An overview of dermatology for primary care providers

Primary care providers should have a working knowledge of dermatology to enable them to recognize common benign and potentially malignant skin lesions and to make referrals when appropriate. It is also useful in the differential diagnosis of ocular conditions that have cutaneous manifestations. This paper presents a review of dermatological terminology and screening techniques that may be employed by primary care providers. An overview of common or significant dermatological conditions with which they should be familiar also is presented.