Current dermatology guidelines in Germany and Europe: A selection of clinically relevant recommendations

Abstract

Clinical practice guidelines are systematically developed decision aids for specific medical conditions. In Germany, national dermatology guidelines are developed chiefly under the aegis of the German Dermatological Society in collaboration with the Professional Association of German Dermatologists. European and international dermatological guidelines also exist and are developed by a range of organisations, such as the European Centre for Guidelines Development, which was founded by the European Dermatology Forum in 2018. In the years 2019 and 2020, new or updated German national guidelines were published on topics such as pathological scars (hypertrophic scars and keloids), cutaneous lupus erythematosus, pyoderma grangrenosum, anal pruritus, anal eczema, anal canal and anal rim carcinomas, as well as the prevention of HPV-associated neoplasms through vaccination, syphilis and the systemic treatment of neurodermitis. A new European guideline on lichen planus closes a gap in the spectrum of guidelines available in Germany. Key recommendations and relevant changes in the guidelines are presented in this article.