Dermatology procedures: dermatoscopy.
A dermatoscope is a handheld device with 10-fold magnification that uses polarized and nonpolarized light in visualizing the detailed structure of skin lesions. Dermatoscopy is used clinically to aid in diagnosis of skin lesions that cannot be identified definitively during a visual examination or to confirm suspected visual diagnoses. Used in this manner, dermatoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy and decreases the rate of unnecessary biopsies. In the widely used two-step dermatoscopy method, the first step in evaluating a lesion is to determine if it is melanotic (ie, contains pigment) or nonmelanotic. If it is nonmelanotic, dermatoscopic examination is used to identify structural features typical of common nonpigmented lesions. If these features are identified, a diagnosis is confirmed. If they cannot be identified, a biopsy of the lesion should be considered. If the lesion is melanotic, the evaluation moves to Step 2. In this step, pattern analysis and/or other approaches are used to determine if the pigment in the lesion has features typical of a benign pigmented lesion or if it is typical of or suspicious for melanoma. In the latter instance, the lesion should be excised or biopsied.
San Joaquin General Hospital Department of Family Medicine, 500 West Hospital Road, French Camp, CA 95231, tampsu@hotmail.com.
Tam
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Nguyen