Research Article
Global Dermatology
ISSN: 2056-7863
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
The history of dermatology, venereology and
dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Francisco Kerdel-Vegas1 and Jaime Piquero-Martín2*
1
Member of the Academies of Medicine and Science of Venezuela, Venezuela
2
Emeritus Professor, Graduate Institute of Biomedicine Dermatology Jacinto Convit, Venezuela
About Venezuela
Venezuela is located to the north of the South American continent
with almost one million square kilometers of land that comprises
high mountains, plains, forests and deserts. Inhabited by American
indigenous people since approximately fifteen hundred years before
Christ, this land was discovered to the west by Christopher Columbus
during his third trip in 1498, was conquered and colonized by Spain
for three centuries, and Caracas, the capital city, was the seedbed for
the movement of independence in the early Nineteenth Century.
A complete generation of illustrious men including Simón Bolívar,
Francisco de Miranda, José Antonio Páez and Antonio José de Sucre
played an instrumental role in the consolidation of independence from
Spain, waging a war that lasted for almost fifteen years, beginning
in 1811 and ending with the Battle of Ayacucho in 1824 in Peruvian
territory, thousands of kilometers away from Venezuela. This epic
accomplishment left the country in a precarious situation that was
followed by a series of civil wars fought among the military caudillos.
The discovery and exploitation of oil after the second decade of the
Twentieth Century gave rise to an economic boom that attracted a
massive immigration into the country following World War II, mostly
Spaniards, Italians and Portuguese nationals. Their hard work was
pivotal to the modernization of the country that is still struggling to
find the right path for its future development and prosperity.
The Beginnings of Dermatology
The native people suffered from a number of skin conditions
including syphilis, yaws, pinta, impetigo and other infections such
as tungiasis, pediculosis, scabies, myasis, leishmaniasis, poisoning
and insect and reptile bites. The indigenous people used roots, stalks,
flowers, resins, extracts and powders from various plants, including the
guaiacum wood that was later used as specific treatment for syphilis
in Spain and in other countries around the world. They used different
balms for wound healing, in addition to a range of herbs.
The practice of medicine during the colonial times had considerable
religious influence, though it was intended to be charity. Furthermore,
since Venezuela was a captaincy-general, it was removed from all the
advances in European medicine that came first to the viceroyalties.
It was only in the middle of the Eighteenth Century when the
“Protomedicato” (College of King’s Physicians) was established under
Royal License in Venezuela after 1777.
The study of medicine was initially introduced at the University of
Caracas on October 10, 1763 at a time when the classical, Hippocratic-
Galenic medicine gave way to the illustrated, rationalistic medicine.
Academic Dermatology
Like in any other branch of medicine, general practitioners were the
ones that initially treated skin diseases. The first specialized dermatologist
arrived in Venezuela in 1882. His name was Nicanor Guardia (1860-
1898); he was trained at the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. Although he
did not accomplish great things in his area of specialization, he paved
the way for the first group of Venezuelan doctors that went to the
school of dermatology at the Saint Louis Hospital (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Saint Louis Hospital
The first general hospital with academic projection -Hospital
Vargas de Caracas – was inaugurated on January 1st, 1891 where
doctors began to practice under the concept of specialization. In 1903
Manuel Perez-Diaz (specialized in France at the Saint Louis Hospital
of Paris) created the first Service of Dermatology at the Hospital
Vargas and then the Chair of Clinical Dermatology was established on
Correspondence to:
Jaime Piquero-Martin, Instituto de Biomedicina Jacinto Convit,
Hospital Vargas, Caracas, Venezuela; E-mail: piquero1@gmail.com
Special Issue: Dermatology History in Different Countries
Nooshin Bagherani, M. D.
Dermatologist at Dr. Nooshin Bagheran’s office, Taha Physicians’ building,
P.O.Box: 6414715878, Khoramshahr, Khuzestan Province, Iran; Email:
nooshinbagherani@yahoo.com
Bruce R. Smoller, M. D.
Chair, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Professor, Department of Dermatology
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, USA
E-mail: smollerbrucer@uams.edu
Published: December 20, 2015
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
December 30, 1908, at the School of Medicine of Caracas where he was
appointed as the first professor. Two years later (1910), Dermatology
became a mandatory subject for sixth year medical students. Manuel
Pérez-Díaz’s successor was Miguel Jiménez-Rivero who was then
followed by Pablo Guerra, Martin Vegas, Leopoldo Briceño-Iragorry
(for a short period of time), and in 1947 Carlos Julio Alarcón. The
remarkable influence of the French school of dermatology of the
Hospital Saint Louis of Paris through its students was interrupted by
the Second World War; this event changed the Venezuelan tradition
of pursuing medical graduate studies in France and switched to the
United States (particularly New York City) where a new generation
of dermatologists was trained: Jacinto Convit, Francisco Scannone,
Luis Alberto Velutini, Eva Koves de Amini , JJ Henríquez-Andueza,
Francisco Kerdel-Vegas, Mauricio Goihman, José Manuel Soto,
Dolores Alfonzo de Pérez, Hugo Naranjo, and many others came to the
US. Mention must be made of the influence that doctor José Sánchez-
Covisa had on the practice of dermatology in Venezuela. In 1938,
Dr. Martín Vegas invited Professor Sánchez-Covisa who had been
professor and head of dermatology at the University of Madrid, to join
the practice of dermatology after he was forced to emigrate and exile as
a result of the political events in his motherland. In Venezuela he
continued his already internationally renowned work as teacher and
researcher. He was then appointed Technical Advisor of the Division
of Venereal Diseases of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and
joined the Department of Dermatology of Hospital Vargas. As a tribute
to his fruitful efforts in our country, he was unanimously elected to
receive the honorary title “Doctor Honoris Causa” from the Central
University of Venezuela.
The division of services and chairs
Figure 2. Central University of Venezuela.
In 1957 the School of Medicine of the Central University of
Venezuela moved from the Hospital Vargas to the new University
Hospital, Hospital de la Ciudad Universitaria. A new chair of
dermatology was inaugurated on October 18, 1958 at the Luis Razetti
Medical School and the Dermatology Service began to operate at
the Caracas University Hospital with professors transferred from
the Vargas Hospital, including Carlos Julio Alarcón (Professor and
Chairman), Juan Di Prisco, Luís Alberto Velutini, Rafael Medina,
Jacobo Obadía, Imelda Campo-Aasen, Oscar Reyes, César Lizardo,
Dante Borelli and Luís Gómez-Carrasquero. The successors in the
Chair of Dermatology since 1958 to this date have been: Carlos Julio
Alarcón, Juan Di Prisco, Oscar Reyes, José Rafael Sardi, Homagdy
Rodríguez de Arévalo, Adriana Calebotta, Omaira Castellanos de
Camejo, Zulhay Torres, Francisco González-Otero, Elda Giansante,
Angela Ruiz and Mary Carmen Ferreiro.
In the meantime, a secessionist movement developed between
a group of professors using the old hospital facilities and the annex
buildings. Doctors Jacinto Convit and Francisco Kerdel-Vegas lead the
group of dermatologists together with Armando Salas and José Manuel
Soto, and they organized the Chair and the service of Dermatology at
the José Maria Vargas School of Medicine. There, this group established
the “Association for Dermatological Research” that secured funds to
invite distinguished professors of dermatology from the United States
and England to teach short courses on the most important areas of
the specialty. They also managed to get the support of Dr. Marion B.
Sulzberger from New York University who was then about to retire.
However, Dr. Sulzberger served as a liaison with Professor Eugene
M. Farber from Stanford University in California. This most fruitful
interaction gave origin to the new dermatology research laboratories
and some time, later to the Institute of Dermatology built in the hospital
surroundings. This process lasted for several years, with a considerable
number of publications in international journals, invited American
residents, scholarships at Stanford for Venezuelan postgraduate
students, and submission of a request for approval of funds to the
US National Institutes of Health; all of these actions lead to profound
changes in an area of specialization that was perceived as stationary
and basically morphological towards a new dynamic and functional
paradigm, with considerable research efforts and the adoption of
new knowledge. To mention just a few examples of the exhaustive
activity undertaken in an effort to gain international recognition of this
novel situation, in addition to the publication of several papers in
renowned English journals, we can mention the publication of a book
in English (Rhinoscleroma), the description of two new nosological
entities (diffuse leishmaniasis and erythema dyschromicum perstans),
and the discovery of the active principle (selenocystathionine) in the
depilatory effect of the “coco de mono” (Lecythis ollaria) fruit.
The Service and Chair of Dermatology of the Vargas Hospital
moved to a new building located next to the Vargas Hospital on
November 29, 1971, under the name of Institute of Dermatology, than
later became the “Institute of Biomedicine” (October 22nd, 1984) and
in 2014 changed to the Institute of Biomedicine Dr. Jacinto Convit
(Figure 3).
Figure 3. Institute of Biomedicine Dr. Jacinto Convit.
This institution was conceived and built as a result of the hard work
and perseverance of doctors Jacinto Convit and Francisco Kerdel-
Vegas. In addition to several research laboratories, the institution
provided general and specialized dermatology consultation (leprosy,
mycology, pediatric dermatology, leishmaniasis, allergy, vulvar
pathology, stomatology, lupus, pathology of the lower extremities,
surgical pathology, laboratories of immunology, histochemistry, library,
record offices, statistics and administration). The institution also runs
three university graduate programs: dermatology, dermatopathology,
microbiology and a master’s program in tropical epidemiology. The
Institute of Biomedicine, following the philosophy of its founders,
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
established as a daily routine a parallel aproach of research and clinical
management of the patients. This novelty atracted international
interest and open the doors for the training of foreign dermatologists
(from the USA).
Since its inauguration until Dr. Convit’s demise (2014) the Institute
of Biomedicine was under his leadership. The Service of Dermatology
of the Caracas Vargas Hospital and the Chair of Dermatology of
the School of Medicine are affiliates of the Institute that has been
managed by Jacinto Convit, José Manuel Soto, Antonio Rondón-
Lugo, Jaime Piquero-Martín and Margarita Oliver. Similarly, the
Chair of Dermatology of the School of Medicine has been under the
direction of Jacinto Convit, Eva Koves de Amini, Mauricio Goihman,
Antonio Rondón-Lugo and Nacarid Aranzazu.
In 1964, both the Chair of Dermatology operating at the School
of Medicine, Luis Razetti, and the Chair at the School of Medicine,
José María Vargas, opened Dermatology Graduate Programs following
standard syllabus. The directors of the Institute of Biomedicine
have been Jacinto Convit, José Manuel Soto, Antonio Rondón-Lugo
and Ricardo Pérez-Alfonzo.
The first two graduate programs in Caracas (Vargas Hospital and
University Hospital) were later joined with similar programs by the
Service of Dermatology of the Military Hospital of Caracas, founded
by Dr. Francisco Scannone and thereafter lead by Dr. Luis
Alberto Velutini and Dr. Hugo Naranjo A.
Other institutions have maintained healthcare and educational
activity, including the Children’s Hospital, the Center of Dermatology and
Allergies of the Social Security System, the “Luis Razetti” Cancer Hospital
and the “Carlos J. Bello” Hospital of the Venezuelan Red Cross.
Dermatology in other regions of Venezuela
Zulia (West)
Universidad del Zulia: Dr. Jorge Hómez-Chacín created the
Dermatology Chapter of the Society of Dermatology in 1956.
Dermatology services were then established at several hospitals in
Zulia State and undergraduate classes were administered by
Drs. Hernán Vargas-Montiel, Nazario Durango and Cesar Barroso-
Tobila. Leopoldo Díaz-Landaeta started a pediatric dermatology
graduate program.
Bolívar (South)
Universidad de Oriente: Dr. Francisco Battistini, founded in
1949 the first outpatient dermatology service in the Bolívar State.
The undergraduate program began in 1960 and then the graduate
dermatology residency program in 1977.
Carabobo (Center)
Universidad de Carabobo: The Dermatology Service of the
Valencia Central Hospital operated under the leadership of Dr.
Fernando Aguilera and as of 1968 under Dr. Raúl Fachín-Viso. In 1986,
this Service became the seat of the Dermatology Chair of the Carabobo
University due to the efforts of Dr. Fachín-Viso, Omar Miret, and
Marco Tulio Mérida, including an ongoing dermatology graduate
program.
Lara (Central-Western Region)
Universidad Centro Occidental:
In 1939
Dr. Humberto Campins founded the Service of Dermatology in
Barquisimeto, Lara State, at the “Antonio María Pineda” Hospital.
Doctors María Antonieta Mejías and Segundo Barroeta have been the
leaders of Dermatology in the Central-Western region in Venezuela.
The graduate education program opened in 1971 until 1987 when it
became a university graduate program.
Mérida, Táchira, Barinas (South-West)
Los Andes Hospital: The Los Andes hospital, the anti-venereal
dispensary, and the leprosy research program were founded in Merida
in 1936 by Dr. Pedro Guerra-Fonseca. Later, the Chair of Dermatology
took upon itself the task of imparting education in the region with the
outstanding participation of Drs. Isaura Graterol and Luis Sucre in
Mérida; Adolfo Vivas-Arellano in Táchira and Rolando Hernández-
Pérez, in Barinas who is the leader of dermatology in the region.
Falcón (North-West)
The dermatology unit was inaugurated in Coro with the
establishment of the “Alfredo Van Grieken University Hospital”. Drs.
Elsa Medina (1973), Tulio Molina Barrada (1987) and Yosely Moreno
(2007) together with Dr. Maigualida Pérez have been in charge of in-
hospital teaching programs at the “Universidad Nacional Experimental
Francisco de Miranda”.
The Most Relevant Personalities in Dermatology
Dr. Manuel Pérez-Díaz (1872–1931): In 1903 he established the first
Service of Dermatology at the Vargas Hospital. On December 30, 1908,
Dr. Pérez-Díaz founded the Chair of Clinical Dermatology at the School
of Medicine of Caracas. Two years later (1910), dermatology became a
mandatory subject for sixth year medical students. Dr. Manuel Pérez-
Díaz was appointed professor. In January 1903 the school acquired 37
wax dummies to illustrate the most relevant skin pathologies. These
mannequins then populated the Wax Museum of Syphilography and
Dermatology or the Vargas Museum were designed by the famous
Jules Baretta, the same artist that created the splendid reproductions of
the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. In sum, Dr. Manuel Pérez-Díaz was
the founder of Dermatology in Venezuela, a physician of the traditional
school, an open-minded humanist beyond the pure stereotypes of a
specialization that strongly influenced his students.
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
Dr. Pablo Guerra (1903-1944): Dr. Guerra studied dermatology
at the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. He returned to Venezuela in
1937 and introduced mycology, histopathology and allergology in
the field of dermatology. After him dermatology was practiced
based on diagnostic confirmation with direct microscopic
examination, histopathological cultures and immune testing.
Dr. Martín Vegas (1897-1991): Dr. Vegas studied dermatology
and syphilography at the Saint Louis Hospital in Paris and microbiology
at the Pasteur Institute. He was the head of the Leprosy Hospital
in Cabo Blanco. Member of the National Academy of Medicine. His
papers on tropical diseases, leprosy, and venereal diseases were
pivotal. In 1944 became the successor of Dr. Pablo Guerra as the
Chair of Dermatology of the Central University of Venezuela and
the corresponding service at the Vargas Hospital. His medical efforts
focused on hospital care and humanitarian activities. His salary as a
professor and then as Dean of the School of Medicine served to finance
the mycology and histopathology laboratories of the Dermatology
Service of the Vargas Hospital in Caracas. His memory still lives
through the creation of the “Dr. Martín Vegas” Award and Lecture.
Dr. Jacinto Convit (1913-2014): Before completing his medical
studies he began working at the Leprosy Hospital in Cabo Blanco where
he initiated his apostleship in favor of those in need. He completed
his graduate studies in dermatology at the “Skin and Cancer Hospital”
(New York, USA) and then in epidemiology at the “Western Reserve
University” (Cleveland, Ohio, USA). Together with some Spanish and
Latin-American colleagues he founded the Iberian-Latin American
College of Dermatology (CILAD) in 1948.
He worked as a Dermatologist at the Vargas Hospital since
1948, and was then appointed head of the Service and Chair of
Dermatology, founder of the National Institute of Dermatology (now
called after him. the Institute of Biomedicine Dr. Jacinto Convit),
founder of the Association for Dermatological Research and of
the Institute of Biomedicine as a biomedical research center. He
promoted the clinical histopathological and immunological spectrum
of dermatological diseases, particularly leprosy and leishmaniasis, in
addition to management and prevention with immunoprophylaxis and
immunotherapy. He practiced in private medicine for a very short term,
and devoted his full time efforts to healthcare, education and research.
Francisco Kerdel-Vegas (1928-): Dr. Kerdel-Vegas completed his
dermatology graduate studies at the Massachusetts General Hospital in
Boston (Harvard Medical School) and the Skin & Cancer Unit of New
York University. He has served as a Professor of dermatology at the
Central University of Venezuela, and is a member of the Academies
of Medicine, and Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences of
Venezuela; he is an Honorary Member of the National Medical
Academies of Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Paraguay. He designed the
dermatology exchange program with Stanford University. Dr. Kerdel-
Vegas was appointed Academic Vice Rector of the Simón Bolívar
University and promoted the idea that established the scholarship
project Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho of which he became a Board
member. He was founder and editor of “Bitácora Médica”, a healthcare
Webpage / blog in Spanish. Dr. Kerdel-Vegas served as President of the
International Dermatological Society; Ambassador of Venezuela in the
United Kingdom, UNESCO and France. In May 1987 the International
Foundation of Dermatology (IFD), affiliate of the International League
of Dermatology Societies (ILDS), decided to implement a project
for the development of human resources to understand and tackle
the problem of skin pathologies in Africa. This exemplary project
to train medical assistants at a Regional Dermatological Training
Center in Moshi, Tanzania was initiated by professors, Alfred W.
Kopf, Terence J. Ryan, Stuart Maddin and Henning Grossmann. After
25 years the center, at the foot of the Kilimanjaro, has trained 250
community dermatologists from 15 Africa countries and 25 specialized
dermato-venereologists, and an annual intake of six residents. The
physical structureis comprised of three in-patient wards with 75 beds
(25 for the Burns Unit), four operation theaters, a Mohs’ surgery unit,
dermatopathology, teledermatology and mycology.
(The inclusion of Professor Francisco Kerdel-Vegas as one of the
pillars of Dermatology in Venezuela was due to the insistency of Dr.
Jaime Piquero-Martín)
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
Mauricio Goihman (1938- ): Dr. Goihman completed his graduate
studies in dermatology at Stanford and Miami Universities and received
his PhD in Medical Microbiology from Stanford University; Professor
of Dermatology and Syphilography, Vargas School of Medicine of the
Central University of Venezuela. He is a Professor and the founder of
immunology as part of the graduate program; Professor and Chair of
Dermatology and Syphilography at the Vargas School of Medicine, a
Distinguished professor of Iberian–Latin American Dermatology and
of Venezuelan Dermatology, a Regional Editor of the International
Journal of Dermatology, Iberian–Latin American skin medicine,
International Journal of Dermatology, Dermatology Online Journal,
and Clinics in Dermatology.Member of the Editorial Committee of
several scientific journals, member of 24 scientific societies, author
of 175 papers, 46 abstracts and 28 chapters in books. Corresponding
Member of the National Academy of Medicine of Venezuela.
Dr. Antonio Rondón-Lugo (1939-): Emeritus Professor of the
Institute of Biomedicine “Dr. Jacinto Convit” of the Central University
of Venezuela; former president of the Venezuelan Society for which he
served three terms; former head of the Chair of Dermatology; director
of the graduate program of dermatology, in addition to an extensive
list of scientific and literary publications, including books, chapters in
textbooks, and articles published in national and international journals.
Dr. Rondón-Lugo has actively participated in academic activities
throughout Latin America as speaker at numerous conferences; he is
the contemporary dermatologist with the strongest influence on the
modernization of dermatology in Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Society of Dermatology
The Minister of Public Education created the Free Chair of
Dermatological and Syphilographic Clinic pursuant to a decree of the
Ministry of Public Education in 1908; this gave rise to the an area of
specialization governed by the academia.
The Venezuelan Society of Dermatology
and Syphilography was founded on November 14, 1936. The first
president of the Society was Dr. Martín Vegas. Due to changes in
the practice of the profession and to avoid interferences from other
dermatology specialties, the Society has adopted different names
at various points in time. On July 7th, 1945, the Venezuelan Society
of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases; on January 7th, 1970, the
Venezuelan Society of Dermatology; then in 2000, the Venezuelan
Society of Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery; and finally, on
December 19, 2012, adopted its current name: Venezuelan Society of
Medical, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology.
Presently, the organization has 387 members out of a total
of approximately 600 dermatologists that practice in Venezuela.
The Society plays a very active role, organizing monthly meetings
throughout the country, itinerant meetings, courses and congresses,
in addition to various screening campaigns (Melanoma, Psoriasis
and Acne).
Presidents of Venezuelan Society of Medical, Surgical and
Cosmetic Dermatology from its foundation
1936 Martin Vegas
1945 Rafael Campo Moreno
1946 Leopoldo Briceño-Iragory
1947 Martin Vegas
1949 Jacinto Convit
1951 Carlos Julio Alarcón
1952 Martin Vegas
1954 Rafael Medina
1955 Juan Di Prisco
1956 Francisco Scannone
1957 Luis Alberto Velutini
1058 Martin Vegas
1959 Oscar Reyes F.
1960 Porfirio Irazabal
1960 Luis Alberto Velutini
1962 Porfirio Irazabal
1964 Mariano Medina -Febres
1966 Juan Di Prisco
1968 Eduardo Estrada
1970 Francisco Kerdel-Vegas
1972 Jacobo Obadia-Serfaty
1974 Mauricio Goihman
1976 Jose Manuel Soto
1978 Cruz Graterol- Roque
1980 Jorge Homez- Chacin
1982 Eva Koves de Amini
1984 Antonio Rondon- Lugo
1986 Antonio Rondon -Lugo
1988 Maria Antonieta Mejias
1990 Jaime Piquero- Martin
1992 Cornelio Arevalo- Morles
1994 Antonio Rondon- Lugo
1996 Ricardo Perez -Alfonzo
1998 Hernan Vargas -Montiel
2000 Francisco Gonzalez- Otero
2002 Alfredo Lander
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
2004 Benjamin Trujillo
2006 Rolando Hernandez- Perez
2008 Elda Giansante
2010 Elda Giansante
2012 Nahir Loyo
2014 Maria Esther Chirinos
The dermatological specialty has maintained an active academic
participation with dermatology meetings organized not only by
the Society of Dermatology, but also by independent groups under
the sponsorship of the Society. Such is the case of the meeting of
the “Group of Dermatologic Therapy Update” organized by Drs.
Antonio Rondón-Lugo, Jaime Piquero-Martín and Ricardo Pérez-
Alfonzo and the meetings on “Pediatric Dermatology” organized by
Dr. Francisco González.
Regular publications
The Journal of Venezuelan Dermatology was founded, under Dr.
Luis Alberto Velutini’s initiative (the first Editor), in December 1957.
This is the official publication of the Venezuelan Society of Dermatology
that has undertaken a steady and continuous effort to promote the
specialty and is currently available through Internet.
In 1998 Drs. Jaime Piquero-Martín, Rolando Hernández-
Pérez and Félix J. Tapia founded the digital Journal
“Piel Latinoamericana”, posted every weeks at www.Piel-l.org with over
12,000 subscribers in Spain and Latin America. Similarly, Dr. Francisco
González-Otero, edits the blog “Dermatología Pediátrica” www.
Dermatologiapediatica.net, and professor Francisco Kerdel-Vegas,
publishes the medical blog “BitácoraMédica” www.bitacoramedica.
com.
Sub-specialties
Leprosy: The Cabo Blanco Leprosy Clinic was inaugurated in 1906,
located by the coast, in the Vargas State. Dr. Aaron Benchetrit was
appointed Inspector General of the Leprosy Clinics of the Republic in
1909, under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He held that position for
many years, in charge the leprosy clinics at Cabo Blanco and later a
second facility located at the Providencia Isle on the Maracaibo Lake.
These specialized clinics are no longer operational so any patient affected
by the disease that may require care is admitted to a general hospital.
The most relevant physicians in this area have been Martín Vegas,
Jacinto Convit, Nacarid Aranzazu, Pedro La Penta and Enrico Rassi.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: The first healthcare institution for
sexually transmitted disease was established in 1926, and in 1939 became
the Division of Venereal Diseases of the Ministry of Health, under
the leadership of Dr. Martín Vegas. Training programs for venereal
specialists were initially offered. At a later date, Drs. Martin Vegas and
Rafael Medina founded the National Institute of Venereal Diseases.
Other relevant physicians in the area included Drs. Ildemaro Lovera,
Cornelio Arévalo, José R. Sardi and Mary Carmen Ferreiro.
Dermatopathology: Following the foundation of the Service
of Dermatology of the Caracas University Hospital in 1957,
dermatology became a sub-specialty under the leadership of Dr.
Oscar Reyes-Flores. In addition to Professor Reyes, other outstanding
personalities in Venezuela include Drs. Hugo Naranjo, César Barroso,
Marco Tulio Mérida and Gustavo Rodríguez-Garcilazo, and the
present head of dermato-pathology at the Caracas University Hospital,
Dr. Elizabeth Ball. At the Institute of Biomedicine Dr. Margarita Oliver
is the Director of the graduate program of dermato-pathology.
Mycology: Dr. Pablo Guerra founded the first mycology laboratory
in 1940. This area of specialization was initially organized by professors
Dante BoreIli, Humberto Campins, María Cecilia Albornoz,
Jorge Hómez-Chacín, Carmen Marcano and Hernán Vargas-Montiel.
The group of mycologists has been very active, organizing working
groups to study mycoses in Venezuela and publishing the newsletter
“Las Micosis en Venezuela” (Mycoses in Venezuela).
Pediatrics: Dr. Eva Koves de Amini at the Institute of
Biomedicine initially promoted this subspecialty; later on, Dr. Luis
A. González A. established a clinic for pediatric dermatology at
the Pérez-Carreño Hospital and then Dr. Esther Wackzol opened
the pediatric dermatology clinic at the “J. M. de los Ríos” Children’s
Hospital in Caracas. Dr. Francisco González was the founder of the
Pediatric Dermatology Clinic at the Department of Dermatology of
the University Hospital of Caracas. A Graduate Pediatric Dermatology
Program is currently available at the Zulia University, under the
leadership of Dr. Leopoldo Díaz-Landaeta.
Immunology: Drs. Juan DiPrisco and Mauricio Goihman-
Yahr introduced the specialty of immunology to Dermatology and
completed valuable research projects at the Caracas University
Hospital and at the Institute of Biomedicine. Drs. J. F. Tapia, Marian
Ulrich, María Cristina di Prisco and Nieves González continued with
this line of work.
Dermatological surgery: This area of specialization began to
develop late in the 70’s with Dr. VíctorSuprani and then Drs. José
Rafael Sardi and Marina Chopite were instrumental in promoting
its important growth. Gilberto Castro-Ron is recognized around the
world for his work in cryosurgery.
Epilogue
History is valuable in as much as it helps us to understand the
past and fit together possible hypothesis about the immediate future.
Hence, what we have written about the history of dermatology
in Venezuela makes sense, as an example or role model for other
countries under similar conditions. How a small group of people were
able to drastically change the future of a medical specialty (dermatology),
disrupting a model of apparent stability and complacency, and change
for a new paradigm of progress and advancement; thus, in just a few
years, reaching out for national and international support, designing an
action plan that was meticulously implemented in successive and well-
thought stages (in consultation with some qualified and internationally
acknowledged friends), it was possible to provide a solid scientific
research-based foundation to the practice of dermatology. This is no
extraordinary deed, except for the fact that these changes took place in
a small Latin American country, where ground-breaking successes are
the exception and not the rule.
Hence the moral of the story for the new generations of physicians:
never give up on a noble goal. Use what one of us has called
the “battering ram strategy”: keep hammering on the same spot until
you overcome resistance.
When we were asked to write this chapter on the History of
Dermatology, we did not hesitate to accept the challenge since we
thought that we could unassumingly convey interesting information
and share with numerous colleagues throughout the developing
Kerdel-Vegas F (2015) The history of dermatology, venereology and dermatopathology in different countries - Venezuela
Glob Dermatol, 2015 doi: 10.15761/GOD.1000S016
Volume 2(7): S82-S88
world, who are struggling to contain skin diseases and are eagerly
searching for ways and means to succeed in their quest. We do not
claim to have all the answers, just a modest success story that may be
used as a lesson and an incentive to those who share the same ideals.
References
1. Archila R (1961) Historia de la Medicina en Venezuela, Tipografía Vargas, Caracas.
2. Scannone F (1990) Historia de la Dermatología en Venezuela, Editorial Cromotip,
Caracas.
3. Briceño Maaz T (1978) Datos para la historia de la Dermatología en
Venezuela. Derm Ven 16: 29-40.
4. Briceño Maaz T (1991) Esbozo histórico de la Dermatología en el Hospital Vargas de
Caracas”. Derm Ven 29: 23-24.
5. Rondón Lugo AJ, Sáenz Astort JA (2001) Aproximación histórica a la dermatología
Venezolana, Producción Excelsior, Caracas.
6. Lander A, Piquero Martin J, Rondón Lugo A, Reyes Flores O, Trujillo B, et al.
(2007) Historia de la Dermatología en Venezuela. Historia de la Dermatología
Latinoamericana. Editions Privat: 427-444.
7. Kerdel Vegas F (2014) The path to modernity: A personal testimony to the restructuring
of the Department of Dermatology, Vargas Hospital, Caracas, Venezuela Clinics in
Dermatology 32: 320-323.
Copyright: ©2015 Kerdel-Vegas F. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Document Outline - Title
- Correspondence
- About Venezuela
- The Beginnings of Dermatology
- Academic Dermatology
- The division of services and chairs
- Dermatology in other regions of Venezuela
- Zulia (West)
- Bolívar (South)
- Carabobo (Center)
- Lara (Central-Western Region)
- Mérida, Táchira, Barinas (South-West)
- Falcón (North-West)
- The Most Relevant Personalities in Dermatology
- The Venezuelan Society of Dermatology
- Presidents of Venezuelan Society of Medical, Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology from its foundation
- Regular publications
- Sub-specialties
- Epilogue
- References
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