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The skin,
our largest organ

During childhood we come across many skin conditions that can be symptomatic of a variety of disorders. They can lead to a quick diagnosis if a thorough anamnesis is done and they can be categorised correctly. The recognition of these typical symptoms is important both in emergency medicine and general practice. This application can be useful to the non-professional as well but does not replace a visit to the doctor, especially in acute cases.

The skin extends to nearly two square metres and as such is the largest organ of the human body with an importance and changeability to match.
The colour of the the skin can vary a lot: pale, white, reddish, blueish, blackish, yellow, greenish. It can sweat, itch, hurt, swell, peel and burst, and its condition can be dry, hot, damp and cold to varying degrees. Severe injuries to the skin through burns, scalding, infection, blistering and similar can be life-threatening.

Skin has the special ability to react in characteristic ways to irritations, agents, infections and certain diseases which makes it possible to deduce the underlying illness from the appearance of the skin. For example measles, German measles, chicken pox as well as scarlet fever show very typical skin changes.
Apart from that there are a great number of skin changes, which can only be analysed with great experience and precise knowledge of the anamnesis. Some skin phenomena are indistinct, hidden, missing, slowly developing, others are noticeable only for a short time, fast healing, or lasting for months and leaving scars. In a field of medicine as extensive as skin disorders, experience must play a most important part.