Guest post by my amazing friend and derm resident Paloma:
What is dermoscopy? Dermoscopy is the examination of the skin under magnification and light using a hand held dermatoscope. This is a noninvasive exam that allows the provider to see the microstructures and patterns of pigmented and non-pigmented lesions. Based on these patterns, a physician can determine whether the lesions are benign or malignant. Dermatologists only diagnose approximately 65% of melanomas on skin exam only using the naked-eye. Dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy by 10-27%. Studies have shown that the “benign/malignant ratio” of pigmented lesions of the skin is eventually decreased when dermoscopy is used compared with visually unassisted diagnoses. [1]
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The subsequent image is a perfect example of the power of Dermoscopy. Clinically, or to the naked eye, the four lesions shown in the image look like common benign growths called seborrheic keratosis. However, under dermoscopy, their microstructure shows features of melanoma. The lesions were removed and diagnosis of melanoma was confirmed. [2]
I am currently in a Dermoscopy and Melanoma Fellowship, where I am learning the art of dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). This is a one-year fellowship that requires the completion of intern year. It is comparable to a research fellowship and I am fortunate to assist with some research as well.
Historically, although Osteopathic physicians practice evidence-based medicine, research hasn’t been emphasized as much as Allopathic physicians. This is in part to the difficulty surrounding conducting research of osteopathic manipulative treatments. However, times have been changing. As the field of medicine advances and now with the ACGME-AOA merger, research has been making a stronger presence in the Osteopathic world and that couldn’t be truer for dermatology. Just as it is common for allopathic students to take a year off between 3rdand 4thyear of medical school to complete a research fellowship, there are opportunities to do post-graduate research fellowship. This is an opportunity to expand your knowledge in your desired field and become a more competitive applicant.
Hope you enjoyed this post !
XO,
P
Follow me on IG @paloma_plum
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[1] Marghoob, A A. “Why Dermoscopy.” Dermlite, www.dermlite.com/pages/why-dermoscopy
[2] Carrera, Cristina, S. Segura, P. Aguilera, et al. Dermoscopic Clues for Diagnosing Melanomas That Resemble Seborrheic Keratosis. JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(6):544-551. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.0129
