ABSTRACT
Dermatoscopy should be considered as an integral part of the clinical dermatologic examination, and the interpretation of the dermatoscopic criteria is meaningful and helpful only within the clinical context of each particular patient. The dermatoscope is a handheld device with 10-fold magnifying optics, combined with a transilluminating light source. The expanded use of dermatoscopy among clinicians is based on the following important strengths: it is a fast and effective method applied with a small and inexpensive device. The use of the dermatoscope reveals a morphological world of macroscopically invisible structures and criteria. The dermatologic patterns are composed of two basic parameters: colors and morphological structures. Pigmented lesions are characterized by one of the following colors: black, brown, blue, or gray. Nonpigmented lesions are characterized by the presence of white, red and yellow or orange. Nonpolarized dermatoscopy requires contact to the skin surface with the use of an immersion fluid or liquid that minimizes the air pockets.
