Clinic of Dermatology

Vitiligo is a skin condition resulting from loss of pigment which produces white patches. Any part of the body may be affected. Usually both sides of the body are affected. Common areas of involvement are the face, lips, hands, arms, legs, and genital areas.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease. We have various effective treatments today, which moderate the disease process and improve the quality of life of the affected person. 1-3% of the bulgarian population suffers from psoriasis.

Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin disorder that can be easily treated. This condition is a red, scaly, itchy rash most commonly seen on the scalp, sides of the nose, eyebrows, eyelids, skin behind the ears, and middle of the chest. Other areas, such as the navel (belly button), buttocks, skin folds under the arms, axillary regions, breasts, and groin, may also be involved.

Perioral dermatitis is a common skin problem that mostly affects young women. Occasionally men or children are affected. Perioral refers to the area around the mouth, and dermatitis indicates redness of the skin. In addition to redness, there are usually small red bumps or pus bumps, and mild peeling. Sometimes the bumps are the most obvious feature, and the disease can look a lot like acne. The areas most affected are within the borders of the lines from the nose, to the sides of the lips, and the chin.

Lichen planus is an inflammatory disease that usually affects the skin, the mouth, or sometimes both. It may affect the genital skin as well. The cause of lichen planus is not known. There are cases of lichen planus-type rashes occurring as allergic reactions to medications for high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis.

Herpes zoster, also known as shingles or zoster, is a viral infeetion caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who has had chicken pox can develop herpes zoster. The virus remains dormant (inactive), in certain nerve cells of the body, and when it reactivates it causes zoster. About 20 percent of those people who have had chicken pox will get zoster. Most people get zoster only once.

Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called hitman pupillomu virus (HPV). Warts are passed from person to person, sometimes indirectly. The time from the first contact to the time the warts have grown large enough to be seen is often several months. The risk of catching hand, foot, or flat warts from another person is small. Therapy – for adults and older children cryotherapy (freezing) is generally preferred. This treatment is not too painful and rarely results in scarring. However, repeat treatments at one to three week intervals are often necessary. Electrosurgery (burning) is another good alternative treatment. Laser treatment can also be used for resistant warts that have not responded to other therapies. Sometimes, because the old warts have shed virus into the surrounding skin before they were treated, new warts appear as fast as old ones go away. The best way to limit this is to treat new warts as quickly as they develop so they have little time to shed virus into nearby skin.

Atopic dermatitis is a pruritic skin disease affecting up to 10 % of all skin diseases in children and about 0.8 – 1 % of the Bulgarian population suffers from it at the adult age. It is frequently associated with other allergic diseases such as asthma, hives or food allergies. Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis. The disease course is affected by different factors: changed skin structure with increased dryness, the seasons, allergies, infections or psychological stress. Patients with AD suffer from severe itching, dry and sensitive skin, recurring erythema, desquamation and weeping. Therapy includes corticosteroids, antibiotics, antipruritic agents and phototherapy with ultraviolet light (UV-A).

Hand rashes are extremely common. A hand rash, also called hand dermatitis or hand eczema, may be caused by many things: water, too much dry air, soaps, detergents, solvents, cleaning agents, chemicals, rubber gloves, and even ingredients in skin and personal care products. Hand eczema is not contagious. Your dermatologist may offer a combination of methods to heal your skin. Medicated ointment or cream may be prescribed or you may need an oral antibiotic if an infection is present.

Malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of all skin cancer diseases, because it metastases in about 15-20% of cases in other organs. Today in Bulgaria 2-3 of 100000 persons per year are diagnosed with Melanoma. It develops from chromogen cells of the skin, the melanocytes. Those cells form the skin pigmentation. Some persons, with more than 50 molls, bright skin, a history of melanoma in the family or weakened immune defense (immunosupressed) are with certain risk of more frequent melanoma development.

Urticaria or "wheats, hives” are pale red swellings of skin that occur in groups on any part of the skin. Each hive lasts a few hours before fading without a trace. New areas may develop as old areas fade. Hives are very common — 10-20 percent of the population will have at least one episode in their lifetime. Most episodes disappear quickly in a few days to a few weeks. Occasionally, a person will continue to have hives for many years. The most common causes are foods, drugs, or infections. Insect bites and internal disease may also be responsible. Other causes can be pressure, cold, or sunlight. The best treatment for the disease is to find and remove the cause. Antihistamines are usually prescribed by your dermatologist to provide relief. In severe hives, an injection of epinephrine (adrenalin) or a cortisone medication may be needed.