History of Latin American Dermatology

Dermatology and dermatologists in BrazilOn February 29, 1916, Lindemberg gave the first class as Dermatology lecturer of SãoPaulo’s Medical and Surgery School. He retired in 1929, and was succeeded by Prof. Joãode Aguiar Pupo; he held office up to 1960, giving way upon his retirement to Prof. SebastiãoAlmeida Prado Sampaio, who retired in 1989 and was succeeded by Prof. EvandroRivitti, the current full professor.The Dermatology Service of the Medical School operated at the Holy House. Due tothe high number of patients, it maintained an excellent outpatient service that occupiedone full story of the Lara Ward and two infirmaries, male and female, each with a capacityof 40 beds. In 1945, when the Hospital das Clínicas was set up, the Chair wasmoved there. A series of difficulties practically deactivated Dermatology at the multi-secularinstitution, until, in 1975, when Prof. Nélson Proença succeeded Prof. HumbertoCerruti as head of Dermatology Head at the School of Medical Sciences, an important nucleusof the specialized field then being created in São Paulo.Holy HouseThe basis of the activity of the Dermatology Clinic of São Paulo’s Holy House of Mercyis, according to one of its old managers, “the treatment of the sick, in an efficient andskillful manner, the training of new physicians, and scientific research” 2 . The outpatientoffice treats 200 people daily, 50 of whom are new patients, which means 4,000 patientsper month, and 40,000 per year, with no waiting lines. “The recent inauguration of theSurgical Center linked to the Clinic, with all the necessary devices both to give classesand for treatment at the outpatient office and the unfolding of studies and research, isan innovation in the context of Brazil” 2 . The scientific output follows the tradition establishedby Lindemberg and Pupo. The work of the current team has obtained nationalrecognition and much of it constitutes a reference point in the international arena.The basic structure of the Dermatology Clinic of São Paulo’s Holy House of Mercy wasinitiated in the 1970s, when Prof. Nelson Proença took over the management of theclinic. His initial team had the dermatologists Fausto Alonso and Marcus Maia; over time,Humberto Frucchi, Clarisse Zaitz, Ida Duarte, Sylvia Souto Mayor, Rosana Lazzarini,Thais Proença and Valéria Souza joined. Besides the contracted professors, the medicalservice has many volunteers.The clinic is divided into various sub-specialization areas such as oncology, dermatologicalsurgery, internal medicine, phototherapy, mycology, dermatology and pediatrics.At present, Professor Ida Duarte, ex-resident of the clinic, is responsible for its management,with treatment, teaching and research in Dermatology as the main goal.Hospital das ClínicasThe Dermatology Service of the SPU Hospital das Clínicas was the nucleus of the expansionfor the specialized field in São Paulo. In 1975, by Decree No. 5,837, of March 12,the Institute of Dermatology of the Hospital das Clínicas was created, and on June 24,1986, the Dermatology Department of São Paulo University’s Medical School.The Department has a team of 70 professionals: 23 technical employees, biologists,and administrators, 14 assistant doctors, 3 commissioned doctors, 7 faculty members, 2psychologists, 2 nurses and 19 auxiliaries.In the outpatient office building, inaugurated in 1979, there are thirty rooms to treatpatients and for auxiliary services. In addition to handling general dermatology consultations— seeing patients from Brazil and from all of Latin America — there are groupsdedicated to specific pathologies under the responsibility of the professors of the faculty.Three hundred dermatologists have already graduated at the unit, and it currentlyhas 26 interns. Through 1999, in the graduate program, 30 have graduated from theMaster’s course, 45 from the PhD course and 17 unchaired faculty members. The specializationinternships receive candidates for observer-doctor, collaborator-doctor, and99