Dermoscopy in Primary Care

Prabhat K Pokhrel; Matthew F Helm; Amrit Greene; Leesha A Helm; Michael Partin

doi:10.1016/j.pop.2021.10.004

Dermoscopy in Primary Care

Prim Care. 2022 Mar;49(1):99-118. doi: 10.1016/j.pop.2021.10.004. Epub 2022 Jan 3.

Authors

Prabhat K Pokhrel¹, Matthew F Helm², Amrit Greene², Leesha A Helm³, Michael Partin³

Affiliations

¹ Family Medicine Residency, Department of Family Medicine, McLaren Flint, G-3230 Beecher Road, Ste 1, Flint, MI 48532, USA. Electronic address: prabhat.pokhrel@mclaren.org.
² Department of Dermatology, Penn State Hersey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hersey, PA 17033, USA.
³ Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State Hersey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hersey, PA 17033, USA.

PMID: 35125161
DOI: 10.1016/j.pop.2021.10.004

Abstract

Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique that allows in vivo magnification of the skin structures and helps in visualizing microscopic features that are imperceptible to the naked eye. Dermoscopy is not a substitute for biopsy and histopathologic evaluation, but is an important tool that can help increase diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of cutaneous lesions. Dermoscopy increases the diagnostic sensitivity compared with naked eye examination. A significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy for benign and malignant lesions has been reported among family medicine physicians after an introductory training course on dermoscopy.

Keywords: Carcinoma; Dermatofibroma; Dermoscopy; Melanocytic; Melanoma; Nevi; Nonmelanocytic; Seborrheic keratosis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Dermoscopy
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Melanoma* / diagnostic imaging
Primary Health Care
Sensitivity and Specificity
Skin
Skin Neoplasms* / diagnostic imaging