Skin diseases are highly prevalent among indigenous people leading to low mortality but
greatly impacting their quality of life. Such diseases can be observed in indigenous people
both those living in isolated communities and those who have since been urbanized to some
degree share a common characteristic of presenting different clinical patterns than
non-indigenous individuals. These specificities necessitate a special approach when diagnosing
dermatologic diseases in indigenous people. However these considerations are rarely discussed
in standard dermatology books. This Atlas addresses that gap by providing specific materials
for professionals involved in the health of indigenous people especially with those who live
either alone or in remote areas. It offers a comprehensive overview of the most common skin
diseases in specific tribes providing a full clinical guide on the dermatologic signs and
symptoms in these individuals. Additionally the book complements the clinical standpoint with
an anthropologic perspective examining the impact of dermatologic diseases in indigenous
people and the different meaning of these diseases in their lives. Most of the material
presented in this Atlas was collected in the Xingu Program a project created in 1965 by the
Federal University of São Paulo Brazil and devoted to providing medical care to indigenous
people from the Upper Xingu region in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Thus the content is
primarily applicable to South American indigenous people. However the common characteristics
of the isolation and non-urbanization of these communities as well as the anthropologic
perspective adopted here allow the content to be extrapolated to other indigenous peoples
worldwide. This Atlas will be a novel and valuable resource for health professionals who work
with indigenous peoples especially in geographic areas where dermatologists are not always
readily available.
