title: Dermatoscopy: an overview of subsurface morphology.
abstract: Within the past two decades, an exponential number of publications have emerged on the topic of dermatoscopy, most, if not all, reporting the benefits of using a dermatoscope. Dermatoscopy has been promoted to be useful in diagnosing not only pigmented skin lesions but also a wide range of skin conditions that are infectious, hamartomatous, and inflammatory in nature. Whether or not dermatoscopy truly has a relevant diagnostic role in such a wide range of skin conditions remains to be proven. The diagnostic technique, however, has fundamentally changed the way pigmented lesions are evaluated by dermatologists, as it offers a more methodical and disciplined approach to evaluate them. This review highlights the contribution of dermatoscopy with respect to morphologic characterization and evaluation of pigmented skin lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia,PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hirokawa
authors.forename: Jason B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis; D010859:Pigmentation Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis