Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

Goals, objectives, significant historical facts

The Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases (OVL) was established in 1923 at the University of Lithuania. It was led by Jurgis Karuža (1923–1935), Bronius Sidaravičius (1935–1946, 1956–1969), Vytautas Juškys (1946–1952), Leonid Fandejev (1952–1956), Petras Gailevičius (1969–1974, 1991–1998), Jūratė Dievaitienė (1974–1991), Arūnas Petkevičius (1998–2002). In 2001, the OVL Department was restored in Kaunas Clinics Hospital, which also operated during the interwar period. Since 2002, the OVL Department has been headed by Skaidra Valiukevičienė.
The main tasks of the Department are: to provide dermatovenerology personal healthcare services, to carry out dermatovenerology studies, scientific work, to organise training of medical personnel.

Directions of clinical activity

• Dermato-oncology. Modern diagnostic tools are implemented: simple and digital computer dermatoscopy, siascopy, ultrasound examination, photo-dynamic treatment. In cooperation with other departments, histological and immunohistochemical tests, radionuclide diagnostics of sentinel lymph nodes, computed tomography, nuclear magnet resonance imaging are performed.
• Surgical procedures. Biopsies, excision, electro-surgery, cryotherapy, and nail surgeries are performed on skin tumours and other skin derivatives.
• Dermato-cosmetology. Facial capillaries, electrodiathermy of papillomas (paid service).
• Dermato-allergology. Selection of allergy-reducing diet and rational treatment, allergen patch samples.
• Infectious dermatoses. Provides advisory assistance for fungal, bacterial, viral skin diseases, Lyme disease.
• Venereology. Consulting is provided on sexually transmitted infections (syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, etc.) and HIV. It is also possible for patients to be tested (paid service) for these diseases in an anonymous manner. Molecular PCR tests for C. trachomatis, M. genitallium, U. urealyticum are carried out.
• Treatment of ulcers. The causes of ulcers are determined (ultrasound, Doppler, etc.), rational treatment with drugs, hydrocolloid patches, compression therapy or surgery is selected.
• Chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Treatment of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, etc.
• Severe psoriasis. Systemic treatment of the disease with traditional and biological medications, monitoring of patients, general discussions in consultations.
• Unexplained skin diseases. They are attended by the head of the clinic, the head of the sector and pathology doctors.
• Teledermatology. Digital skin imaging is carried out with the help of information technologies, consulting assistance remotely between a family doctor and a dermatologist.

Other achievements of the Department

OVL clinic has 16 in-patient beds and 4 day patient beds. More than nineteen thousand patients are treated in the outpatient clinic per year, 600 and 700 patients in the hospital. Specialists with experience in dermato-oncology, dermato-allergology, venereology, dermato-histopathology work at OVL clinic in the fields of medical imaging, ultrasound, spectrophotometry in intracutaneous analysis, infrared thermography and telemedicine.
In 2004, a modern phototherapy room was opened, where for the first time in Lithuania – bath PUVA treatment method for psoriasis, skin lymphoma was successfully implemented.
In 2010, the centre of excellence of skin tumours was opened, which operates a modern digital dermatoscope, siascope, and high-frequency ultrasound. The equipment was acquired by an international project carried out in Lithuania by the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences and Kaunas University of Technology specialists of Prof. K. Baršauskas Ultrasound Research Institute together with technical specialists from Germany, Portugal and Italy. The project was supported by the Lithuanian Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology
During 2002–2013, 16 national and 2 international conferences were organised. The most important of these were the 11th Congress of the Association of Dermatovenerologists of the Baltic States, on October 17-19, 2013.
World Psoriasis Day is held annually, dedicated to patients in cooperation with the Lithuanian Society of psoriasis patients.