DERMOSCOPY IN THE XXI CENTURY: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 

Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia 2010 February;145(1):89-97

Copyright © 2010 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

A North American perspective on dermoscopy: benefits, limitations, and grey zones

Marchionda P. J., Krause L. K., Jensen J. D., Dellavalle R. P. ✉

¹ Department of Dermatology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA; ² Dermatology Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, CO, USA; ³ Preventive Medicine Residency Program, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO, USA; ⁴ Colorado School of Public Health, Epidemiology Section, Denver, Aurora, CO, USA

Dermoscopy offers novel and cost-effective diagnostic information to guide patient care for melanocytic and non-melanocytic dermatoses. This article reviews the current use of dermoscopy, including its clinical benefits and limitations. Surveys of U.S. and Canadian dermatology residents have demonstrated a desire for improved dermoscopy teaching; an abundance of evidence calls for increasing its use in the clinical setting. Using the current evidence framework, North American dermatology training centers and professional societies should work to foster dermoscopy training and use by both dermatologists and other health care providers.