota de AvelarAlchorne; Prof. Jane Tomimori Yamashita is currently in charge of the leadership.During Prof. Raymundo Martins Castro’s management, in 1990, the Dermatologycourse was split up into General Dermatology and Infectious and Parasitic Dermatology.Nine professors teach the specialized field at the Paulista Medical School. The demandfor medical care comes predominantly from the poorer population, the majority of it carryinginfectious diseases and eczematous and erythemato-squamous dermatitis. The outpatientoffice operates daily in two shifts at the São Paulo Hospital. There is also alaboratory for mycological and bacteriological exams, a surgical-dermatological areaand another one for allergies.Among the new study groups mention must be made of those related to hanseniasis,mycosis and leishmaniasis, collagenosis, pediatric dermatology, bullous diseases, tumors,cosmiatry, dermatological allergy and occupational dermatology. A STD Service isin charge of faculty supervision and orientation, with the participation of academics fromthe Medical Course.The differentiating element of the Service is its quest for quality in the training of specialists.In addition to the graduation course for third and fourth-year students and to thespecialization in the Medical Residency, with six annual vacancies and a duration ofthree years (one in clinical medicine and two in the specialized field), the Department ofthe São Paulo Medical School offers a strictu sensu graduate course and three specializationcourses: Dermatology for foreigners, Advanced Dermatology and Dermatology ofselective areas.Medical SchoolsAccording to Prof. Sebastião Almeida Prado Sampaio, the Ribeirão Preto MedicalSchool was founded in the 1950s and the PSU Botucatu Medical School in 1963, its Dermatologycourse being under the leadership of Prof. Neuza Dillon since 1967; it is currentlyheaded by Prof. Silvio Marques.Between 1960 and 1980 many medical schools were created in other Paulista cities,including the Medical Schools of Rio Preto, Unicamp, Santos, ABC, Santo Amaro, Jundiaí,PUCs de Campinas and Sorocaba, Taubaté, Bragança, Marília and Catanduva. At present,there are 19 medical schools in the State of São Paulo; most Dermatology Headscome from SPU, like Profs. Luiz Carlos Cucé, Luiz Henrique Camargo Paschoal, Alice Avelar100