Dermoscopy in black people.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the use of dermoscopy in nonwhite-skinned populations and whether it can influence diagnostic performance.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate for the first time the utility and efficacy of dermoscopy in a black population for the diagnosis of pigmented cutaneous lesions.


METHODS
In total, 100 consecutive clinically doubtful or equivocal pigmented skin lesions in black patients were submitted to dermoscopic examination. The lesions were observed using dermoscopy by two groups of dermatologists, one in Brazil (in vivo) and the other in Italy (on slide images). Besides diagnosis, each group recorded on the same type of form the dermoscopic features present.


RESULTS
Of 100 clinically suspicious cases, 79 were Clark naevi, 15 seborrhoeic keratoses, four blue naevi, one dermatofibroma and one melanoma. The two groups of observers succeeded in identifying and classifying all the lesions to such a margin of diagnostic accuracy that only a few cases (three Clark naevi) were subjected to surgical excision to confirm diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Darker pigmentation of the skin does not impede the identification of single dermoscopic features. As in lighter-skinned populations, dermoscopy in black people can also lead to early and accurate diagnosis of melanoma, thereby significantly reducing the number of unnecessary excisions.
de Giorgi
V
V
Department of Dermatology, University of Florence, Via della Pergola 60, 50121 Florence, Italy. vincenzo.degiorgi@unifi.it
Trez
E
E
Salvini
C
C
Duquia
R
R
De Villa
D
D
Sestini
S
S
Gervini
R
R
Lotti
T
T
D044383:Black People; D046169:Dermoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D015588:Observer Variation; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology; D012880:Skin Pigmentation