Dermoscopy

Because melanoma in advanced stages is still incurable, early detection is indispensable to reduce mortality. With the introduction of dermoscopy into the clinical practice, the diagnostic accuracy of pigmented skin lesions can be improved. Dermoscopy is a noninvasive diagnostic technique for the in vivo observation in dermatology. This technique enables the clinician to visualize pigmented structures of the epidermis, dermo–epidermal junction, and papillary dermis, which are not visible to the naked eye. The structures observed by dermoscopy correlate with histopathological findings. Dermoscopy opens a new dimension in the clinical morphology of pigmented skin lesions but diagnostic accuracy depends significantly on the experience of the examiner.