False "Melanocytic" Parameters Shown by Pigmented Seborrheic Keratoses: A Finding Which is not Uncommon in Dermoscopy |
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| Authors: | Vincenzo De Giorgi MD Daniela Massi MD Marcello Stante MD and Paolo Carli MD |
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| Institution: | Dipartimento di Scienze Dermatologiche and Patologia Umana ed Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy. vdegi@tin.it |
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| Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Dermoscopic evaluation of pigmented lesions includes assessment of criteria suggestive of melanocytic proliferation. Dermoscopic diagnosis may be hampered when a nonmelanocytic lesion displays one or more melanocytic features. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of misleading dermoscopic features characteristic of melanocytic lesions in pigmented seborrheic keratosis (PSK). METHODS: We evaluated 402 clinically typical PSKs from 138 patients with at least one clinically identifiable PSK. RESULTS: Approximately 10% of PSKs displayed one or more melanocytic features, the most frequent being a "false" pigment network. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of a "false" pigment network in PSK can be misleading in the differential diagnosis of clinically equivocal lesions. A correct diagnosis can only be obtained if all available dermoscopic criteria are appropriately assessed together with the clinical examination. |
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