History of Latin American Dermatology

History of Dermatology in Peruimportant teaching venue of the UNMSM’s St. Ferdinand Medical School, the Universityauthorities arranged the relocation and reconstitution of its Chair of Dermatology andSyphilography, the coordination and execution of which was entrusted to Dr. ZuñoBurstein, Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Medicine Tropical of that University.The leadership of this Chair was held from 1962 by Dr. Aizic Cotlear, as Associate Professorby competition.We transcribe part of the report that professor Cotlear presented to the university authorities,as Coordinator of the Dermatology Section and as Interim Head of the HumanMedicine Department of the UNMSM, dated October 8, 1969 20 :When, in 1961, the professors of the then UNMSM Medical School collectively resigned,the Dermatology Department was based at the Loayza Hospital. It was due tothis crisis that the University belongings had to be moved to a provisional location,instrumented in several small rooms of the St. Lazarus ward at the Dos de Mayo Hospital.[…] The activities of the Department unfolded in those inadequate and narrowrooms for the next 6 years, when [the allocation of new] premises was obtained fromthe University authorities […]. Upon acquiring an adequate space, we were able toadapt it according to the particular needs of the specialized field, with rooms, officesand auxiliary laboratories […]. At present, the Dermatology Section has a wing withfour treatment and teaching rooms, one topical room, one photography room, onemycological and parasitological diagnosis and research laboratory for dermatologicalpurposes, and one histopathology laboratory. The Section also has a library, aclinical reports file, a seminars and projection room, and Head and Secretary Offices.[…] In the clinic, six faculty members work all year round, treating the specializedcases that make up the file used for teaching and research, while the laboratory hasa Head, who is a faculty member of the Department [...]. The clinical history, photographs(color, and black and white), histopathology and mycology file covers hundredsof cases, which gives scientific status to our center. The DermatologicalMycology Laboratory is the only specialized center of its kind on the country, andhigh-quality research work has emerged from it. […] The Dermatology Service alsofunctions as training center, not just for staff from our University, but also, throughspecial programs, for students from other national universities […]. The staff workingpermanently in the service is made up of: Dr. Aizic Cotlear, Head of the DermatologySection, Dr. Zuño Burstein, Head of the Diagnosis and Research Laboratory;assistant professors Oscar Romero, Abelardo Tejada and head instructors Drs. DanteMendoza, Julio Bonilla and Juan Meza.This group, which permanently carries out specific functions, became part of the DermatologyTeaching and Treatment Service of the UNMSM, treatment and teaching baseof Dermatology education, which qualified professionals, committed to academic, treatmentand research work, have joined temporarily or for lengthy stays; among them, thefollowing professors stand out: José San Martín, Alejandro Morales, Wenceslao Castillo,Pedro Navarro, Juan Manrique, Elda Canadel and Raúl Gallarday. The praiseworthyteaching and treatment work of dermatologist Dr. Humberto Ugaz must be pointed out.He was born in Chiclayo in 1929, and died prematurely in 1979; with his wit and greatskill, he stood out as one of the most vigorous promoters of this Dermatology group; thecontribution of surgical doctors such as Drs. Rafael Rabinovich and Elbio Flores, whocarried out major work in support of the teaching and treatment, must also be mentioned.The temporary contribution of Drs. Aníbal Manrique, César Rojas (pediatric dermatologist),Enrique Sifuentes (venereologist) and David Carrizales, and also theidentification and academic and treatment work of Dr. Tarcila Rey Sánchez, who belongedfor a long time to this Dermatology School, are also to be pointed out.329