Dr. Karla Beatriz Molina Rivas

Dr. Karla Beatriz Molina Rivas is a dermatologist and venereologist at Hospital Nacional Rosales in San Salvador — El Salvador's oldest and largest public hospital and a major center for specialist dermatology in the country. With 13 years of experience in dermatology in a Central American tropical context, she manages skin conditions that are both endemic to El Salvador and those increasingly common with urbanization.

El Salvador has a distinctive dermatological profile. Cutaneous leishmaniasis — transmitted by sandfly bites — is endemic in rural areas and presents a diagnostic and treatment challenge. Fungal infections, including tinea capitis, tinea corporis, and onychomycosis, are highly prevalent. Inflammatory skin diseases including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and contact dermatitis are major components of her practice. Acne and hyperpigmentation disorders are common dermatological concerns for the young Salvadoran population.

Dr. Molina Rivas trained at the Universidad de El Salvador and completed her specialist training in Dermatología y Venereología, with a Diplomado in Tropical Dermatology reflecting the Central American burden of tropical skin disease.

Dr. Molina Rivas completed her Doctora en Medicina at the Universidad de El Salvador — the country's national public university and its largest medical faculty — and completed her dermatology and venereology specialty training at a specialist training centre in San Salvador. She completed a Diplomado in Tropical Dermatology with emphasis on cutaneous leishmaniasis, fungal infections, and tropical infectious skin disease, reflecting El Salvador's distinctive dermatological burden.

She is a member of the Sociedad Salvadoreña de Dermatología and the Sociedad Centroamericana de Dermatología, and has participated in continuing education programmes through the Sociedad Ibero-Latinoamericana de Dermatología (SLAD), maintaining current knowledge of Latin American dermatological practice guidelines and research.

Dr. Molina Rivas's dermatology practice has particular strength in cutaneous leishmaniasis — performing diagnosis via slit-skin smear and skin biopsy and treating with systemic antimonials or miltefosine under the national leishmaniasis control program. Her practice covers fungal infections (tinea, onychomycosis, tinea versicolor, candidiasis), inflammatory skin disease (psoriasis, eczema, contact dermatitis, urticaria, lichen planus), sexually transmitted skin infections (syphilis skin manifestations, condyloma, molluscum), and cosmetic concerns including acne and hyperpigmentation. She performs skin biopsy, cryotherapy, dermoscopy, electrocautery, and patch testing.

Hospital Nacional Rosales primarily serves the Salvadoran domestic population, but dermatology consultations are accessible to international patients. Members of the Salvadoran diaspora returning from the United States — where approximately 2.3 million Salvadorans reside — frequently access dermatology services in El Salvador at significantly lower cost than in North America, including treatment for conditions like cutaneous leishmaniasis contracted during visits to rural communities.

Dr. Molina Rivas is experienced in diagnosing tropical skin diseases in travelers and returning migrants, including conditions that may be unfamiliar to dermatologists in higher-income countries. Medical tourists and volunteers in El Salvador who develop skin conditions can consult her at Hospital Nacional Rosales. Consultations are conducted in Spanish; patients who require English communication should confirm interpreter availability in advance.

Dr. Molina Rivas is an active member of the Sociedad Salvadoreña de Dermatología and the Sociedad Centroamericana de Dermatología, contributing to national and regional dermatology education programmes and professional standard-setting. She participates in El Salvador's national leishmaniasis control programme and has been involved in training primary care physicians in the early recognition of cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in endemic rural districts, a contribution with direct public health significance in reducing diagnostic delays.

She contributes to dermatology teaching at the Universidad de El Salvador medical faculty and participates in continuing education activities through the Sociedad Ibero-Latinoamericana de Dermatología. Her work in tropical dermatology education and leishmaniasis control is recognised within El Salvador's national health system.