History of Latin American Dermatology

RAÚL VIGNALE“Certificate of Appreciation” for his extraordinary merits in teaching, research and internationalcooperation in the field of Dermatology. For the latter event, Prof. AnaKaminksy traveled expressly from Buenos Aires to Uruguay as delegate of the InternationalCommittee with headquarters in the United States. He was also founder, Secretaryand President of ULACETS (Latin American Union Against Sexually Transmitted Diseases)and President of diverse International Congresses along with other outstandingprofessionals from Uruguay and Latin America.Prof. Dr. Probo Pereira da SilvaIt is an essential duty to mention this illustrious Full Professor of Dermatological ClinicalMedicine, a man of exquisite personality, respectful of his duties and obligations. Hehad the great virtue of continuing to further the growth of Dermatology in Uruguay andneighboring countries. He created the Department of Dermatological Surgery and theContact Dermatitis Section that is currently led by Prof. Dr. Selva Alé. He dedicated hislife to teaching, creating working groups that at the present time are yielding excellentfruit in their treatment and teaching work. Because of his great interest in DermatologicalSurgery he sent numerous young people to Buenos Aires and to Córdoba to specializein that branch of Dermatology. He thought about the future, about what Dermatologyought to be in the years ahead. More than enough merit to reward him with the title ofcreator of the diverse aspects of modern Dermatology. He was on several occasions anULACETS Board member, Secretary and President of the Uruguayan Society of Dermatologyand President of several Congresses in the specialized field.We don’t wish to conclude this brief summary without mentioning numerous physicianswho devoted their lives to our field, rising through open competitions to all ranksup to those of head doctors at the Ministry of Public Health and at the Medical School.We refer to Juan F. Tost, Cándido Prego, Pablo Klestorny Blanco, Héctor Abreu, José M.Infantozzi, Carmen Riveiro, Esther Casella de Vilaboa, Eustaquio Montero, Luis Torres dela Llosa, Ana Cassinelli and so many others who stood out as extraordinary teachers, incareful and methodical semiology and in the arduous daily hospital work, persons of thegreatest delicacy in daily exchanges, respectful of their colleagues’ opinions, whom werecall with enormous affection and respect. It is impossible to name them all, but it isthey who have aided the unfolding of Dermatology, leaving their deep and imperishabletraces for the younger generations to learn from their teachings. Their excellent virtueshad the magnificent and altruistic goal that we all recognize in many colleagues, whomit is necessary to remember as a prior step to eternal rest.We have now already reached the modern era, between 1985 and 2004, with the morerecent generations of dermatologists, who have learned from their elders and who takeon the responsibility of teaching and transmitting the knowledge that passes from generationto generation. They are the Clinical Medicine associates, the assistants, the AdjunctProfessors: Drs. Néstor Macedo, Miguel Martínez and Selva Ale and the current full professor,Dr. Griselda de Anda, a true engine, an indefatigable worker of genius, who day in,day out over the course of very many years has devoted her life to teaching, treatmentand research. Professor and teacher in Clinical Dermatology and in Dermopathology, shealso created sections for specialized treatment such as those for Pediatric Dermatologyand leg ulcers, continuing with Surgery and Contact Dermatitis. She has stood out for hercontinuous travels abroad to carry on learning, mainly at the annual Meetings of theAmerican Academy of Dermatology. Her extensive scientific output encompasses innumerablearticles published in diverse national and foreign journals and an enormousnumber of participations in congresses, symposia and scientific gatherings in Uruguayand diverse Latin American countries, in the United States and in Europe.408