title: Standardization of terminology in dermoscopy/dermatoscopy: Results of the third consensus conference of the International Society of Dermoscopy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evolving dermoscopic terminology motivated us to initiate a new consensus.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to establish a dictionary of standardized terms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the medical literature, conducted a survey, and convened a discussion among experts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two competitive terminologies exist, a more metaphoric terminology that includes numerous terms and a descriptive terminology based on 5 basic terms. In a survey among members of the International Society of Dermoscopy (IDS) 23.5% (n = 201) participants preferentially use descriptive terminology, 20.1% (n = 172) use metaphoric terminology, and 484 (56.5%) use both. More participants who had been initially trained by metaphoric terminology prefer using descriptive terminology than vice versa (9.7% vs 2.6%, P < .001). Most new terms that were published since the last consensus conference in 2003 were unknown to the majority of the participants. There was uniform consensus that both terminologies are suitable, that metaphoric terms need definitions, that synonyms should be avoided, and that the creation of new metaphoric terms should be discouraged. The expert panel proposed a dictionary of standardized terms taking account of metaphoric and descriptive terms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A consensus seeks a workable compromise but does not guarantee its implementation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The new consensus provides a revised framework of standardized terms to enhance the consistent use of dermoscopic terminology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: harald.kittler@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kittler
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Ashfaq A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Marghoob
authors.affiliation: Dermatology and Skin Cancer Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.affiliation: Melanoma Unit, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrera
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curiel-Lewandrowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Unit, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hofmann-Wellenhof
authors.affiliation: Melanoma Unit, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malvehy
authors.affiliation: Sydney Melanoma Diagnostic Center, Sydney Cancer Center, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia.
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Menzies
authors.affiliation: Melanoma Unit, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Clinic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Universitat de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBER ER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puig
authors.affiliation: Skin and Cancer Associates, Plantation, Florida.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Klinikum München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stolz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saida
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Research Center, University of Queensland, School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: H Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Soyer
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Eliot
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Missouri Health Sciences Center, Columbia, Missouri.
authors.forename: William V
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Stoecker
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York; Department of Dermatology, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scope
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Service de Dermatologie, Center Hospitalier Universitaire de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tschandl
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Venerology, Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Unit, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zalaudek
authors.affiliation: Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halpern
mesh_terms: D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003880:Dermatology / Q000592:standards*; D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D008297:Male; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards; D009626:Terminology as Topic
keywords: consensus; dermatoscopy; melanoma; nevi; noninvasive diagnosis; nonmelanoma skin cancer; pigmented skin lesions; terminology