Editorial

What a great honor and privilege it is to welcome you once again all to an issue of FAQ that is as timely as it is important. I am secure that with the elite quality of our multidisciplinary reviewers, you will totally enjoy and digest their perspectives on articles that represent these interesting times in the fields of both podiatric medicine and dermatology.

It is highly imperative that the foot and ankle physician be cognizant of the many (sometimes exotic) cutaneous conditions which attack our realm. Thus, it’s important to remember: diagnosis first, and biopsy if needed (even more so with uncommon conditions that mandate a higher index of suspicion – some of which are explored in this issue). These lesions at times necessitate uncommon methods of treatment modalities, and improving one’s skills and diagnostic acumen will certainly lead to increased confidence in managing these difficult but intriguing disorders. Most importantly, it will give our footsore patients better outcomes, as good results and fortunes often favor the well-prepared.

I would like to thank all who contributed to this team personally – each and every one is a true expert, and their efforts, collaboration and dedication to this issue have more than fulfilled my goal of providing relevant clinical pearls to add to each reader’s treatment toolbox. In particular, I’d like to thank my friends and colleagues Drs. Bret Ribotsky and William Scherer for their work on the unique “roundtable” approach to our lecture on Practical Chair-Side Dermatology, as well as our rising star Dr. Ebonie Vincent as she explores in her lecture the rare but fascinating Treeman syndrome. I would also like to offer special thanks to Camryn Vader, an internationally-recognized Grand Challenge Scholar who brings to the mix her unique perspective as an active student in Neuroscience and Public Health.

Those of us who are in the trenches each and every day strive to synthesize the mass of material that comes to us in lectures, journals, websites, email, and even text messages. Hopefully, the insights gained from this issue will facilitate a greater understanding of the cutaneous states, and as such will improve our skills to make the correct diagnoses and select the best treatment options for our patients.

Marc A. Brenner, DPM