[Dermatological problems in visitors to the tropics].

Diseases of the skin are common in travellers returning from the tropics and immigrants from tropical countries, and often pose a challenge for physicians in the industrialized world. In addition to the cosmopolitan skin diseases, dermatoses linked specifically to the geoclimatic and socio-economic conditions prevailing in the tropics. To correctly diagnose such dermatological lesions, knowledge of the respective geographic aspects and tropical medicine is a must. An unusual climate and contact with microorganisms, parasites and insects not normally encountered can result in a specific spectrum of skin problems in persons who spend time in tropical regions.