The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) has played a role in treating illness for over 3500 years [1]. It has survived rapid paradigm shifts in medical sciences and knowledge. In Ancient Rome, the use of leeches for bloodletting was propagated by...
Should we be astonished to hear that the Right Honourable Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary who has created the greatest manpower crisis in the NHS in the past fifty years should now say that he is not actually an academic...
In March, a historic moment for the face equality movement took place, where Face Equality International (FEI) Patron, Nikki Lilly, addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council. In advocating for stronger protections against cyberbullying and disability discrimination, her powerful speech...
Female patterned hair loss (FPHL) is the most common hair loss disorder in women. Initial symptoms may lead to progressive hair loss [1]. FPHL has emerged as the preferred term for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in women due to the uncertain...
Acne vulgaris is the most common potentially scarring skin condition seen in dermatology and general practice. A recent network metanalysis [1] confirmed the efficacy of oral pharmacological therapies but questioned the consistency of effect of topical agents and peels. Factors...
In October 2013, a female patient presented for an initial consultation. She had a past medical history of left lower seventh (facial) nerve palsy following excision of left benign parotid adenoma in 2002. This had been treated over the years,...
Skinspan refers to the years of life during which skin remains healthy, youthful and attractive and is influenced by genetic, metabolic and lifestyle factors. While ultraviolet (UV) exposure is a potent environmental driver of skin ageing, our hormones play a...
How do you decide the 50 most influential papers in plastic surgery? The breadth of subspecialties within plastic surgery makes this herculean task even harder. This book has attempted to collate each paper which has shaped and guided the practice...
Shortly after I qualified MB, ChB in 1963, I had a position in the pathology department of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. I was surprised to discover there that there was a word that I didn't know – ‘clone’. I did...