History of Latin American Dermatology

History of Dermatology in Puerto RicoAcademic Dermatology■ Academic DermatologyProgress in communications, transportation facilities and our geographic location havepermitted Dermatology in Puerto Rico to benefit from schools of thought from Spain,North America (with its influences received from France, Germany and England), Mexico,various countries of South America, and, of course, from the other Caribbean islands.The father of Puerto Rican Dermatology was Dr. Arturo L. Carrión (Figure 1).After having graduated as a physician in 1919 from Havana University, he continuedspecialization studies in dermatology at New York’s Skin and Cancer Hospital,to return to Puerto Rico afterwards. He headed the Plague Prevention Service in1923-31. From 1926 onward, he conducted research work and taught at the Schoolof Tropical Medicine, at that time under the aegis of Columbia University (USA). Dr.Carrión devoted his life to the study of fungi, becoming a world authority.In 1936, Dr. Alfredo L. Bou opened the first private practice dedicated exclusivelyto dermatology patients. In 1941, Dr. Elí Rojas came back to Puerto Rico, having specializedat the University of Pennsylvania.During the Second World War, an excellent group of dermatologists arrived inthe country, preceded by Dr. Honorato Estella Entralgo, a Spanish physician whosettled in Puerto Rico in 1943 and was in charge of the Insular Leprosarium until hisdeath, in 1965. Dr. Luis Maduro was the first to settle in Ponce, breaking the trend ofspecialists settling exclusively in the capital city of San Juan. Another distinguished dermatologistwas Dr. Héctor Torres, who had been a teacher and pharmacist; he subsequentlystudied medicine, became a dermatologist and later studied law. Drs. VíctorMontilla and Jesús Quiñones, after having received training in the United States, settledin Puerto Rico.After the war, Dr. Víctor M. Rivera arrived to work as consultant at the Veterans’ Hospital;Dr. Rivera had graduated from Loyola University,in New Orleans, Louisiana, and had specialized in Dermatologyat New York’s Skin and Cancer Hospital. In1950, the Medical School of the University of Puerto Rico(Figure 2) was founded, and Dr. Rivera was appointed tohead the Dermatology section of the Internal Medicinedepartment, an office he held until 1965. That Schoolwas made up of Drs. José Correa, Jesús Quiñones andHonorato Estella Entralgo.During the 1950s, specialists in Dermatology, Drs.Emilio Trilla — regarded as the first dermatological surgeon— and Francisco Barnés arrived from the UnitedStates. Dr. Lawrence Fleisher arrived in Puerto Ricowhile serving in the United States Army; his work at thetropical diseases research laboratory encouraged him tostudy medicine, and in 1956 he graduated from ourSchool. He returned to the United States to complete studies in his specialized field and,upon returning to the country in 1960, became part of the Dermatology Department,where he made important contributions up to his retirement in 2002.Another key figure in the history of academic dermatology was Dr. Víctor M. Torres.He studied Medicine at Columbia University, in New York, where he graduated in 1951and where he subsequently specialized in Dermatology (1954-57). In 1964, he went backto Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and was trained in Dermatopathology. Uponhis return to Puerto Rico (1965), he took over the management of the Dermatology sectionof the Medicine Department, and in 1966 he began to set up a training program. Hisfirst graduates (1969) were Drs. Ramón Piñeiro, Eduardo Hernández and Luis GuillermoFigure 1. Dr. ArturoL. CarriónFigure 2. MedicalSchool of theUniversity of PuertoRico373