We have just received some very unpleasant news: our journal has not been awarded an impact factor. Most of the reasons given are debatable, but one is clear: the journal is infrequently cited. We are forced to admit the truth of this and we must all intone our mea culpa; yet more importantly, we must take corrective action.

“As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways in which I could respond to my situation—either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” (Martin Luther King).

Far from losing heart—as it is no use complaining—we must look ahead in our own interest and continue the considerable work undertaken by those responsible for Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas.

“Never give up or abandon the path; never say I cannot go on and here I stay.” (J.A. Goytisolo. Palabras para Julia (Words for Julia).

How difficult it is to improve on work well done! But it is always possible to do better. I believe we all know that Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas is the favored child of the AEDV and has been since its birth. Each board of directors has attempted to promote it and the incumbents certainly aim to improve it.

The journal was created in the image of the AEDV itself and is a true reflection of the interests of both leaders and members alike.

Spanish dermatology is committed to an all-encompassing view of our specialty that embraces all clinical and therapeutic aspects related to skin, and Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas has gradually come to mirror the concerns of Spanish dermatologists over time.

Our specialty is undoubtedly enriched and not disjointed by emerging subspecialties, which are the fruit of our collective desire to excel. Finding an outlet for the scientific production of these interests is a challenge that we must address from within our association.

At times we have all considered the possibility of creating new journals or monographs that would meet our expectations, but I believe that diluting our efforts is not a good idea. We already possess a prestigious journal that is successfully indexed and can accommodate our needs and be enriched by them.

For many years, surgery has been part of our specialty, one that has grown and gradually been incorporated into most, though unfortunately not all, departments. To a greater or lesser extent, we believe that surgery is necessary to provide solutions to our patients’ problems. On occasion we may be apprehensive when treating extensive lesions and in such cases refer patients to others. It is true that we need to understand our own limitations but the desire to progress through learning instead of remaining within our comfort zone is equally important. For this reason—so that our experts can broadcast their experience and others may learn from it—the editors of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas have rightly considered that there should be a section in the journal dedicated to dermatologic surgery. Three highly capable individuals possessed of great enthusiasm for this undertaking will make sure that it comes to fruition: they are Drs M. de Troya, M.A. Rodríguez Prieto, and F. Russo.

Pediatric dermatopathology has sparked a growing interest among dermatologists. Proof of this is the mass attendance and high standard of work presented at meetings of the Spanish Group of Pediatric Dermatology (GEDP) and the participation of Spanish dermatologists at international gatherings. It therefore seems only right to have a specific section for this subspecialty within Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas. Dr E. Baselga, currently the coordinator of the GEDP, and Drs A. Hernández and A. Vicente, dermatologists with broad experience in pediatric dermatology, will no doubt coordinate the new area efficiently and with scientific rigor.

Dermatopathology has always been an important part of our specialty, both from a diagnostic and investigative perspective. We are fortunate in having a prestigious group of dermatologists whose vocation lies in dermatopathology as well as pathologists who are highly interested in studying skin conditions. I believe that not all dermatologists can reach a high degree of excellence but we must have adequate training to enable us to assess our patients’ biopsies in conjunction with fellow pathologists. We have repeatedly stated that clinical-pathological correlation is the only way to reach an accurate diagnosis. In view of this, the current editors of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas have decided to make a place for this subspecialty. Prof L. Requena and Drs M.T. Fernández-Figueras and José Carlos Pascual have agreed to coordinate this initiative.

The proliferation of treatments and their high cost require us to base our prescriptions on scientific evidence. Evidence-based decisions must form part of our daily routine and therefore the inclusion of a specific journal section for this concept seems totally appropriate. I am sure that with their work Drs Urbà González and Kim Thomas will help us assess the various alternatives and choose the most suitable ones.

I believe it is important for us all to be aware of the ambitious nature of this project. The editorial board of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas and the board of the AEDV are laying the foundations. Yet little will be achieved if our members fail to provide content for these new sections.

I would like to encourage all dermatologists to make an effort to submit more papers of excellent quality, which will subsequently help the journal gain its rightful place.

J.C. Moreno Giménez, President of the AEDV

Several weeks ago the editorial board of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas proposed we coordinate the pediatric dermatology section of the journal and we have eagerly accepted the challenge. Our daily work is essentially dedicated to this subspecialty and we are therefore aware of the special characteristics, of the diagnostic difficulties that many children's skin conditions entail, and of the important clinical differences between pediatric and adult dermatology. Indeed, the range and complexity of children's skin diseases justify the fact that in some countries, such as the United States, pediatric dermatology is a formal subspecialty. We believe that in Spain this area is of interest to many dermatologists and pediatricians and this is why specific training activities are keenly followed. We would like to invite authors to participate in this section by submitting case descriptions, studies, and reviews in pediatric dermatology so that we may all enhance our understanding in this respect.

Á. Hernández/E. Baselga/A. Vicente

I am delighted to announce the creation of the section of evidence-based dermatology (EBD) in Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas. EBD is the explicit and critical use of the best existing scientific knowledge (evidence) for clinical decision-making in the dermatological care of individual patients. Dr Kim Thomas, codirector of the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology (CEBD) at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, will coordinate this section with me. This is a great opportunity to share knowledge with the leaders of independent clinical research in dermatology and EBD. The CEBD is the editorial team of the Cochrane Skin Group, the coordinator of the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network and promotes the National Health Service's website on evidence related to skin disorders (www.library.nhs.uk/skin). We would encourage all academics and readers of this journal to participate in this section by contributing articles about the critical appraisal of the best up-to-date and reliable knowledge in clinical dermatology, both in Spanish and in English, including systematic reviews and articles on methodology.

U. González/K. Thomas/J. Piquero Martín

The Group of Dermatologic, Laser, and Skin Oncology Surgery (GECIDOC) is a working group for the exchange of knowledge in this area of surgery, and regarding light treatments including laser and light-pulsed or photodynamic therapy. Dr J. M. Carrascosa, editor-in-chief of Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas, has offered us the chance to publish articles related to any of the topics covered by our group. I therefore encourage specialists to take advantage of this opportunity and to submit your most interesting cases on surgery; on laser, intense pulsed-light, or photodynamic therapy; and of course oncology.

Greetings to you all.

M.A. Rodríguez Prieto/P. Russo/M. de Troya

Dermatopathology is the area of pathology that studies diseases of the skin, adjacent mucous membranes, skin appendages, hair, nails, and subcutaneous tissue by histological, histochemical, immunological, ultrastructural, microbiological, molecular biological, and other related techniques. Dermatopathology is the main source of assistance in routine clinical diagnosis in dermatology and an effective vehicle for teaching dermatology to medical students and residents as it underpins their understanding of the causes, pathogenesis, and treatment of many skin diseases. Moreover, dermatopathology has grown significantly in importance in recent years both in clinical practice and basic scientific research, particularly as a result of the many modern techniques that now form part of its arsenal. Dermatopathology is learned through years of practice and experience, and in no other area of medicine is the correlation between clinical data and histopathological findings as crucial for correctly interpreting prepared specimens. The method of correlating clinical and pathological findings is especially important for diagnosing inflammatory skin diseases, where in many cases a specific and correct final diagnosis can only be established by integrating clinical presentation and microscopic findings. This also occurs, though to a lesser extent, in skin tumors since the specific diagnosis of some melanocytic tumors, for example, can be extraordinarily difficult if the clinical characteristics of the lesion are not specified. We believe it is no exaggeration to say that dermatopathology is the subspecialty with the highest diagnostic yield. That is why dermatopathologic studies are published in a specific section in practically every issue of the most prestigious dermatology journals, and Actas Dermo-Sifiliográficas cannot fall behind. We therefore invite all dermatologists and pathologists with an interest in dermatopathology to submit their reviews on such topics for inclusion in this new section of the journal according to the space available in each issue.

L. Requena/M. Fernández-Figueras/J.C. Pascual