Description

Diseases of the Skin
NORMAL SKIN
The skin is the most accessible organ of the human body. Its most basic function is simply a protective one. As a barrier, the skin holds off desiccation and disease by keeping moisture in and pathogens out. Nevertheless, characterization of the skin as mere “plastic wrap” is a gross underestimation of the anatomic and physiologic complexity of this vital structure.
Unlike parenchymal organs, end-organ dysfunction or failure is not a prerequisite for the diagnosis of a skin disease, because all skin diseases can be observed clinically irrespective of their functional effects. Among the spectacular array of neoplastic, inflammatory, infectious, and genetic cutaneous disorders, some elicit only trivial aberrations in skin structure or function, whereas others lead to profound and morbid consequences.