Jan
31
What is a Dermatoscope?
Filed Under Uncategorized
Dermatoscopy (also known by
some as dermoscopy or epiluminescence microscopy) is the word which describes
the study and examination of the skin using a dermatoscope.
Dermoscopes,
or dermatoscopes, are useful tools used by skin doctor to help with examining
the skin. It is a non invasive hand-held magnification tool, much like a
magnifying glass, with a light source attached. It is straightly placed on the
skin surface of the patient to analyze the key morphological structures of skin
wounds that are on and below the surface of skin that are not easily seeable by
the naked eye. It provides direct showing and analyze of the epidermis and
papillary dermis. This uncluttered view of the skin can help with diagnosing
skin cancers, especially melanomas and differentiating melanoma skin cancer
from moles or more benign pigmented nevi.
Use
of a dermatoscope
While dermatoscopes were
primitively invented for use in the diagnosing of malignant melanoma skin
cancer, they can be used for showing and diagnosis many skin diseases. Modified
dermatoscopes are speedily becoming a standard in hair research. Dermatoscopes
captured hair Images, and even just modified digital cameras with optical
attachments, can be processed using peculiar software to count hair denseness,
diameter, and hair growth rates. Dermatoscopes can be used for a close scrutiny
of many skin diseases including xeroderma pigmentosum, folliculitis, scar
tissue and vascular supply, dermatofibroma, lentigo maligna, and a variety of
nevi.
Dermatoscope
applications
It is especially useful in
the diagnosing of malignant melanoma. In this case, a dermatologist may need a
close up view of the skin to differentiate a melanoma cancer from a benign
mole. While melanoma diagnosing is the most common use for a dermatoscope,
dermatoscopes may also be useful for many other diagnoses as well. Studies have
been brought out that use dermatoscopes to valuate capillaries in the skin and
finger nail beds and to study patterns of hair follicles and their denseness.
They have also been used to analyze conditions including pityriasis rosea,
spitz nevus, actinic keratosis, and even the consequences of drugs such as
steroid atrophy evaluation.
It’s
a dermatoscope not a dermoscope!
While most dermatologists
use the words “dermoscope” and “dermoscopy” when explaining the study of the
skin using a magnifying tool the correct words are actually “dermatoscopic”, “dermatoscope”
and also “dermatoscopy”. Just to emphasize that – the examination of the skin
is called dermatology and not dermology! The word form beginning with dermat-
or dermato- combines the stem of the Greek word derma, meaning skin, or
dermatos, of the skin. Therefore dermatoscopy is the study of the skin with a
magnifying device – a dermatoscope.
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