BACKGROUND: The accuracy of clinical diagnosis of nonpigmented, facial actinic keratosis (AK) is often suboptimal, even for experienced clinicians. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the dermoscopic features of nonpigmented AK located on the head/neck that may assist the clinical diagnosis. METHODS: Forty-one nonpigmented AKs on facial sites were examined by dermoscopy for any consistent underlying features. Lesions were gathered from skin cancer centres in Australia, Austria, Italy and the U.S.A. All cases were diagnosed histopathologically. RESULTS: Four essential dermoscopic features were observed in facial AK: (i) erythema, revealing a marked pink-to-red 'pseudonetwork' surrounding the hair follicles (95%); (ii) white-to-yellow surface scale (85%); (iii) fine, linear-wavy vessels surrounding the hair follicles (81%); and (vi) hair follicle openings filled with yellowish keratotic plugs (66%) and/or surrounded by a white halo (100%). These features combined, in 95% of cases, to produce a peculiar 'strawberry' appearance. CONCLUSIONS: A dermoscopic model of 'strawberry' pattern is presented, which may prove helpful in the in vivo diagnosis of nonpigmented, facial AK. A limitation of this study is the lack of testing of the specificity of the described dermoscopic criteria in differentiating nonpigmented AKs from other nonpigmented skin lesions at this site.
BACKGROUND: The accuracy of clinical diagnosis of nonpigmented, facial actinic keratosis (AK) is often suboptimal, even for experienced clinicians. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the dermoscopic features of nonpigmented AK located on the head/neck that may assist the clinical diagnosis. METHODS: Forty-one nonpigmented AKs on facial sites were examined by dermoscopy for any consistent underlying features. Lesions were gathered from skin cancer centres in Australia, Austria, Italy and the U.S.A. All cases were diagnosed histopathologically. RESULTS: Four essential dermoscopic features were observed in facial AK: (i) erythema, revealing a marked pink-to-red 'pseudonetwork' surrounding the hair follicles (95%); (ii) white-to-yellow surface scale (85%); (iii) fine, linear-wavy vessels surrounding the hair follicles (81%); and (vi) hair follicle openings filled with yellowish keratotic plugs (66%) and/or surrounded by a white halo (100%). These features combined, in 95% of cases, to produce a peculiar 'strawberry' appearance. CONCLUSIONS: A dermoscopic model of 'strawberry' pattern is presented, which may prove helpful in the in vivo diagnosis of nonpigmented, facial AK. A limitation of this study is the lack of testing of the specificity of the described dermoscopic criteria in differentiating nonpigmented AKs from other nonpigmented skin lesions at this site.
Authors: Andreas Blum; Friedrich A Bahmer; Jürgen Bauer; Ralph P Braun; Brigitte Coras-Stepanek; Teresa Deinlein; Thomas Eigentler; Christine Fink; Claus Garbe; Holger A Haenssle; Rainer Hofmann-Wellenhof; Harald Kittler; Jürgen Kreusch; Hubert Pehamberger; Hans Schulz; H Peter Soyer; Wilhelm Stolz; Philipp Tschandl; Iris Zalaudek Journal: Hautarzt Date: 2019-11 Impact factor: 0.751
Authors: Harald Kittler; Ashfaq A Marghoob; Giuseppe Argenziano; Cristina Carrera; Clara Curiel-Lewandrowski; Rainer Hofmann-Wellenhof; Josep Malvehy; Scott Menzies; Susana Puig; Harold Rabinovitz; Wilhelm Stolz; Toshiaki Saida; H Peter Soyer; Eliot Siegel; William V Stoecker; Alon Scope; Masaru Tanaka; Luc Thomas; Philipp Tschandl; Iris Zalaudek; Allan Halpern Journal: J Am Acad Dermatol Date: 2016-02-17 Impact factor: 11.527
Authors: Virginia Garofalo; Alessandra Ventura; Sara Mazzilli; Laura Diluvio; Luca Bianchi; Luca Toti; Giuseppe Tisone; Massimo Milani; Elena Campione Journal: Case Rep Dermatol Date: 2017-10-20
Authors: E Cinotti; L Tognetti; A Cartocci; A Lamberti; S Gherbassi; C Orte Cano; C Lenoir; G Dejonckheere; G Diet; M Fontaine; M Miyamoto; J Perez-Anker; V Solmi; J Malvehy; V Del Marmol; J L Perrot; P Rubegni; M Suppa Journal: Clin Exp Dermatol Date: 2021-09-24 Impact factor: 4.481