In a press release from the University of Colorado, Nneamaka Ezekwe, MD, a dermatology resident at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, detailed how—as a clinical research fellow in the Department of Dermatology at Henry Ford Health—she worked to diversify the kodachromes of dermatologic diseases in patients with darker skin tones that were included in dermatology atlases. “There is a spectrum of skin tones—you can’t box everybody into one bubble and say, ‘This is what [a dermatologic condition] looks like.’ We need to show the whole spectrum,” Dr. Ezekwe emphasized. For a new book entitled The Full Spectrum of Dermatology: A Diverse and Inclusive Atlas, Dr. Ezekwe and her colleagues avoided the conventional skin scale and began gathering over 650 images of diverse skin tones for more than 85 dermatologic conditions such as vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, and sarcoidosis. A free copy of the book was then sent to every dermatology trainee across the country. Dr. Ezekwe noted that many of the patients she photographed were from underserved communities—who often face a lack of treatment access, misdiagnoses, or delayed diagnoses—and understood the significance of participating in the new project. Dr. Ezekwe reported that since the book’s publication, she has heard positive feedback from many residents and trainees. “[O]ne atlas can’t address disparities of health care in general, but I do think this atlas can help to bridge the gap,” she stated. Dr. Ezekwe hopes that the new book can continue to teach trainees in dermatology to better identify dermatologic diseases in patients with darker skin tones.
May 24, 2023