Dr. Somkeo Phommasack

Dr. Somkeo Phommasack is a dermatologist at Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane — Laos's principal national referral hospital. As one of a limited number of specialist dermatologists in the Lao PDR, he provides skin care services to patients referred from Vientiane and across the country, where access to specialist dermatological care outside the capital is extremely limited.

Laos's dermatological disease profile is shaped by tropical agriculture, widespread rural poverty, and limited healthcare infrastructure. Fungal infections (tinea corporis, tinea versicolor, onychomycosis) are prevalent. Leprosy, while declining globally, persists in Laos and Dr. Phommasack participates in the national leprosy control programme. Soil-transmitted parasitic conditions including cutaneous larva migrans and gnathostomiasis are encountered in patients from rural districts. Common chronic dermatoses including eczema, psoriasis, acne, and contact dermatitis also form a significant portion of his outpatient workload.

He completed dermatology postgraduate training in Thailand and consults in Lao, Thai, and English.

Dr. Phommasack completed his MD at the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane, then undertook dermatology specialist training in Thailand — the common pathway for Laotian medical specialists due to the limited postgraduate training capacity within Laos. He holds a Diploma in Dermatology from a Thai institution and has completed WHO-supported leprosy diagnosis and management training. He participates in Lao Dermatology Society continuing education programmes and cross-border training workshops with Thai dermatological institutions in Udon Thani and Nong Khai.

Dr. Phommasack's dermatological practice reflects Laos's tropical disease context. He diagnoses and manages leprosy using clinical assessment and slit-skin smear, administering WHO multidrug therapy (MDT) and monitoring for leprosy reactions. He manages superficial and deep fungal infections, scabies with permethrin and ivermectin, and parasitic skin conditions. For common dermatoses, he manages eczema, psoriasis with topical therapies, acne, and contact dermatitis with patch testing. He performs skin biopsy, cryotherapy for warts and keratoses, KOH preparations for fungal confirmation, and intralesional steroid injections for hypertrophic scars and keloids.

Dr. Phommasack sees patients at Mahosot Hospital, which is Vientiane's main government referral hospital. International tourists and expatriates in Vientiane with dermatological concerns can access care at Mahosot. He consults in Lao, Thai, and English. For conditions requiring advanced dermatological procedures beyond Laos's capacity — such as phototherapy, advanced biologics, or Mohs surgery — he facilitates referral to Bangkok's major dermatology centres, which are accessible by air in 1.5 hours.

Dr. Phommasack has been formally recognized by Mahosot Hospital for his outstanding contributions to dermatological services and for establishing a structured tropical skin disease clinic within the department. He received a commendation from the Lao Ministry of Health for his role in the national leprosy elimination program, in which he has contributed active case detection and multi-drug therapy supervision across Vientiane province.

He is a member of the Lao Medical Association and the Lao Dermatology Society, and serves on the society's continuing education committee. He engages in WHO-supported skin neglected tropical disease (NTD) activities for the elimination of leprosy and podoconiosis in Laos. He has been acknowledged by the WHO Laos Country Office for his contributions to NTD surveillance data collection.