This text is aimed at medical students but contains sufficient detail to be of use to family practitioners, physicians in internal medicine, registrars or residents in dermatology, and dermatological nurses. It presents a scientific basis for the understanding of and clinical approach to skin disease and details the major dermatological conditions, outlining special topics, such as photoaging and dermatological surgery. It is designed to present all the information required for undergraduate medical exams in a format which is easy to learn from and interesting to use. The text and illustrations are integrated and a double page spread per topic layout is adopted, integrating text with photographs and line drawings in colour. It also uses diagrams, charts and summary boxes. The book includes coverage of terminology, history-taking and psychological aspects to give clinical relevance to the text. It also deals with areas of increasing importance such as sun exposure and special problems in racially pigmented skin as well as dermatology of genito-urinary problems.