The good, the bad, and the ugly of medication coverage: Is altering a diagnosis to ensure medication coverage ethical?

Recently, a patient presented to the dermatology clinic suffering from disabling, recurrent palmoplantar vesicles and pustules. Biopsy demonstrated nondiagnostic histologic findings without unequivocal evidence for psoriasis. The localized rash was recalcitrant to a host of standard therapies.

Human ocular anatomy.

We review the normal anatomy of the human globe, eyelids, and lacrimal system. This contribution explores both the form and function of numerous anatomic features of the human ocular system, which are vital to a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of many oculocutaneous diseases. The review concludes with a reference glossary of selective ophthalmologic terms that are relevant to a thorough understanding of many oculocutaneous disease processes.

Joseph Plenck (1735-1807): amalgam of dermatology and ophthalmology.

In today's world of specialization, many of our current major contributors to the medical literature tend to work in only their specialty area. Historically, that was not the case. Great physicians were great observers and often contributed to many areas of medicine.

Conundrum: who should care for the dermatologic needs of the medicaid patient? Facts and controversies.

With the impending implementation of Obamacare in the context of a depressed American economy; an unsustainable national deficit and debt; and increasing personal dependency upon government largesse, a perfect storm is developing in the United States. This perfect storm is embodied by the paradox that an expanding population of Title XIX insured patients is increasingly dependent upon a diminishing number of American dermatologists to provide essential dermatologic care. In this context, we discuss whose responsibility it is to care for the dermatologic needs of Title XIX patients.

The spectrum of medical errors: when patients sue.

Inarguably medical errors constitute a serious, dangerous, and expensive problem for the twenty-first-century US health care system. This review examines the incidence, nature, and complexity of alleged medical negligence and medical malpractice. The authors hope this will constitute a road map to medical providers so that they can better understand the present climate and hopefully avoid the "Scylla and Charybdis" of medical errors and medical malpractice.

Ethical considerations in alleged dermatologic malpractice.

Although dermatology does not lead the list of specialties most commonly sued for malpractice, anyone who has been the recipient of a malpractice claim is often traumatized both personally and professionally. Every day dermatologists must address various ethical concerns that have legal implications. Herein, we chose to discuss the following such issues: (1) the ethical and legal necessity of submitting a clinically benign appearing lesion for dermatopathologic review; (2) the ethical and legal considerations regarding frequency of screening after a patient has been diagnosed with melanoma; (3) the multiple ethical and legal considerations involved with the misdiagnosis of a melanoma; (4) the complex ethical and legal considerations of a dermatologist making a clinical diagnosis in a nonprofessional social and public setting; and (5) the ethical and legal implications of sharing care of patients with other dermatologists and specialists.