Dermoscopy – examination of moles and skin changes
What is dermoscopy?
Dermoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic method that uses a dermoscope (an optical instrument for skin surface microscopy) to examine moles, skin changes as well as hair and nail changes.
Should dermoscopic examinations be performed preventively?
Preventive dermoscopic examination includes persons of all age groups, from children to the elderly, and especially persons at increased risk:
- people who have cases of skin cancer in their family
- people who have more than 50 moles
- people who have atypical or dysplastic moles (size over 6 mm, irregular shape, jagged edges, uneven color…)
- people who are often exposed to the sun
- immunosuppressed persons
- persons older than 50 years. with a history of skin “burning” as a result of sun exposure.
Regular examinations of moles and other changes on the skin are very important, because early diagnosis and treatment reduce mortality from malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers as well as their consequences.