Dermoscopic Patterns of Benign Volar Melanocytic Lesions in Patients With Atypical Mole Syndrome

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Acral lentiginous melanoma is the most frequent form of melanoma in nonwhite populations. In recent studies on Japanese patients, about half of all melanomas were located in the acral region, with more than 30% located on the soles of the feet.1,2 In white populations, acral melanoma accounts for about 4.5% to 7% of melanomas.3,4 The prognosis is poor for white patients with acral melanoma compared with Japanese patients. This may be because acral lesions in Japanese populations tend to be detected earlier.4 These lesions may be difficult to diagnose by visual examination even for experienced dermatologists. Therefore, a better method for characterization of acral melanocytic lesions is of great interest. Dermoscopy, dermatoscopy, or epiluminescence microscopy is a noninvasive technique that allows an in vivo diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopy has been demonstrated to significantly improve the accuracy in diagnosing melanocytic lesions and malignant melanoma.5-12 More specific identification of benign dermoscopic patterns should avoid unnecessary surgery on palms and soles.