The September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks from a Dermatology Perspective: A Remembrance

Abstract The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 caused a significant loss of life and resulted in injuries, plus other health issues that continue to plague many survivors and responders to this day. With the 20th anniversary of this tragedy approaching, this contribution looks at the dermatologic injuries suffered on the day of the attacks from burns and lacerations, along with the chronic skin conditions that have afflicted survivors and responders during the nearly two decades since. These chronic illnesses include sarcoidosis, autoimmune disease, ill-defined skin lesions and irritation, non-melanoma skin cancer, and melanoma. We also recognize the heroism of first responders who struggled to save the lives of those injured at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, many of whom have suffered health consequences that continue to have lasting effects on them and on the people they treated.