Pediatric and Adolescent Dermatology: Some Current Issues

The integument (the natural covering of an organism or an organ, such as its skin, husk, shell, or rind) is the largest organ system of the human body and is often described as the gatekeeper to every other system. Its integrity will not only determine the admission or rejection of many foreign invaders (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.), but also plays a significant role in providing the milieu for the immune system to do battle with these invaders. It is typically the first view of an examiner and often yields very important clues to seemingly non-dermatologic issues. This book takes us one step further, devoting chapters to the interplay between integument and heretofore generally unnoted strongly related psychosocial issues.