Military medicine/Dermatology

Military Dermatology
Military clinicians practicing medicine remote, austere, disaster, or third world locations must have specialized knowledge on how to prevent, diagnose, and treat skin conditions not commonly seen in civilian medical practice.

This course will provide the skilled medical clinician with dermatological pathologies related to military expeditionary operations. It is intended as a review of dermatological topics covered elsewhere in the students medical training and as an introduction to diseases / conditions of military significance that the student may not have been previously exposed.

This course contains twenty modules:

Module 1. Overview of military dermatology and principles of diagnosis

Module 2. Cold injuries
 * History of military dermatological problems
 * Principles of diagnosis


 * Mechanisms of heat loss
 * Factors influencing heat loss
 * Pathogenesis of cold injury
 * Direct cold injury
 * Indirect cold injury

Module 3. Heat, humidity, and sun related injuries


 * Common problems related to the heat
 * Dermatological conditions caused by heat
 * Dermatological conditions exacerbated by heat and humidity
 * Dermatological conditions caused by sunlight
 * Dermatological conditions exacerbated by sunlight

Module 4. Immersion foot


 * Foot injuries in cold climates
 * Foot injuries in warm climates

Module 5. Dermatology related to chemical, biological, nuclear events


 * History of chemical, biological and nuclear warfare
 * Dermatology related to a nuclear event
 * Dermatology related to a biological event
 * Dermatology related to a chemical event

Module 6. Allergic contact dermatitis


 * Allergic contact dermatitis
 * Irritant contact dermatitis
 * Other contact dermatitides
 * Diagnosis by location
 * Patch and use testing
 * Treatment

Module 7. Cutaneous trauma


 * Friction blisters
 * Cutaneous trauma: A refresher
 * Surgical interventions

Module 8. Arthropod and animal bites


 * An overview of arthropod bites
 * Centipeds and millipedes
 * Insects
 * Arachnids
 * Reptiles
 * Cats and dogs

Module 9. Arthropod infestations as a vector of disease


 * Mites and ticks
 * Fleas
 * Other insects of interest

Module 10. Viral hemorrhagic fevers


 * Hemorrhagic fevers - flaviviridae
 * Hemorrhagic fevers - bunyaviridae
 * Hemorrhagic fevers - arenaviridae
 * Hemorrhagic fevers - filoviridae
 * Supportive treatments
 * Prevention

Module 11. Rickettsial diseases


 * Spotted mountain fevers
 * Typhus
 * Scrub typhus, Q fever, and trench fever
 * Ehrlichiosis

Module 12. Tropical parasitic infections


 * Protozoal infections
 * Helminthic infections

Module 13. Bacterial skin diseases


 * Pyodermas
 * Plague
 * Tularemia
 * Diphtheria
 * Meningococcal infections
 * Lyme Disease

Module 14. Leprosy


 * History
 * Epidemiology
 * Microbiology
 * Immunology
 * Laboratory diagnosis
 * Diagnostic criteria
 * Treatment
 * Complications
 * Vaccination
 * Leprosy and HIV

Module 15. Cutaneous tuberculosis


 * History
 * Epidemiology
 * Bacteriology
 * Histopathology
 * Classification
 * Diagnosis
 * Treatment
 * Prevention
 * Tuberculosis and HIV
 * Tuberculosis and refugees
 * The tuberculids

Module 16. Atypical mycobacterial diseases


 * History
 * Epidemiology
 * Classification systems
 * Histopathology
 * Mycobacteriology
 * Atypical mycobacterial conditions
 * Atypical mycobacterial conditions and HIV

Module 17. Superficial fungal diseases

Module 18. Deep fungal diseases
 * Military history and epidemiology
 * Dermatophytosis
 * Candidosis
 * Pityrosporum infections
 * Other fungal infections of military interest


 * Systemic mycoses
 * Subcutaneous mycoses
 * Opportunistic mycoses

Module 19. Sexually transmitted infections


 * Military impact of sexually transmitted infections
 * Syphilis
 * Gonorrhea
 * Chancroid
 * Granuloma inguinale
 * Lymphogranuloma venereum
 * Genital herpes infection
 * Genital warts
 * Molluscum contagiosum

Module 20. Common skin diseases seen in military practice


 * Psoriasis
 * Lichen planus
 * Atopic dermatitis
 * Urticaria
 * Pseudofolliculitis barbae
 * Cutaneous viral infections

School:Medicine