Preface

A much-treasured legacy of Dr. Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, who served as editor-in-chief for the first four editions of the book, Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology in General Medicine (DIGM) has always aimed to be a comprehensive source of information for those interested in the clinical and basic science of dermatology. Indeed, from the very first edition of Fitzpatrick’s DIGM, printed in 1971, this authoritative textbook has been grounded in science. We have continued this tradition in the ninth edition of the book whilst rearranging the discussion to make it more reader friendly and to minimize repetition. With coverage of subject matters expanding beyond General Medicine, we have appropriately modified the book title to Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology. Important general basic science concepts are extensively covered in dedicated chapters appearing in an early section of the book, allowing subsequent clinical chapters to focus on relevant disease-specific pathophysiology in addition to clinical features, diagnosis, clinical course, and management.

Dermatology is a particularly visual specialty. In the preparation of this edition of the book, we have placed special emphasis on display items (in the form of clinical images, tables, and algorithmic summaries), as we strongly believe that these components are vital for the complete understanding of all readers, but particularly for those in training. What better way to optimize the visual content provided in our chapters than to seek input from trainees themselves? We had trainees review every chapter and provide feedback on additional display items they would find useful.

To further enhance the utility of this gold-standard textbook we have also improved the indexing. A good index is imperative to allow readers, including busy practicing clinicians, to easily and quickly find the particular information about a concept, condition, or therapy that they are interested in at any given time. We hope that you agree the improved indexing allows you to achieve this aim.

No modern textbook is complete without an online presence. The ninth edition is also available in the online format, and we plan to regularly post online updates to the book as new studies and/or guidelines are published. You will also have access to other useful features in the online version of Fitzpatrick’s Dermatology on AccessMedicine.com.

Finally, as a completely new group of editors that is diverse in expertise and international in location of practice, we have endeavored to build on the achievements of previous editorial groups led by Drs. Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, Irwin M. Freedberg, Klaus Wolff, and Lowell A. Goldsmith, whilst providing fresh insight into the content, new thinking regarding the optimal structure of the book, and ultimately helping the book to evolve into the most relevant resource for the modern practicing or trainee dermatologist or skin biologist.