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Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Apr 2023Trichoscopy is a simple, noninvasive office procedure that can be performed using a handheld or digital dermatoscope. This tool has gained popularity in recent years,... (Review)
Review
Trichoscopy is a simple, noninvasive office procedure that can be performed using a handheld or digital dermatoscope. This tool has gained popularity in recent years, because it provides useful diagnostic information for hair loss and scalp disorders by enabling the visualization and identification of distinctive signs and structures. We present an updated review of the trichoscopic features described for some of the most common hair loss disorders seen in clinical practice. Dermatologists should be familiar with these helpful features, as they can significantly aid the diagnosis and follow-up of numerous conditions, such as alopecia areata, trichotillomania, and frontal fibrosing alopecia.
Topics: Humans; Dermoscopy; Alopecia Areata; Trichotillomania; Skin Diseases; Lichen Planus
PubMed: 36574917
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2022.12.003 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Feb 2019Dermoscopy is increasingly used by clinicians (dermatologists, family physicians, podiatrists, doctors of osteopathic medicine, etc) to inform clinical management... (Review)
Review
Dermoscopy is increasingly used by clinicians (dermatologists, family physicians, podiatrists, doctors of osteopathic medicine, etc) to inform clinical management decisions. Dermoscopic findings or images provided to pathologists offer important insight into the clinician's diagnostic and management thought process. However, with limited dermoscopic training in dermatopathology, dermoscopic descriptions and images provided in the requisition form provide little value to pathologists. Most dermoscopic structures have direct histopathologic correlates, and therefore dermoscopy can act as an excellent communication bridge between the clinician and the pathologist. In the first article in this continuing medical education series, we review dermoscopic features and their histopathologic correlates.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Biopsy, Needle; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Dermoscopy; Diagnosis, Differential; Education, Medical, Continuing; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 30321581
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2018.07.073 -
Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Jan 2023Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that affects the hair follicle and can present as bald patches on the scalp and hair loss in other parts of the body. Diagnosis... (Review)
Review
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that affects the hair follicle and can present as bald patches on the scalp and hair loss in other parts of the body. Diagnosis is clinical but can be aided by trichoscopy, a simple, rapid technique that reduces the need for invasive procedures and can also help with monitoring treatment response. We review the usefulness of trichoscopy in alopecia areata. The most common trichoscopic findings are yellow dots, black dots, exclamation mark hairs, short vellus hairs, and coudability hairs. Other, less common, findings can also help establish a diagnosis. Good response to treatment is indicated by the disappearance of black dots, broken hairs, and exclamation mark hairs. The observation of yellow dots, by contrast, indicates chronic disease and poor response to treatment.
Topics: Humans; Alopecia Areata; Dermoscopy; Hair; Alopecia; Hair Follicle; Hair Diseases
PubMed: 36067826
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2022.08.018 -
Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Apr 2021Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique that has been demonstrated to improve diagnostic accuracy in basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The first dermoscopic model for the... (Review)
Review
Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique that has been demonstrated to improve diagnostic accuracy in basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The first dermoscopic model for the diagnosis of BCC, based mainly on the identification of pigmented structures, was described by Menzies et al., and since then dermoscopy has generated an abundance of literature useful to routine clinical practice. From a practical perspective, dermoscopic structures associated with BCC can be classified as pigmented, vascular, or nonpigmented/nonvascular. One of the most recent applications of dermoscopy in BCC is as an aid to predicting histologic subtype and essentially differentiating between superficial and nonsuperficial BCC. It can also, however, help raise suspicion of more aggressive variants with a higher risk of recurrence. A thorough dermoscopic examination during follow-up of patients with actinic damage or a history of multiple BCCs can facilitate the detection of very incipient lesions and significantly impact treatment and prognosis.
Topics: Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Dermoscopy; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 33259816
DOI: 10.1016/j.ad.2020.11.011 -
The Journal of the American Osteopathic... Jun 2019Melanoma is currently the fifth most common cancer in the United States, resulting in more than 9000 deaths each year. Despite numerous improvements in the management of... (Review)
Review
Melanoma is currently the fifth most common cancer in the United States, resulting in more than 9000 deaths each year. Despite numerous improvements in the management of advanced melanoma, the cornerstone to ensuring a cure remains early detection. Both patient and physician awareness regarding the signs and symptoms of early melanoma remain paramount. As a result, much effort has been and continues to be expended in developing and refining effective diagnostic algorithms to help identify melanomas and differentiate them from nevi, such as the ABCDE rule (A for asymmetry, B for border irregularity, C for color variegation, D for diameter >6 mm, and E for evolution in lesion size, shape, or color). To assist in the detection of more subtle melanomas requires technology to augment a visual examination. Toward this end, a simple instrument called a dermatoscope has transformed not only the appreciation of the morphology of melanoma but also its growth dynamics. The discipline of dermoscopy has improved the detection of melanoma and other skin cancers, has resulted in the detection of thinner melanomas, and has helped improve the ability to differentiate nevi (benign lesions) from melanomas, which, in turn, has resulted in fewer biopsies of benign lesions. Since patients often first present to their primary care physicians for their health-related concerns, it is imperative that primary care physicians be able to recognize the lesions that are suspicious for melanoma. This review is intended to introduce osteopathic physicians to the dermoscopic features associated primarily with melanomas located on nonglabrous skin.
Topics: Dermoscopy; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Melanoma; Physical Examination; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 31135866
DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2019.067 -
Current Treatment Options in Oncology Sep 2018Dermatoscopy (dermoscopy) improves the diagnosis of benign and malignant cutaneous neoplasms in comparison with examination with the unaided eye and should be used... (Review)
Review
Dermatoscopy (dermoscopy) improves the diagnosis of benign and malignant cutaneous neoplasms in comparison with examination with the unaided eye and should be used routinely for all pigmented and non-pigmented cutaneous neoplasms. It is especially useful for the early stage of melanoma when melanoma-specific criteria are invisible to the unaided eye. Preselection by the unaided eye is therefore not recommended. The increased availability of polarized dermatoscopes, and the extended use of dermatoscopy in non-pigmented lesions led to the discovery of new criteria, and we recommend that lesions should be examined with polarized and non-polarized dermatoscopy. The "chaos and clues algorithm" is a good starting point for beginners because it is easy to use, accurate, and it works for all types of pigmented lesions not only for those melanocytic. Physicians, who use dermatoscopy routinely, should be aware of new clues for acral melanomas, nail matrix melanomas, melanoma in situ, and nodular melanoma. Dermatoscopy should also be used to distinguish between different subtypes of basal cell carcinoma and to discriminate highly from poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinomas to optimize therapy and management of non-melanoma skin cancer. One of the most exciting areas of research is the use of dermatoscopic images for machine learning and automated diagnosis. Convolutional neural networks trained with dermatoscopic images are able to diagnose pigmented lesions with the same accuracy as human experts. We humans should not be afraid of this new and exciting development because it will most likely lead to a peaceful and fruitful coexistence of human experts and decision support systems.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Algorithms; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Dermoscopy; Female; Humans; Keratosis, Actinic; Male; Melanoma; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin; Skin Neoplasms; Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant
PubMed: 30238167
DOI: 10.1007/s11864-018-0573-6 -
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2019Actinic keratoses are dysplastic proliferations of keratinocytes with potential for malignant transformation. Clinically, actinic keratoses present as macules, papules,... (Review)
Review
Actinic keratoses are dysplastic proliferations of keratinocytes with potential for malignant transformation. Clinically, actinic keratoses present as macules, papules, or hyperkeratotic plaques with an erythematous background that occur on photoexposed areas. At initial stages, they may be better identified by palpation rather than by visual inspection. They may also be pigmented and show variable degrees of infiltration; when multiple they then constitute the so-called field cancerization. Their prevalence ranges from 11% to 60% in Caucasian individuals above 40 years. Ultraviolet radiation is the main factor involved in pathogenesis, but individual factors also play a role in the predisposing to lesions appearance. Diagnosis of lesions is based on clinical and dermoscopic examination, but in some situations histopathological analysis may be necessary. The risk of transformation into squamous cell carcinoma is the major concern regarding actinic keratoses. Therapeutic modalities for actinic keratoses include topical medications, and ablative and surgical methods; the best treatment option should always be individualized according to the patient.
Topics: Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Dermoscopy; Humans; Keratosis, Actinic; Risk Factors; Severity of Illness Index; Skin Neoplasms
PubMed: 31789244
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2019.10.004 -
Dermatologie (Heidelberg, Germany) Apr 2023Genodermatoses are a group of inherited skin diseases whose diagnosis is challenging due to their rarity as well as their clinical and genetic diversity. The majority... (Review)
Review
Genodermatoses are a group of inherited skin diseases whose diagnosis is challenging due to their rarity as well as their clinical and genetic diversity. The majority of genodermatoses are autosomal or X‑linked inherited, but mosaic forms are also observed. Genodermatoses comprise various phenotypes ranging from limited cutaneous disease to severe cutaneous and extracutaneous involvement and may also be early warning signs of a multisystemic disorder. Despite recent advances in genetic technology and skin imaging modalities, dermoscopy can be useful for screening, diagnosis, and treatment follow-up. In ectopic mineralization and lysosomal storage disorders (pseudoxanthoma elasticum and Fabry disease, respectively), cutaneous manifestations may indicate involvement of other organs. In keratinization diseases (e.g., ichthyoses) and acantholytic skin fragility disorders (e.g., Darier and Hailey-Hailey disease), dermoscopy may help to assess treatment response by visualizing background erythema, hyperkeratosis, and interkeratinocyte space prominence. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive, easily accessible, useful, in vivo assessment tool that is well established in dermatology to recognize characteristic features of genodermatoses.
Topics: Humans; Dermoscopy; Skin; Ichthyosis; Keratosis; Pemphigus, Benign Familial
PubMed: 36882583
DOI: 10.1007/s00105-023-05124-7 -
Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2017The authors report an unusual case of disseminated tungiasis in a 52-year-old patient living in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, who had...
The authors report an unusual case of disseminated tungiasis in a 52-year-old patient living in the city of Campo Grande, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, who had crusted-papular-nodular lesions located in feet, hands, and right thigh. Diagnosis was confirmed by dermoscopy and anatomopathological examination.
Topics: Dermoscopy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Tungiasis
PubMed: 29166519
DOI: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.20177239 -
Indian Journal of Dermatology,... 2014
Topics: Dermoscopy; Humans; Vitiligo
PubMed: 25382503
DOI: 10.4103/0378-6323.144141