History of Latin American Dermatology

History of Ecuadorian DermatologyThe General Meeting that gathered for the adoption of the Bylaws, and abiding bywhat was resolved in Art. 79, elected the Provisional Board of Directors; Dr. EnriqueUraga Peña was chosen first president of the Society.Shortly afterwards, on July 31, 1963, at its first session, held at the Assembly Hall ofthe University, Dr. Uraga Peña, as president, declared the inauguration of the Society.From the moment of its founding, the Ecuadorian Society of Dermatology was locatedin Guayaquil, the city with the most intense scientific activity in the dermatological fieldat the time. This would be so until 1986, when a bylaw reform, described below, wouldgive the Society a participation and representation of national character.In 1965, Dr. Uraga was elected president of the Society for a second period. Duringhis administration, the entity developed efficiently both at the national level as well as inits relations with Dermatological Societies of America and Europe.THE FIRST DERMATOLOGICAL JOURNALOn July 21, 1966, Dr. Wenceslao OllagueLoayza was elected president; hewas accompanied by Dr. Luis CarvajalHuerta as vice-president and Dr. ServioPeñaherrera Astudillo as secretary. Thisboard outlined a broad plan of activitiesaimed at spreading and enhancing Dermatologyin all of Ecuador; in this plan, Dr. Ollague’sidea of having a journal of its ownin the specialized field, in which dermatologistscould communicate their experiencesand thus disseminate Dermatologythroughout the country, stands out. The idea materialized in September, 1966, when thefirst issue of the Dermatología journal came out; several issues were published up to late1969, when its publication was suspended due to financial problems (Figures 2 and 3).FOUNDING OF THE CUENCA NUCLEUSIn 1971, the incumbent board of directors, presided by Wenceslao Ollague L. andServio Peñaherrera A., met in Cuenca with a select group of doctors — among whomwere Leoncio Cordero J., Julio Sempértegui V., Enmanuel Peña U., Eudoro Moscoso S.,Jaime Vintimilla A., Vicente Ruilova S., Octavio Neira P., Claudio Arias A. and Jorge PalaciosA. — and proceeded to the constitution of the Azuay Nucleus of the Ecuadorian Societyof Dermatology, at the same time electing its first board of directors presided by Dr.Claudio Arias Argudo.THE ECUADORIAN SESSIONS OF DERMATOLOGYA milestone in Ecuadorian Dermatology was the holding, in 1973 in the city ofGuayaquil, of the Second Bolivarian Congress of Dermatology, an event during which, beforemany foreign dermatologists, the Ecuadorian specialists showed their research capabilitiespresenting their work on cutaneous amyloidosis with a new classification, theproduct of an extensive case load.At the same time, the First Ecuadorian Sessions of Dermatology were launched; theywere held on three occasions between 1973 and 1979 and were the precursors of theEcuadorian Congresses of Dermatology.Figure 2. Board of theEcuadorian Society ofDermatology in the1966-1967 period.Seated: Dr. ElenaYerovi, Dr. EnriqueUraga, Dr. WenceslaoOllague, President,and Dr. AlfonsoCoronel. Standing: Dr.Tarquino Viteri, Dr.Wilson Correa, Dr.Servio Peñaherreraand Dr. Carlos TimmFigur3 3. Cover of thefirst issue of theDermatology Journal,published inSeptember 1966FOUNDING OF THE QUITO NUCLEUSEcuadorian Dermatology grew in a sustained fashion. One of its promoters wasDr. Wenceslao Ollague Loayza, who, together with a group of Guayaquil dermatologists,193