A Kelati1, H Baybay2, E Moscarella3, G Argenziano3, S Gallouj2, F Z Mernissi2. 1. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco. Electronic address: awatkelati@gmail.com. 2. Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Hassan II, Fez, Morocco. 3. Department of Dermatology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Abstract
The diagnosis of pigmented actinic keratosis (PAK) is often challenging because of overlapping features with lentigo maligna. OBJECTIVE: To investigate dermoscopic patterns of PAK according to their different evolutionary stages, and to correlate the pattern with clinical characteristics of the patients. METHODS: Descriptive and analytical study of 232 PAK. Dermoscopic patterns were divided into two categories: the follicule surroundings' abnormalities (FSA) and follicular keratosis' abnormalities (FKA). RESULTS: FSA and FKA dermoscopic patterns were related to male gender, except for star-like appearance, double white clods and dermoscopic horn (p≤0.04). Rhomboidal, annular granular pattern, gray halo, white circle and double clods were dermoscopic pattern significantly related to xeroderma pigmentosum's type of skin. Based on the evolutionary stages of PAK, the jelly sign was significantly related to thin patches of PAK. Central crusts and scales were related to thick plaques and the star-like appearance to hypertrophic PAK. The presence of 2 or more dermoscopic signs in both FSA and FKA was noticed in 99.1% of lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The dermoscopic diagnosis of PAK vary according to the evolutionary stages of the disease, this will increase the diagnosis accuracy, with therapeutic implications.
The diagnosis of pigmented actinic keratosis (PAK) is often challenging because of overlapping features with lentigo maligna. OBJECTIVE: To investigate dermoscopic patterns of PAK according to their different evolutionary stages, and to correlate the pattern with clinical characteristics of the patients. METHODS: Descriptive and analytical study of 232 PAK. Dermoscopic patterns were divided into two categories: the follicule surroundings' abnormalities (FSA) and follicular keratosis' abnormalities (FKA). RESULTS: FSA and FKA dermoscopic patterns were related to male gender, except for star-like appearance, double white clods and dermoscopic horn (p≤0.04). Rhomboidal, annular granular pattern, gray halo, white circle and double clods were dermoscopic pattern significantly related to xeroderma pigmentosum's type of skin. Based on the evolutionary stages of PAK, the jelly sign was significantly related to thin patches of PAK. Central crusts and scales were related to thick plaques and the star-like appearance to hypertrophic PAK. The presence of 2 or more dermoscopic signs in both FSA and FKA was noticed in 99.1% of lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The dermoscopic diagnosis of PAK vary according to the evolutionary stages of the disease, this will increase the diagnosis accuracy, with therapeutic implications.