Table of Contents 2Step Draft
From dermoscopedia
A clinically oriented pathway for dermoscopic evaluation. First look for a specific recognizable diagnosis. If none is confidently recognized, assess whether the lesion is organized or disorganized and evaluate the relevant diagnostic clues.
| Step 1 — Is a specific diagnosis recognizable? | Step 2 — If not: organized or disorganized? |
|---|---|
| Match the lesion with a well-defined diagnostic pattern and confirm that the clinical context is compatible. | Assess symmetry and the distribution of colors and structures, then look for melanoma clues and important mimickers. |
| Go to Step 1 | Go to Step 2 |
Step 1 — Is a specific diagnosis recognizable?
Melanocytic nevi with recognizable patterns
- Reticular nevus pattern
- Globular nevus pattern
- Homogeneous nevus pattern
- Reticular-globular nevus pattern
- Peripheral globules and growing nevi
- Starburst pattern and Spitz-Reed nevi
- Intradermal nevus
- Blue nevus
Benign non-melanocytic diagnoses
- Dermatofibroma
- Seborrheic keratosis
- Solar lentigo
- Lichen planus-like keratosis
- Sebaceous hyperplasia
- Clear cell acanthoma
- Angioma and hemangioma
- Angiokeratoma
- Pyogenic granuloma
Recognizable malignant and premalignant diagnoses
Additional specific diagnoses
Step 2 — If no specific diagnosis is recognized: organized or disorganized?
Organized lesions
An organized lesion shows symmetry and an orderly distribution of colors and structures. Interpret the overall pattern in its clinical context.
- Reticular pattern
- Globular pattern
- Homogeneous pattern
- Reticular-globular pattern
- Peripheral network
- Peripheral globules
- Starburst pattern
- Symmetric multicomponent pattern
- Management of organized lesions
Disorganized lesions and melanoma clues
A disorganized lesion shows asymmetry or an irregular distribution of colors and structures. Assess melanoma-specific clues and relevant mimickers in clinical context.
Pigment network and lines
Dots, globules and structureless areas
- Irregular dots
- Irregular globules
- Atypical blotches
- Blue-black structureless areas
- Light brown structureless areas
Blue, white and regression structures
- Blue-white veil
- Peppering and granularity
- Scar-like depigmentation
- Shiny white lines
- White structureless areas
Vascular and additional melanoma clues
- Polymorphous vessels
- Dotted vessels
- Milky-red areas and globules
- Ulceration
- Multiple colors
- Asymmetric follicular openings
Diagnostic synthesis and management
- Melanoma
- Featureless melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Hypomelanotic and amelanotic melanoma
- Melanoma mimickers
- When to biopsy or excise
- Short-term digital dermoscopic monitoring
Special locations
The general algorithm must be adapted for anatomic sites with location-specific structures and diagnostic rules.
Face
- Dermoscopy of facial lesions
- Facial pseudonetwork
- Annular-granular pattern
- Asymmetric pigmented follicular openings
- Rhomboidal structures
- Circle within a circle
- Facial melanoma and lentigo maligna
- Pigmented actinic keratosis on the face
- Facial benign mimickers
Palms and soles
- Dermoscopy of acral lesions
- Parallel furrow pattern
- Lattice-like pattern
- Fibrillar pattern
- Parallel ridge pattern
- Atypical fibrillar pattern
- Acral multicomponent pattern
- Acral melanoma
- Acral benign mimickers
Nails
- Principles of nail dermoscopy
- Melanocytic activation of the nail unit
- Nail matrix nevus
- Nail unit melanoma
- Subungual hemorrhage
- Onychomycosis
- Onychopapilloma
- Onychomatricoma
- Glomus tumor
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail unit
Mucosa and genital skin
- Dermoscopy of mucosal lesions
- Benign mucosal melanosis
- Mucosal nevi
- Mucosal melanoma
- Vascular and inflammatory mucosal lesions
Scars, tattoos and altered skin
Hair and scalp — Trichoscopy
- Principles of trichoscopy
- Normal scalp and hair anatomy in trichoscopy
- Nonscarring alopecia
- Scarring alopecia
- Hair shaft disorders
- Inflammatory scalp disorders
- Infectious scalp disorders
- Scalp tumors
- Trichoscopy in children
Additional clinical fields
Inflammoscopy and infections
- Principles of inflammoscopy
- Psoriasis
- Eczema and dermatitis
- Lichen planus
- Rosacea
- Autoimmune connective-tissue diseases
- Cutaneous infections and infestations
Skin of color
- Principles of dermoscopy in skin of color
- Melanocytic lesions in skin of color
- Non-melanocytic tumors in skin of color
- Inflammatory diseases in skin of color
- Hair and scalp disorders in skin of color
Monitoring, imaging and digital dermoscopy
- Sequential digital dermoscopic imaging
- Short-term monitoring
- Long-term monitoring
- Total body photography
- Digital follow-up of high-risk patients
- Confocal microscopy and complementary imaging
- Teledermoscopy
- Artificial intelligence in dermoscopy
- Image quality and standardization