17th dermatovenerological scientific symposium entitled Dermoscopy in General and Special Dermatology
The traditional scientific dermatovenereological symposium, which has been held for years on the first Friday in December, was this year held on December the 4th in its 17th edition entitled Dermoscopy in General and Special Dermatology. In addition to the topics of the symposium, which change from year to year in accordance with the current scientific and professional moment in world dermatology, this year’s December Symposium changed its form due to the current epidemiological situation and was held, for the first time, in high-quality virtual form. Apart from this novelty in the world of education, this year as well we witnessed the usual response of a great number of participants who con- firmed their appreciation for our efforts in scientific and profes- sional improvement of the dermatovenereology profession in the Republic of Croatia, but they also showed that they look forward to our collegial and friendly gathering in the atmosphere of the upcoming Christmas holidays.
From year to year, the December Dermatovenereological Sym- posium is organized by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Department of Medical Sciences, the Department of Dermatology and Venereology of the University Hospital Centre Sestre milosrdnice and the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Za- greb, the Croatian Society of Dermatological Oncology and the Croatian Dermatovenereological Society of Croatian Medical As- sociation. In the practical organization of this year’s symposium, the greatest role was played by experts, dermato-oncology spe- cialists at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology of the University Hospital Centre Sestre milosrdnice, who have been leading Croatian dermato-oncology for many years and are long- term leaders of activity in two Referral Centres of The Ministry of Health, for melanoma and dermoscopy. Among them, academi- cian Mirna Šitum, primarius Sanja Poduje, and assistant professor Marija Buljan particularly stand out as internationally recognized scientists and experts on the topic to which this year’s December Symposium was dedicated, and that is, the last almost three dec- ades of extremely advanced field of profession, dermoscopy. This complementary clinical diagnostic method dominates the field of dermatological oncology but also increasingly occupies a place in other areas of general and special dermatology. The excellence of the symposium was also contributed by fellow lecturers from the Departments of Dermatovenereology of the University Hospital Centre Zagreb and the University Hospital Centre Rijeka, whose area of expertise includes this sensitive, specific, and a very de- manding field of dermatological diagnostics.
Among the discussed topics in dermatological oncology were those in which there are significant differential diagnostic difficul- ties, namely Dermoscopy of atypical but benign changes, Application of dermoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of acral lesions, Features
of dermoscopy of facial changes, Dermoscopy of melanoma metastases, and extremely complex Dermoscopy of congenital nevi.
The diagnostic values of dermoscopy in other areas of general and special dermatovenereology were presented among the topics of the symposium as well. An excellent lecture entitled The role of trichoscopy in the diagnosis of primary scar alopecia demonstrated the value of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of scalp diseases. A re- view lecture supported by personal experience entitled Application of dermoscopy in general dermatology presented the possibilities of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of psoriasis and other inflamma- tory dermatoses (inflamoscopy) as well as its diagnostic value in parasitic skin diseases such as lice. With an especially useful topic named Interesting dermoscopic cases from everyday practice, a very valuable expert’s experience from clinical practice was presented. The 17th December Scientific Symposium took place in an atmos- phere of exceptional quality that traditionally originates from the organizational criteria of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Department of Medical Sciences headed by the Head of Department of Medical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, academician Vida Demarin and academician Marko Pećina, a long-time member of the organizational com- mittee of the Symposium. The December dermatovenereological symposia are a prime example of education of friendship and col- legiality in a medical profession, scientific and professional excel- lence, and a fruitful discussion that benefits all participants and ultimately, all patients who come to seek help in our offices!
Author:
Mirna Šitum

