13th Conference "Controversies and Advances in Dermatology"
Three days. Thirty experts. Controversies that develop us.
There are conferences you attend for answers. And there are those you attend for better questions.
The 13th Conference "Controversies and Advances in Dermatology" belonged to the second category.
In the first week of December 2025, in the heart of Wrocław's Old Town, leading Polish dermatologists gathered. They didn't come to confirm their beliefs. They came to question them, to confront them with colleagues' experiences, to see their methods through other specialists' eyes.
For three days, the halls of Wyndham Old Town resonated with phrases like "yes, but...", "what about cases where...", "in my practice I've noticed...". Does this sound like chaos? This is what science sounds like in its purest form.
The Medical Faculty of Wrocław University of Science and Technology had the honor of being the patron of an event that gathered many participants from all over Poland. But this wasn't just patronage – our scientists and clinicians were among the main architects of this exceptional conference.
Thursday: From Scalpel to Dilemma
The conference began unusually – not with lectures, but with practice.
The dermatosurgical course led by Dr. n. med. Andrzej Bieniek and Dr. n. med. Piotr Krajewski from the Medical Faculty of Wrocław University of Science and Technology attracted those who wanted to move from theory to technique. After an intensive morning came the time for the first lecture sessions. And immediately – controversies.
Dr n. med. Andrzej Jaworek from Kraków posed a question that troubles dermatologists: "Trichophyton indotineae: are we facing an epidemic?" A new strain of fungal infection, resistant to standard treatment, "traveling" across Europe.
Dr hab. n. med. Grażyna Kamińska-Winciorek from Katowice showed how oncology is changing dermatology. "Patient in oncological treatment: a new dermatology?" – a lecture that reminded us that immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T, bispecifics... each new oncological therapy is a new challenge for the skin. And a new specialization for us.
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Jacek Szepietowski led a lecture on advances in treating atopic dermatitis in Poland. From baseline therapy through classic systemic drugs to biologics and small molecules – the therapeutic landscape has changed beyond recognition in the last five years. And it's still changing.
In the evening came the inaugural lecture, which... well, let's call it: generated interest.
"Sex tourism and assisted sex: myth or reality?" – an expert dialogue by Dr. Marta Rorat and Dr. n. med. Marcin Zawadzki.
This was a lecture that combined venereology, psychiatry, sociology, and travel medicine. Topics not spoken about loudly, but that appear in consulting rooms. The lecture showed that dermatology and venereology are not just about skin and mucous membranes – it's about society, behaviors, cultural changes. And we must be prepared for questions that wouldn't even have been asked 10 years ago.
Friday: Dialogues that Divide
The second day of the conference belonged to the format that has become the hallmark of this event: Expert Dialogue.
The principle is simple, but powerful: two specialists, one topic, different perspectives. It's not about someone "winning". It's about showing that in medicine there is rarely one correct path.
"Methotrexate: past or present?"
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Witold Owczarek (Warsaw) and Dr hab. n. med. Zbigniew Żuber.
One expert said: "it's a safe, proven, accessible first-line drug". The other responded: "it's a drug from the 80s, we have better options". The room was divided - both answers made clinical sense.
"Psoriasis treatment program without secrets – how not to get lost in the thicket of rules"
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Lidia Rudnicka (Warsaw) and prof. dr hab. n. med. Jacek Szepietowski.
The drug program for psoriasis is a blessing and curse simultaneously. Access to the most modern therapies? Yes. Procedures, criteria, documentation, switching, monitoring? Also yes.
This dialogue was painfully practical – how to document, what to do when the effect weakens, how to talk with the NFZ (National Health Fund). Not philosophy, but a survival manual in the system. Participants were actively taking notes as if they had an appointment tomorrow with a patient who meets the criteria.
Between dialogues, equally substantive sessions took place, though sometimes less controversial:
Trichoscopy – Dr. Justyna Sicińska showed how much this tool has evolved. From "let's look at hair under a microscope" to advanced differential diagnosis of alopecia.
Proper biopsy – Dr. n. med. Joanna Czuwara (Warsaw) reminded us that a biopsy is not just cutting out a piece of skin. It's communication with the histopathologist. It's choosing the location. It's proper fixation. It's clinical context. A poorly performed biopsy is a lost chance for diagnosis.
Pigmented nevi – Dr. n. med. Iwona Chlebicka moderated the session and gave a lecture about the dilemma every dermatologist knows: "Which, when, and how to remove a nevus?"
In the evening came another dialogue that divided the room:
"Seborosacea: does it exist?"
Dr hab. n. med. Agnieszka Żebrowska (Łódź) and Prof. dr hab. n. med. Aleksandra Dańczak-Pazdrowska (Poznań).
Seborosacea – a term that appears in practice, but not in textbooks. Is it a separate entity? Is it an overlap of seborrheic dermatitis and rosacea? Or is it simply a misdiagnosed one of them?
One expert defended: "I see it clinically, it responds to specific treatment". The other countered: "it's overinterpretation, we're dividing unnecessarily".
The debate ended without resolution. But everyone in the room started looking differently at patients with facial redness and scaling. And that was the point.
Saturday: Practice that Provokes
The last day of the conference began with topics every dermatologist knows from daily practice:
"Truncal acne: is it the same disease?"
Dr hab. n. med. Beata Bergler-Czop (Katowice) asked a question that sounds simple, but the answer is complex. Acne on the back is not just "acne in a different place". Different factors, different response to treatment, different scars. It requires a different approach.
Prof. Jacek Szepietowski and Prof. Łukasz Matusiak led lectures on topical acne treatment. In the era of isotretinoin and biologics, it's easy to forget about topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, azelaic acid. But most patients don't need heavy artillery. They need well-applied topical therapy and patience.
And then came the moment the entire room was waiting for:
"Cyclosporine: friend or foe?"
Expert dialogue led by Prof. dr hab. n. med. Łukasz Matusiak and Prof. dr hab. n. med. Magdalena Krajewska.
Cyclosporine is one of the most controversial drugs in dermatology. Effective? Undoubtedly. Fast? Yes. Safe? Here the problems begin.
A nephrologist and dermatologist – two perspectives, one drug.
The dermatologist describes a patient with severe atopic dermatitis who changes beyond recognition in three weeks. The nephrologist looks at the same patient and sees creatinine levels, GFR, hypertension, drug interactions.
This was a debate that showed how important interdisciplinary cooperation is. Cyclosporine is neither friend nor foe. It's a tool that must be used wisely, at the right time, in the right patient, under proper supervision.
Dr n. med. Piotr Krajewski delivered one of the most unusual lectures of the conference:
"New molecules from the Asian elephant, dragon, and tiger – are they worth treating with?"
The title intrigued. The content didn't disappoint. Traditional medicine – especially Chinese, Korean, Japanese – has been using compounds for millennia that we're now beginning to study with modern scientific methods. Some turn out to be placebo. Some turn out to be fascinating molecules with proven anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antifungal effects.
The lecture balanced between openness to new sources of therapy and healthy skepticism. The lesson was simple: let's not reject tradition, but let's test it with scientific rigor.
An Ending that Stays
The final lecture of the conference was a topic that's discussed too little in Polish dermatology:
"Abuse of patients with dermatoses"
Dr n. med. Aleksandra Stefaniak and Prof. dr hab. n. med. Joanna Rymaszewska (psychiatry).
Patients with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, acne experience not only physical symptoms. They experience stigmatization, comments, avoidance, discrimination. In schools, at work, in relationships.
This was a lecture that reminded us that dermatology is not just about skin. It's about psyche. It's about society. It's about quality of life.
When a dermatologist asks "how do you feel?", they shouldn't just ask about itching. They should ask about sleep, relationships, work, self-worth.
Three Days that Change Practice
The 13th Conference "Controversies and Advances in Dermatology" has ended, but discussions continue – in hospital corridors, in offices, in online discussion groups
It's precisely controversies that develop us. Not agreement, not consensus, not "we all do it this way". But questions, doubts, different experiences, new perspectives.
The Medical Faculty of Wrocław University of Science and Technology is proud that our scientists and clinicians – Prof. Jacek Szepietowski, Prof. Łukasz Matusiak, Prof. Magdalena Krajewska, Dr. Piotr Krajewski, Dr. Iwona Chlebicka – were not only participants, but co-creators of this event. Their scientific and clinical work, their courage to ask difficult questions, their commitment to education – this is the foundation of Polish dermatology's future.
We thank all participants – dermatologists, residents, and specialists from all over Poland who came to Wrocław. Your active participation in discussions, provocative questions, willingness to share experiences – without this, the conference would have been just a series of monologues. Thanks to you, it was a dialogue.
We thank the speakers – all experts who devoted time to preparing lectures, who had the courage to say "it depends", who showed that the best specialists are those who continue to learn.
We thank the partners – for substantive and organizational support, without which an event of this scale would not have been possible.
About the Conference
13th Conference "Controversies and Advances in Dermatology"
December 4-6, 2025 | Wyndham Wrocław Old Town
Scientific Leadership:
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Jacek Szepietowski
Prof. dr hab. n. med. Łukasz Matusiak
Secretary:
Dr n. med. Piotr Krajewski
Patronage:
Wrocław University of Science and Technology - Medical Faculty
Scientific Partnership:
Department and Clinic of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Allergology, Medical Faculty, Wrocław University of Science and Technology
Clinical Department of Dermatology-Venereology, 4th Military Clinical Hospital, Wrocław
See photos from the conference
