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- Title
Reflectance Confocal Microscopy and Dermoscopy for the Diagnosis of Solitary Hypopigmented Pink Lesions: A Narrative Review.
- Authors
Ambrosio, Luca; Pogorzelska-Antkowiak, Anna; Retrosi, Chiara; Di Lella, Giovanni; Spadafora, Marco; Zalaudek, Iris; Longo, Caterina; Pellacani, Giovanni; Conforti, Claudio
- Abstract
Simple Summary: The scarcity of specific clinical and dermoscopic criteria makes solitary pink skin lesions the most challenging to diagnose. Cherry angioma, clear cell acanthoma, dermal nevus, keloid, hypertrophic scar, and Spitz nevus are the most common benign lesions that share similar clinical and dermoscopic features. Furthermore, some malignant lesions, such as basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, or amelanotic melanoma, can be indistinguishable from the above-mentioned benign pinkish lesions. Several studies have demonstrated the excellent diagnostic accuracy of reflectance confocal microscopy in increasing sensitivity and specificity compared to dermoscopy alone for the diagnosis of skin cancer. This study aimed to summarize the application of dermoscopy and RCM for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant pinkish–reddish skin lesions, although, in suspicious lesions, the final diagnosis should always be confirmed after surgical excision and histopathological evaluation. Diagnosing solitary pink skin lesions poses a significant challenge due to the scarcity of specific clinical and dermoscopic criteria. Several benign lesions, such as cherry angioma, clear cell acanthoma, dermal nevus, keloid, hypertrophic scar, and Spitz nevus, often exhibit similar clinical and dermoscopic features. This similarity extends to some malignant lesions, including basal cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, and amelanotic melanoma, making differentiation difficult. Recent studies highlight the enhanced diagnostic accuracy of reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), which offers increased sensitivity and specificity compared to dermoscopy alone for diagnosing skin cancer. This study aims to summarize the application of dermoscopy and RCM in distinguishing between benign and malignant pinkish–reddish skin lesions. The integration of RCM with traditional dermoscopic techniques improves the ability to accurately identify and differentiate these lesions. However, it is crucial to note that for any suspicious lesions, a final diagnosis must be confirmed through surgical excision and histopathological evaluation. This comprehensive approach ensures accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment, highlighting the importance of combining advanced imaging techniques in clinical practice.
- Subjects
MELANOMA diagnosis; SKIN tumors; HYPOPIGMENTATION; HYPERTROPHIC scars; DERMOSCOPY; MICROSCOPY; BASAL cell carcinoma; KELOIDS; SENSITIVITY &; specificity (Statistics); ACTINIC keratosis
- Publication
Cancers, 2024, Vol 16, Issue 17, p2972
- ISSN
2072-6694
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/cancers16172972