AIIMS Jammu leads way forward in diagnostic & procedural dermatology

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Department of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy which deals with the diagnosis and management of various disorders related to skin, hair and nails, treatment of various sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV as well as leprosy, is working tirelessly to offer elaborate, comprehensive and breakthrough dermatological care to patients of Jammu & Kashmir, adjoining areas of Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh. The Department of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprosy is actively involved in providing outpatient, inpatient, phototherapy, and minor OT services. Various disorders of skin including eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, various bacterial, viral, fungal and other skin and subcutaneous infections, acne, melasma and other disorders of pigmentation, connective tissue disorders, autoimmune vesiculobullous skin disorders, nails, hairs, oral and genital mucosa are being routinely seen and treated in the department. Alongside patient care services, the department is also involved in teaching and training of undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, community services, and participating in relevant national health programs
Various services which are being provided in the department include
Outpatient Department Consultation- Both appointment based and walk-in patients are being seen, assessed and treated in an holistic manner. Since the OPD has become functional approximately 3800 patients have been benefited, including 500 patients seen when the dry run services were being provided by the institute. On an average, the department sees anything from 70 to more than 100 patients per day, a number which has been constantly rising since the inauguration of health care services.
Diagnostic services: The constant endeavour of the specialists in the department to provide best diagnostic services in the form of latest facilities like dermoscopy, ultraviolet fluorescent dermoscopy, videodermoscopy of skin, trichoscopy for hair, onychoscopy for nails is helping patients on a daily basis. Dermoscopy is a relatively new advancement in the field of dermatology which helps visualise skin and deeper structures non-invasively, giving instant diagnostic clues to various skin, nail, and hair disorders.
The department has experts in the field of dermoscopy, with Dr. Payal Chauhan, Associate Professor & Head, who is MAMC, PGI Chandigarh, and AIIMS trained working prominently at national and international level in association with International Society of Dermoscopy. She has been working in the field of dermoscopy and dermatopathology over the past decade, and believes that comprehensive and enhanced diagnostic services can be provided to patients when a clinician supplements clinical examination with dermatoscopy, and dermatopathology clues. This will especially help patients of the region, who many a times have to leave the state undiagnosed to centres outside.
Along with dermoscopy and dermatopathology services, microbiological studies are also been done which include Gram stain, Giemsa stain, Ziehl- Nielson stain, wet mount staining and KOH staining for various types of bacterial, viral, fungal, and mycobacterial skin infections. The department is equipped with high end trinocular microscope with camera and Ipad attachment, videodermoscope, Wood’s lamp, handheld dermatoscope with pigment booster and ultraviolet light enhancement.
Diagnostic procedures including cutaneous, mucosal, nail and scalp biopsies for histopathological examination and direct immunofluorescence studies are being routinely done. All the skin biopsies done for diagnostic purposes are seen and a comprehensive clinico-dermoscopic-histopathological correlation is done by clinicians to increase diagnostic yield. This is along the lines of AIIMS Delhi, which is also the mentor institute of AIIMS Jammu.
Procedural dermatology: The department is also carrying out 10-15 procedures daily on an average in the minor OT which is equipped with procedure chair, OT table, electrocautery machine. The procedures being offered to the patients include skin biopsy, shave excision, chemical cautery for xanthelasma, warts, intralesional injections for alopecia and hypertrophic scars/keloids, immunotherapy for warts and molluscum contagiosum, electrocautery for skin tags, DPNs/SKs, warts, freckles, mole removal, and pairing for callus/callosity/corn. Microneedling for acne scars, comedone/milia extraction, nail biopsy and nail removal, cyst removal, curettage, cautery, cryotherapy of benign epidermal and vascular tumours including pyogenic granuloma is being done.
Therapeutic UV B phototherapy is available and is being offered to multiple patients for vitiligo and psoriasis.
A sustained, diligent and robust effort is being made under the leadership of Executive Director & CEO, Prof. (Dr) Shakti Kumar Gupta and Medical Superintendent, Lt. Gen (Dr) Sunil Kant, SM, VSM (Retd.), to continuously upgrade the departmental services, equipment, and provide the latest services and procedures for the best possible care available in the state. The department plans to start patch and photopatch test, chemical peeling, platelet rich plasma services, and vitiligo surgery soon.
In continuum of this, departmental faculty and residents are conducting extensive research and publications aimed at better understanding the etiopathology and diagnosis of diseases and therapeutic modalities available.
The department of dermatology aims to provide evidence-based, ethical, affordable and compassionate health care to the patients suffering with various skin diseases and to establish a centre of excellence in teaching and research.