History of Latin American Dermatology

A. LANDER, J. PIQUERO, A. RONDÓN, O. REYES, B. TRUJILLO, H. VARGASTHE DERMATOLOGÍA VENEZOLANA JOURNALResearch conducted at various centers has resulted in numerous articles published ininternational journals and in Dermatología Venezolana, the institutional periodical of theVenezuelan Society of Dermatology. Numerous other papers relating to clinical cases, reviews,case studies, commentaries, etc. have also been published.The publication of this journal started in December 1957, under the management ofDr. Luis A. Velutini and it has been brought out with a frequency of three to four issuesper year since then.The journal’s editors have been: Luis A. Velutini, Rafael Medina, Jaime Piquero-Martín, Antonio Rondón Lugo, Oscar Reyes, Mauricio Goihman, Félix J. Tapia, MargaritaOliver.■ History of of dermatology Dermatology in the interior in the interiorUntil 1956, the Society “had been locked up within the confines of the Vargas Hospital,”in the words of Francisco Scannone, its then president. But the Society then unanimouslydecided to hold monthly scientific meetings or visitations to special centers suchas the Cabo Blanco Leper Colony, which is located on the coast of the Federal District.On March 22, 1956, at the Society’s General Meeting, the possibility was put forwardof creating chapters in cities of the interior, and on July 14 a meeting was held for thefirst time at the Cabo Blanco Leper Colony with the attendance of guests from other societiesand dermatologists from around the country to discuss leprosy exclusively.ZULIA, WESTERN VENEZUELAOn November 8 of that same year, an Official Chapter was founded in the interior ofthe country (in the state of Zulia), for the first time in the history of the specialized medicalsocieties, and Jorge Hómez Chacín took office as president. This event initiated anopening of the Society, from the capital to the interior, thereby promoting the developmentof Dermatology throughout the country.In the state of Zulia, and specifically in Maracaibo, Dermatology had started as a specializedmedical field in the 1940s with Dr. Fernández Vautrai at the old First Aid Unitwithin the Dr. Urquinaona Central Hospital. In 1948, Dr. Jorge Hómez Chacín — who hadcompleted his graduate studies in Parasitology, Tropical Medicine and Dermatology atthe University of Paris and in Paris’ Saint-Louis Hospital — took charge of the outpatientdepartment.One year later, Dr. Pedro Lapenta was put in charge of the Leprosarium on the Islandof Providencia in Lake Maracaibo. He practiced also at the Chiquinquirá Hospital and inMaracaibo’s Children’s Hospital until 1953, when he was appointed chief physician at theCabo Blanco Antileprosy Sanatorium, in Maiquetía, and managing physician (1962 to1965), and he moved to the city of Maracay.Later they were joined by Drs. Nectario Durango Nazariego, Humberto Rincón Brachoand Humberto Bojana, followed by Hernán Vargas Montiel and César Barroso Tobila.At the University Hospital, Nectario Durango Nazariego and Humberto Rincón Brachostarted the Dermatology outpatient offices in 1960. Later an excellent Dermatology Servicewas organized by a group of specialists led by Hernán Vargas Montiel, Anairma DurangoMichailos and Elizabeth Guadagnini. Currently there is a project to create aDermatology Service within the Autonomous Service of Maracaibo’s University Hospital(SAHUM).In 1991, the group from the University Hospital’s Dermatology Service decided to establisha Continuing Medical Education system through which a “Course in Updated Dermatology”and later an “Itinerant Course in Dermatology” were implemented. The430