Dermoscopy in cutaneous melanoma

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Abstract Background The mortality of cutaneous melanoma has not declined over the past 50 years. The only interventions that can reduce mortality are primary prevention and early diagnosis, and the dermoscopic evaluation is essential to achieve this. Dermoscopy identifies characteristics of melanoma that would go unnoticed to the naked eye. The aim of this paper is to report the most frequent dermoscopic findings in patients diagnosed with in situ and invasive melanoma. Material and methods An observational and retrospective study of contact dermoscopy was performed using LED Dermlite™ and camera Dermlite™ dermoscope. The findings evaluated were: asymmetry in two axes, association of colours, lack of pigment, irregular points, atypical network, pseudopods, blue veil, ulceration, and peri-lesional pink ring. These dermoscopic findings were compared with the histological diagnosis. Results The study included 65 patients with cutaneous melanoma; 10 in situ , and 55 invasive. The mean Breslow in invasive melanoma was 3 mm. Most patients (35) had localisation in extremities. In all patients, the most frequent dermoscopic finding was asymmetry in two axes, followed by association of two or more colours; in melanoma in situ , asymmetry was the most frequent, followed by atypical-irregular points. In invasive melanoma asymmetry in two axes, the association of two or more colours, and pseudopods, were the most frequent findings. Conclusion Asymmetry in two axes is the most common dermoscopic finding in in situ and invasive melanoma. The presence of two or more colours in a pigmented lesion should be suspected in an invasive melanoma.