Browse topics
Dermatology
48 notes, 145 questions and 408 flashcards.
Tier 1 is core knowledge expected of every trainee. Tier 2 is deeper or less common.
Presentations
- Cutaneous drug, chemical and vaccine reactionsFree sampleTelling a benign drug rash from SJS/TEN, DRESS and AGEP by timing and red flags, SCORTEN and RegiSCAR, what to stop and who to call, HLA screening, vaccine and chemical reactions, and labelling under the ASCIA 2026 penicillin guideline.Tier 1, approach to a presentation, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Viral exanthemsFever and rash in an adult, measles recognition, isolation and post-exposure prophylaxis, varicella in adults and pregnancy, parvovirus B19 and rubella, and the mimics that kill (meningococcaemia, dengue, toxic shock, drug reactions).Tier 1, approach to a presentation, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
Key conditions
- AcneFree sampleGrading acne, finding hormonal and drug causes, the treatment ladder from retinoid plus benzoyl peroxide to isotretinoin, isotretinoin safety (teratogenicity, mood, sexual effects) and Australian prescribing rules, and screening young people for depression and suicidality.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- CalciphylaxisCalcific uraemic arteriolopathy in dialysis patients, the risk factors you can change (warfarin, calcium, active vitamin D, PTH), painful retiform purpura before ulcers, biopsy and its risks, sodium thiosulfate and the thin evidence, and early palliative input.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Chronic skin ulcers: venous, arterial, neuropathic and traumaticTelling venous, arterial, neuropathic, pressure and atypical ulcers apart at the bedside, ABPI and toe pressures, offloading and infection in the diabetic foot, skin tears in older people, and when to biopsy.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease: pattern approachHow to read the skin for internal disease. Morphology and distribution, reaction patterns (palpable versus retiform purpura, erythema nodosum, livedo), skin signs by organ system, paraneoplastic dermatoses, Raynaud phenomenon, hirsutism, and how skin disease itself causes morbidity and death (skin failure, erythroderma).Tier 1, medical sciences concept, 4 questions, 9 flashcards
- Fungal infections of skin and nailsDermatophytes, Candida and Malassezia; confirming the diagnosis before oral therapy, terbinafine and azole choices and interactions, PBS rules for onychomycosis, terbinafine-resistant Trichophyton indotineae, and how to take and send a skin biopsy for infection.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- PsoriasisClinical types and triggers, severity scoring, the IL-23/IL-17 axis behind modern drugs, the topical to phototherapy to systemic to biologic ladder, current PBS biologic criteria (2 of 6 prior treatments, PASI over 15), comorbidity screening and choosing a drug around pregnancy, IBD, heart failure and TB.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 10 flashcards
- RosaceaPhenotype-based diagnosis (ROSCO and NRS), the acne, lupus and steroid traps, treatment matched to each feature from brimonidine to ivermectin, doxycycline and low-dose isotretinoin, and when ocular rosacea needs an ophthalmologist.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Scabies and head liceIACS diagnostic criteria, permethrin and ivermectin regimens and PBS rules, crusted scabies and its associations (HTLV-1), outbreaks in residential aged care, scabies-driven streptococcal disease in remote communities, and head, body and pubic lice.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- VitiligoSegmental versus nonsegmental vitiligo, signs of activity, autoimmune associations and thyroid screening, the mimics (including leprosy), topical steroids and calcineurin inhibitors, phototherapy, ruxolitinib cream and the 2026 oral JAK inhibitor trials.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
Cutaneous oncology
- Actinic keratosis, Bowen disease and other premalignant skin lesionsActinic keratosis and field cancerisation, when to biopsy, lesion versus field treatment (fluorouracil wins head to head), Bowen disease (SCC in situ) and its sites that behave differently, actinic cheilitis, cutaneous horn and other precursors.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Basal cell carcinomaThe commonest cancer in Australia. Subtypes and how they look, high-risk features, excision margins, when topical therapy or curettage is enough, Mohs referral, Gorlin syndrome, and hedgehog inhibitors for advanced disease.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Breast cancer skin changesPaget disease of the nipple, peau d'orange and inflammatory breast cancer, cutaneous metastases, and the skin effects of breast cancer treatment, including radiation-associated angiosarcoma.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 7 flashcards
- Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomaHigh-risk features and staging, excision margins, nodal assessment, PD-1 inhibitors for advanced disease (cemiplimab, PBS-listed) and the 2025 adjuvant data, and skin cancer surveillance and chemoprevention in transplant recipients and other immunosuppressed patients.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- MelanomaSpotting melanoma, biopsy and staging by Breslow thickness, margins and sentinel node biopsy, then adjuvant, neoadjuvant and metastatic immunotherapy and BRAF/MEK therapy.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
Dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis (eczema)Barrier failure and type 2 inflammation; diagnosis, severity scores, topical steroid ladder, infection complications including eczema herpeticum, and when to move to phototherapy, dupilumab, JAK inhibitors or other systemic therapy.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Contact dermatitisIrritant versus allergic contact dermatitis, the common Australian allergens, patch testing done properly, occupational hand dermatitis, and the look-alikes (contact urticaria, photocontact and systemic contact dermatitis).Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Seborrhoeic dermatitisMalassezia-linked dermatitis of the scalp, face and folds; the medical associations (Parkinson disease, HIV), the differentials that matter (lupus, rosacea, psoriasis, dermatomyositis), and antifungal-first treatment.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 7 flashcards
- Stasis dermatitisEczema from chronic venous hypertension; CEAP staging, the cellulitis and contact allergy traps, ABPI before compression, topical treatment without sensitisers, and when superficial venous ablation helps.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
Viral skin infections
- Herpes simplex virus infectionOrolabial and genital HSV, whitlow and eczema herpeticum, PCR diagnosis, Australian antiviral regimens for first episodes, recurrences and suppression, HSV-triggered erythema multiforme, pregnancy, renal dosing, and chronic or aciclovir-resistant disease in immunosuppression.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Human papillomavirus: warts and anogenital diseaseLow-risk and high-risk HPV types, common, plantar and plane warts, anogenital warts and their Australian treatment, warts and skin cancer in transplant recipients, single-dose Gardasil 9, cervical screening, and the 2025 Australian anal cancer screening guideline for people with HIV.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 10 flashcards
- Varicella zoster virus: chickenpox, shingles and postherpetic neuralgiaPrimary varicella versus reactivation zoster, antivirals within 72 hours and renal dosing, ophthalmic, disseminated and neurological zoster, postherpetic neuralgia, infection control, and Shingrix eligibility under the 2026 Immunisation Handbook.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
Less common or complex conditions
- Alopecia areataNon-scarring autoimmune hair loss; exclamation mark hairs, the scarring and tinea mimics, intralesional triamcinolone for patches, and JAK inhibitors (baricitinib, ritlecitinib) for severe disease, which are TGA-registered but not PBS-subsidised for this indication.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Asteatotic eczemaEczema craquelé of dry ageing skin; crazed-paving shins in winter, the diuretic and hospital-bathing triggers, soap avoidance, emollients and a short potent steroid ointment, and when sudden widespread disease means lymphoma or another systemic cause.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 7 flashcards
- Genital and oral ulcersApproach to oral and anogenital ulcers; HSV, syphilis, mpox, LGV and donovanosis versus aphthae, Behçet syndrome, drugs and blistering disease, the PCR-plus-serology work-up, benzathine penicillin during the shortage, and EULAR 2025 Behçet treatment.Tier 2, approach to a presentation, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
Cutaneous adverse effects of therapeutic interventions
- Drug hypersensitivity syndrome (DRESS)Free sampleDRESS (drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome) from latency to late autoimmunity, the RegiSCAR score, herpesvirus reactivation, organ screening including myocarditis, severity-based steroid treatment and tapering from the 2024 international Delphi consensus, and allergy work-up.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysisEpidermal necrolysis from culprit drugs and HLA risk to SCORTEN, burns unit care, the eye, mouth and genital care that prevents lifelong damage, ciclosporin and etanercept, distinguishing erythema multiforme and SSSS, and labelling.Tier 1, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Anticoagulant-related skin necrosisWarfarin necrosis on days 3 to 5 in fatty areas, heparin injection-site necrosis as a sign of HIT, venous limb gangrene when warfarin is given in acute HIT, and what to stop, start and reverse in each.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Lipoatrophy and lipodystrophyLocalised fat loss from injections (corticosteroid, insulin, glatiramer) and its commoner opposite, insulin lipohypertrophy; HIV lipoatrophy from thymidine analogues; and the rare generalised and partial lipodystrophies with severe insulin resistance, hypertriglyceridaemia and low leptin.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
Cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease
- Behçet diseaseVariable-vessel vasculitis with recurrent oral and genital ulcers, pathergy, uveitis, venous thrombosis and pulmonary artery aneurysm: ICBD criteria, what to exclude, and EULAR 2025 treatment from colchicine to apremilast and infliximab.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Diabetes-related skin conditionsNecrobiosis lipoidica, diabetic dermopathy, bullosis diabeticorum, scleroedema and eruptive xanthomas; the infections diabetes invites; and skin problems from treatment: gliptin bullous pemphigoid, SGLT2 inhibitor Fournier gangrene, insulin amyloid nodules and sensor adhesive dermatitis.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Erythema multiformeAcute target-lesion eruption triggered mostly by herpes simplex and Mycoplasma. Typical raised targets in an acral spread, EM minor versus major, telling it apart from SJS, urticaria and MIRM, symptomatic care, and valaciclovir suppression for recurrent disease.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Erythema nodosumTender shin nodules from a septal panniculitis. The cause list (streptococcus, sarcoidosis and Löfgren syndrome, IBD, TB, drugs, pregnancy), the core workup every patient needs, when to biopsy, look-alikes such as erythema induratum, and NSAID-first management.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Porphyrias with cutaneous manifestationsBlistering photosensitivity (porphyria cutanea tarda, variegate porphyria) versus acute painful phototoxicity (erythropoietic protoporphyria). Plasma fluorescence scanning, the precipitants to chase in PCT (iron, HFE, hepatitis C, alcohol, oestrogen), venesection and low-dose hydroxychloroquine, pseudoporphyria, and afamelanotide.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Vasculitic rashesPalpable purpura and other vasculitic rashes. Reading vessel size from morphology, the causes (drugs, infection, IgA vasculitis, cryoglobulinaemia, ANCA vasculitis, connective tissue disease), the urinalysis every patient needs, biopsy timing with direct immunofluorescence, and when skin vasculitis needs urgent systemic treatment.Tier 2, approach to a presentation, 3 questions, 9 flashcards
- Vitamin deficiency and the skinSkin signs of niacin (pellagra), vitamin C (scurvy), zinc and other micronutrient deficiencies, who is at risk in Australia, which tests mislead, and replacement doses.Tier 2, condition, 3 questions, 10 flashcards
Dermatological issues related to immunosuppression
Investigations and procedures
- Cryoablation, curettage and cautery, and procedural consentHow liquid nitrogen and curettage destroy tissue, which lesions each suits and which they must never be used on, freeze times, cautery versus electrosurgery with cardiac devices, and what valid consent for a skin procedure needs under Australian law.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Laboratory and imaging investigations for systemic disease associated with skin conditionsWhich blood, urine and imaging tests to order for vasculitis, cutaneous lupus, dermatomyositis, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, erythema nodosum, neutrophilic dermatoses, porphyria, generalised itch and blistering disease; how to read ANA titres and patterns, ENA and myositis antibodies, complement and cryoglobulins, and the sampling errors that give false results.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Phototherapy and radiotherapy for skin diseaseNarrowband UVB, PUVA and UVA1, how a course is dosed and judged, skin cancer risk by modality, and when superficial radiotherapy or electrons treat skin cancer, CTCL and keloids, with radiation dermatitis grading and the patients who shouldn't be irradiated.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Skin biopsy, histology, immunofluorescence and skin autoantibodiesHow to choose, take and send a skin biopsy (punch, shave, excision, deep incisional), reading a histology report by reaction pattern, direct and indirect immunofluorescence patterns, BP180/BP230 and desmoglein 1 and 3 ELISA, and the handling errors that waste a biopsy.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Skin scraping, nail clipping and wound swabsHow to take skin scrapings, nail clippings and bacterial and viral swabs, how to read microscopy, culture, PCR and susceptibility reports (including MRSA and inducible clindamycin resistance), the yield of each test, and when a result should change treatment.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
- Visual recognition of skin cancers and mole mappingRecognising melanoma, BCC, SCC and their mimics with the naked eye and dermoscopy (ABCDE, EFG, ugly duckling, the 3-point checklist, structures by tumour), and how total body photography and short-term and long-term sequential digital dermoscopy work, who they suit, and what they can't do.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards
Specific issues
- Dermatology: specific issuesTeaching people to use topical treatments (fingertip units, quantities, steroid phobia, vehicles, fire risk), measuring and responding to the psychosocial burden of skin disease, and skin health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori people.Tier 2, topic overview, 3 questions, 7 flashcards
- Systemic immunosuppressants and biologics in dermatologyWhen skin disease needs systemic therapy, the conventional drugs and targeted agents by condition, how to read a pre-treatment screen and monitoring bloods, what to do when results move, and the infection, cancer, vaccine, pregnancy and PBS implications.Tier 2, medical sciences concept, 3 questions, 8 flashcards