We summarize here some of the specificities of diagnosis in dermatology for the general practitioner. Starting with clinical cases, we analyze the steps that the dermatologist uses to diagnose skin disorders. The initial clinical examination of primary and secondary skin lesions leads to a differential diagnosis. Subsequently, laboratory techniques such as direct microscopy, histopathology as well as recent techniques derived from the field of molecular biology allow us to confirm the initial clinical diagnosis. We demonstrate here with a few examples of increasing complexity how to incorporate new laboratory techniques into the field of clinical dermatology and propose an integrated view of modem dermatology where clinical examination and laboratory techniques enable us to achieve a correct diagnosis of dermatological diseases.
Adult Diagnosis, Differential