Operational dermatology.
Military dermatology encompasses all cutaneous manifestations that present to medical officers in a deployed situation, either in peacetime or in war. Medical officers in a field environment cannot avoid facing cutaneous quandaries. This article briefly highlights the omnipresent threat of cutaneous disease. It follows with a cost-effective look at periodically deploying a dermatologist to Bosnia. Volumes of historical data clearly justify the assignment of a dermatologist as a special consultant staff officer to every corps or theater medical staff. Despite this data, only two U.S. Army units in our present table of organization and equipment will have a dermatologist (60L) available for periodic direct-field consultation and teaching. After review of the historical data and the Stabilization Force-Bosnia statistics presented here, the table of organization and equipment restructuring that is required to meet the challenges of tomorrow will be clear. A dermatologist must be deployed as a theater or division consultant.
U.S. Army Medical Activity, Heidelberg, Germany APO/AE 09042.
Daniel J
DJ
Schissel
Joseph L
JL
Wilde
D003880:Dermatology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D014481:United States; D014857:Warfare