ABSTRACT
The optical dermatoscope is an instrument containing a light source that enables skin structures invisible to the naked eye to be seen. A medium such as ultrasound gel or vaseline oil is applied to the skin to make the stratum corneum transparent (epiluminescence technique), and the dermatoscope lens is placed against the skin surface. The instrument makes it possible to observe a vast new range of dermatological signs. A limitation of the handheld dermatoscope is represented by maximum ×10 magnification. In addition, many devices do not allow image storage, although new models can be connected to photocameras or smartphones for storage and post-processing.
