What is "Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology"?
Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology is a case-based dermatology reference edited by Fabio Arcangeli and Torello M. Lotti. Published by Springer Nature in 2022, it presents 35 clinical cases involving neonatal and infant skin disorders, with emphasis on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, investigation, treatment, and practical clinical decision-making.
Introduction
Diagnosing skin disease in newborns and infants can be challenging because many disorders present with overlapping clinical features. Erythema, scaling, papules, nodules, vesicles, erythroderma, pigmentary changes, vascular lesions, and other cutaneous findings may represent anything from a self-limited condition to a systemic or potentially serious disease.
Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology approaches this challenge through individual clinical cases rather than a conventional disease-by-disease textbook structure.
Edited by Fabio Arcangeli and Torello M. Lotti, the book forms part of the Clinical Cases in Dermatology series, whose stated purpose is to support clinical decision-making through case-based diagnostic and management discussions.
The series emphasizes illustrated cases, including both standard and unusual presentations, in a concise and readily digestible format.
The book is particularly relevant to clinicians interested in neonatal and infant dermatology, pediatric dermatology, and the recognition of skin manifestations that may require laboratory investigation, histopathology, microbiological testing, imaging, genetic evaluation, or systemic treatment.
For medical students, residents, young physicians, and healthcare professionals, the case format provides an opportunity to approach dermatologic problems as they might appear in clinical practice: first identifying the important features, considering differential diagnoses, interpreting investigations, and then reviewing the diagnosis and management described in the case.
Book overview
Full title
Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology
Editors
Fabio Arcangeli and Torello M. Lotti
The book lists both editors in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Rome “G. Marconi,” Rome, Italy.
Series
Clinical Cases in Dermatology
Series Editor: Robert A. Norman
Publisher
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publication year
2022
The bibliographic information identifies ISBN 978-3-030-91522-3 and eBook ISBN 978-3-030-91523-0, with DOI 10.1007/978-3-030-91523-0.
Medical specialty
The principal specialty is dermatology, with a specific focus on neonatal and infant dermatology and clinically important dermatologic conditions occurring during infancy and early childhood.
Format and approach
The book contains 35 clinical chapters, followed by an index. Its cases cover common conditions, unusual presentations, congenital disorders, infections, inflammatory diseases, vascular lesions, histiocytic disorders, genodermatoses, and serious systemic conditions presenting through the skin.
WHAT THIS BOOK COVERS
The major strength of clinical cases in neonatal and infant dermatology is the breadth of clinical situations presented through individual patient cases.
The opening chapters demonstrate the diagnostic reasoning approach used throughout the book. For example, one case involving erythema, scales, and itching presents clinical findings, laboratory results, histopathology, differential diagnoses, genetic testing, final diagnosis, discussion, and key points.
The case ultimately describes congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma accompanied by atopic dermatitis and highlights the role of genetic testing when clinical and histopathological findings are nonspecific.
Other chapters address:
- Congenital and inherited disorders, including congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, lamellar ichthyosis, epidermolytic ichthyosis, Harlequin ichthyosis, and congenital skin scars.
- Inflammatory and eczematous disorders, including infantile atopic dermatitis and conditions that can resemble eczema.
- Histiocytic disorders, including benign cephalic histiocytosis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
- Infectious dermatology, including erythema infectiosum, dermatophytosis, scabies, perianal dermatitis, and staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome.
- Vascular lesions, including infantile hemangioma and a newborn with a large facial segmental vascular lesion.
- Pigmentary and hypopigmented lesions, including a case involving white spots on the forehead.
- Systemic diseases with prominent cutaneous findings, such as DRESS syndrome and multisystem Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
- Nutritional and metabolic disorders, including acrodermatitis enteropathica and primary biotin deficiency in the differential diagnosis of erythroderma.
- Rare neonatal presentations, including subcutaneous indurated plaques in a newborn and vesicles involving the tongue of a three-month-old infant.
The table of contents demonstrates the deliberately broad case selection, progressing from common clinical presentations to rare, diagnostically challenging, and potentially serious disorders.
Diagnosis through clinical reasoning
Many cases begin with a question asking the reader to select the most likely diagnosis from several possibilities. The subsequent sections then provide the diagnosis and explain why it fits the clinical, laboratory, histological, microbiological, or imaging findings.
For example, the chapter on benign cephalic histiocytosis contrasts the condition with Langerhans cell histiocytosis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, and molluscum contagiosum. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry are incorporated into the diagnostic discussion, demonstrating how clinical appearance can be combined with pathological findings.
This approach makes the book useful for readers who want to improve their ability to construct and narrow a dermatologic differential diagnosis.
Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis is a recurring educational feature.
The chapter on a two-year-old child with erythroderma, for instance, discusses DRESS syndrome alongside infectious mononucleosis, erythrodermic psoriasis, primary biotin deficiency, and Omenn syndrome. The case demonstrates how clinical history, medication exposure, eosinophilia, liver abnormalities, histopathology, and systemic manifestations contribute to the final diagnosis.
This is particularly valuable because pediatric dermatology often requires clinicians to distinguish visually similar disorders that have very different implications.
Key Features
- Case-based learning centered on real clinical presentations.
- 35 dedicated clinical chapters covering neonatal and infant dermatology.
- Illustrated cases that connect clinical descriptions with dermatologic findings.
- Diagnostic questions that encourage active participation before revealing the diagnosis.
- Differential diagnosis discussions within individual cases.
- Use of laboratory investigations, histopathology, microbiology, dermoscopy, imaging, and genetic testing when relevant.
- Discussion of management and treatment in selected cases.
- Key points at the end of cases to reinforce major learning messages.
- Coverage of both common and unusual presentations.
- A concise format consistent with the stated aims of the Clinical Cases in Dermatology series.
Who Should Read This Book
Medical students
Medical students can use the book to strengthen their understanding of dermatologic morphology and develop a structured approach to pediatric skin presentations. The question-and-answer format encourages students to examine the case before reading the explanation.
Residents
Dermatology, pediatrics, and other residents who encounter infants and young children may find the case-based approach useful for reviewing differential diagnoses and recognizing less familiar presentations.
Specialists
Dermatologists and pediatricians may use selected cases for focused review, particularly when encountering unusual neonatal or infantile eruptions, nodules, vascular lesions, congenital disorders, or systemic diseases with cutaneous manifestations.
Exam candidates
The case format supports diagnostic revision because readers interpret clinical presentations and differential diagnoses. However, the book is presented as a clinical case guide rather than specifically as a dedicated board-examination review book.
Why This Book Is Useful
Clinical relevance
The strongest practical value of the book lies in its clinical presentation format. Instead of discussing conditions only in abstract terms, the chapters place the reader in front of an individual patient presentation.
A case may begin with age, symptoms, lesion morphology, distribution, duration, relevant medical history, and photographs before progressing to investigations and diagnosis.
This mirrors the type of information clinicians must integrate when evaluating a child with a skin complaint.
Evidence-informed discussions
The individual chapters include references to medical literature. The discussions use these references to place the clinical cases within their broader medical context.
For example, the chapter on Langerhans cell histiocytosis incorporates clinical classification, organ involvement, investigations, treatment response, and prognostic considerations. The case demonstrates why a seemingly dermatologic presentation can require broader systemic evaluation.
Practical applications
The book is especially useful when the reader wants to understand how a diagnosis is reached, rather than simply memorize disease descriptions.
The case involving tinea faciei incognita illustrates this approach. A lesion initially resembling eczema is reconsidered after inadequate response to treatment, while dermoscopic findings and fungal microscopy/culture contribute to diagnosis. The chapter also emphasizes differential diagnosis and practical diagnostic testing.
Learning efficiency
The series description specifically emphasizes concise, practical guides designed to facilitate clinical decision-making and provide relevant information in a rapid, easy-to-digest format.
That makes the book suitable for targeted study rather than requiring the reader to work through a conventional comprehensive dermatology textbook whenever a specific clinical problem needs review.
Table of Contents Overview
The book contains 35 chapters:
- 1-Year-Old Male with Erythema, Scales and Itching
- A 1-Year-Old Boy with Multiple Papules
- A 2-Year-Old Girl with Erythema, Fever, Conjunctivitis and Nasal Discharge
- A 2-Year-Old Girl with Erythroderma
- High-Risk Multisystem Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis
- Lamellar Ichthyosis in a Child with a History of Collodion Baby
- A Newborn with a Large Facial Segmental Vascular Lesion
- A Newborn with Several White Spots on the Forehead
- Recurrent Fever, Heat Intolerance and Diminished Sweating
- A Red Nodule on the Cheek
- Acrodermatitis Enteropathica
- A Nodular Lesion on the Buttock
- Annular Facial Erythema
- An Eczematous Lesion on the Forehead
- Disseminated Red Scaling Papules
- Generalized Pimples and Nodules
- Asymptomatic Skin-Colored Nodule of the Buttocks
- Axillary Dermatitis in a Newborn
- Widespread Facial Lesions and Alopecic Scalp Nodules
- Benign Cephalic Histiocytosis
- Congenital Skin Scars
- Cryotherapy Treatment in Infantile Hemangioma
- Epidermolytic Ichthyosis
- Incontinentia Pigmenti with Ocular Involvement
- Infantile Erythroderma Caused by Focal Infection
- Infantile Hemangioma: Successful Topical Treatment
- Infantile-Type Atopic Dermatitis
- Juvenile Xanthogranuloma
- Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome
- Oral Isotretinoin Treatment of Harlequin Ichthyosis
- Oral Propranolol Treatment for Infantile Hemangioma
- Perianal Dermatitis
- Staphylococcal Scalded Skin Syndrome
- Subcutaneous Indurated Plaques in a Newborn
- Vesicles on the Tongue of a Three-Month-Old Baby.
Strengths of The Book
The first major strength is its case-based educational design. Readers are not simply given a diagnosis; they are encouraged to consider the clinical problem before reviewing the answer.
A second strength is the breadth of presentations. The book includes common disorders such as atopic dermatitis and infantile hemangioma alongside uncommon diseases such as Langerhans cell histiocytosis, benign cephalic histiocytosis, incontinentia pigmenti, Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, and Harlequin ichthyosis.
A third strength is its multimodal diagnostic approach. Individual cases demonstrate the use of histopathology, immunohistochemistry, dermoscopy, fungal microscopy and culture, laboratory investigations, imaging, and genetic testing where appropriate.
A fourth strength is the inclusion of key points, which provides concise reinforcement after the longer case discussion.
Finally, the illustrated format is particularly appropriate for dermatology, where morphology and lesion distribution are central to clinical assessment.
Limitations
The book is deliberately focused on clinical cases rather than functioning as a comprehensive general dermatology textbook. Readers looking for an exhaustive systematic review of every neonatal or pediatric dermatologic condition may therefore need additional reference material.
The cases also vary in subject matter and clinical complexity. Some focus on relatively common presentations, while others address rare disorders or unusual clinical scenarios.
The book itself does not present a formal comparative evaluation against other pediatric dermatology textbooks, nor does it identify itself as a dedicated board-examination preparation manual. Consequently, claims about superiority over other books or specific examination performance cannot be established from the book alone.
Comparison With Similar Books
This book occupies a distinctive case-based position within its stated series. The series description emphasizes concise clinical guides, diagnostic and management decisions, illustrations, and rapid access to relevant information.
Therefore, its most appropriate role is as a case-oriented companion for clinical learning and diagnostic review, rather than as a replacement for every comprehensive dermatology or pediatric reference.
FAQs
Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology is a dermatology case-based reference edited by Fabio Arcangeli and Torello M. Lotti. Published in 2022 by Springer Nature, it contains 35 clinical cases focused on neonatal and infant dermatology.
The book is particularly relevant to medical students, dermatology and pediatric residents, dermatologists, pediatricians, and other healthcare professionals who evaluate neonatal and infant skin disorders.
The table of contents lists 35 clinical chapters, covering a broad range of neonatal and infant dermatologic presentations.
Yes. In addition to common presentations, the book includes cases involving rare or diagnostically challenging conditions such as Langerhans cell histiocytosis, benign cephalic histiocytosis, incontinentia pigmenti, Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, and Harlequin ichthyosis.
Yes. The cases are illustrated, and individual chapters contain clinical photographs and, where relevant, images from investigations such as histopathology and dermoscopy. The series itself describes its titles as illustrated clinical guides.
Yes. Differential diagnosis is incorporated into numerous case discussions. For example, individual chapters distinguish conditions such as benign cephalic histiocytosis from other histiocytic disorders and erythroderma associated with DRESS from other causes of generalized erythroderma.
Its case-based questions and diagnostic discussions can be useful for revision and clinical reasoning. However, the book is presented as a clinical case guide rather than a dedicated board-examination review resource.
Yes. Treatment is discussed in individual cases where relevant. Examples include management of lamellar ichthyosis, infantile hemangioma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, DRESS syndrome, and infectious dermatologic conditions.
Conclusion
Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology offers a focused, clinically oriented way to study pediatric dermatology through patient cases. Edited by Fabio Arcangeli and Torello M. Lotti and published by Springer Nature in 2022, the book brings together 35 cases spanning inflammatory, infectious, congenital, vascular, histiocytic, nutritional, genetic, and systemic dermatologic disorders.
Its greatest educational value comes from the way cases connect clinical morphology with diagnostic reasoning. Readers encounter patient histories, examination findings, photographs, differential diagnoses, investigations, final diagnoses, discussions, and key learning points. In selected cases, diagnostic reasoning extends to histopathology, dermoscopy, microbiology, imaging, immunohistochemistry, or genetic testing.
For medical students and residents, the book can provide an active approach to learning rather than passive memorization. For practicing dermatologists and pediatricians, it offers concise opportunities to review unusual or challenging presentations.
The book should not be regarded as a substitute for a comprehensive dermatology reference or a dedicated examination review manual. Its value is more specific: it is a case-based clinical learning resource for neonatal and infant dermatology, particularly useful for readers who want to strengthen recognition, differential diagnosis, investigation, and clinical reasoning.
For anyone building expertise in the dermatologic assessment of newborns and infants, Clinical Cases in Neonatal and Infant Dermatology provides a focused collection of cases that can be read individually, used for revision, or incorporated into clinical teaching.
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