In a study published in this issue, González-Cantero et al.1 report the results of a survey of Spanish dermatologists undertaken to investigate seasonal differences in dermatological diagnoses. Their findings reveal a number of interesting patterns. In the overall analysis, the most frequent diagnoses (actinic keratoses, other malignant neoplasms of skin, and melanocytic nevi) are constant throughout the year, with no differences being observed between the warm and cold seasons. However, seasonal differences were detected in other frequent diagnoses, such as acne (more common in the cold season) and other benign neoplasms (more common in the hot season). These findings reflect the growing understanding on the part of family practitioners and the general population about the seasonal effect of certain acne treatments, such as oral retinoids.

Comparison of the data from the public and private sectors, on the other hand, clearly showed the predominance of pre-malignant, malignant, and inflammatory skin conditions in patients treated in the public health system vs the higher percentage of diagnoses of benign conditions in the private sector. This difference underscores the importance public health care in the management of potentially serious conditions, such as skin cancer, and the complementary role of private care in the treatment of benign dermatological conditions that are a cause of concern for patients.