Dermatology and allergology have changed significantly in their clinical demands and in research over the last 15 years and have developed into modern medical disciplines with often seriously ill patients who are treated causally with differentiated topical and/or systemic therapy modalities.
Dermatology is a broad discipline that covers all areas of the skin.
The following specialisations are an essential part of the University Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology in Ulm.
Dermatological oncology specialises in tumour diseases of the skin. These are among the most common cancers and the incidence continues to rise.
The Ulm Skin Tumour Centre was founded in 2009 and covers the entire dermato-oncological spectrum. With the outpatient tumour consultation with associated histological diagnostics, the surgical functional area, the possibility of outpatient therapy and inpatient care, as well as the study centre, we have the central diagnostic and therapeutic care units that enable comprehensive care of dermato-oncological patients.
The Skin Tumour Centre is embedded in the structure of the Comprehensive Cancer Center ULM (CCCU) and is therefore well networked on an interdisciplinary basis. As a skin tumour centre certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG), we offer modern guideline-based treatment as well as many new therapies that are otherwise unavailable to patients.
The Ulm Skin Clinic is an active member of the Dermatological Oncology Association (ADO) and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).
Disease spectrum
- Malignant melanoma (black skin cancer)
- Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma (white skin cancer)
- Actinic keratoses (early-stage white skin cancer)
- Lymphomas of the skin (mycosis fungoides, B-cell lymphomas and others)
- Merkel cell carcinoma, dermatofibrosarcoma, angiosarcoma and other rare tumours
- Benign skin tumours
Click here to go to our skin tumour centre (HTZ)
Allergic reactions (hay fever, asthma, wheals, conjunctivitis and drug reactions) have increased dramatically in recent years. We offer you careful diagnostics using the latest test methods by our experienced staff as the basis for successful treatment. In addition to the treatment of allergic symptoms, specific immunotherapies (hyposensitisation) in particular are carried out and therapeutic measures are further developed. Autoimmune diseases include blistering skin diseases and T-cell-mediated dermatoses, connective tissue diseases (collagenoses) such as lupus erythematosus (butterfly lichen), dermatomyositis, scleroderma, T-cell-mediated psoriasis and neurodermatitis. The main focus of the clinic is the clarification of the cause, stage-appropriate therapy with interdisciplinary university networking and patient education about these chronic serious diseases.
Since 1 October 2005, the University Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology has been active and certified as an interdisciplinary centre for Ulm in the European network of excellence for allergological diseases (GA2LEN= Global Allergy and Asthma European Network).
Since 2004, the University Clinic for Dermatology and Allergology has been actively involved in the network for scleroderma and other collagenoses and offers special consultation hours and a self-help group for these patients (see under special consultation hours).
Light dermatoses (polymorphic light dermatoses, light allergy, lupus erythemotodes and light urticaria) are diagnosed in the photodermatology department. Psoriasis, psoriasis vulgaris, neurodermatitis (atopic dermatitis), connective tissue diseases (scleroderma), chronic rejection reaction after bone marrow transplantation (graft-versus-host disease), lymphomas, white spot disease (vitiligo), hand and foot eczema and other inflammatory diseases can be treated effectively and cortisone sparingly using light therapy.
The department has state-of-the-art spectrum and dose-controlled radiation sources, which were developed in co-operation with engineers. A particular focus is the treatment of skin lymphomas.
Since 2007, we have had a treatment unit with the method of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), which is used in particular for patients with graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.
We also carry out photodynamic therapy (PDT) here for the treatment of precancerous lesions (actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma).
Another focus of our clinic is the clarification of the cause and treatment of wounds and wound healing disorders.
State-of-the-art diagnostic options are available to us in the vein consultation and wound outpatient clinic.
Varicose veins are a venous disorder and, if left untreated, often lead to non-healing ulcers (open legs, venous leg ulcers). However, metabolic disorders, connective tissue diseases, genetic diseases and others also lead to wound healing disorders.
Prof Scharffetter-Kochanek is on the board of the European Tissue Repair Society (ETRS) and has access to new therapeutic developments (including the development of the use of stem cells).
Several skin diseases are caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. Examples include Lyme disease (with the symptom of "migratory rash"), impetigo ("bark lichen"), infections caused by herpes viruses, athlete's foot and nail fungus, mucous membrane diseases caused by Candida, infestation by mites ("scabies") or lice, and some so-called traveller's dermatoses acquired in tropical countries.
Infectious diseases within the speciality of "dermatology and venereology" also include venereal diseases, as the word "venereology" indicates. The treatment of classic sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, are central tasks of dermatology. However, other sexually transmitted diseases have also become increasingly important (genital herpes, genital warts). The Department of Infectious Diseases of the Skin and Mucous Membranes at the University Dermatological Clinic in Ulm specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of these dermatoses. This is done in close co-operation with the other departments at Ulm University Hospital, such as Medical Microbiology, Internal Medicine, Neurology and other clinics.