Dermoscopy of Inflammatory Dermatoses (Inflammoscopy): An Up-to-Date Overview

Abstract

In addition to its use in pigmented and nonpigmented skin tumors, dermoscopy is gaining appreciation in assisting the diagnosis of nonneoplastic diseases, especially inflammatory dermatoses (inflammoscopy). In this field, dermoscopic examination should be considered as the second step of a “2-step procedure,” always preceded by the establishment of a differential diagnosis on the basis of clinical examination. In this paper, we sought to provide an up-to-date overview on the use of dermoscopy in common inflammatory dermatoses based on the available literature data. For practical purposes, the analyzed dermatoses are grouped according to the clinical presentation pattern, in line with the 2-step procedure principle: erythematous-desquamative and papulosquamous dermatoses, papulokeratotic dermatoses, erythematous facial dermatoses, sclero-atrophic dermatoses, and miscellaneous.

Keywords

• dermoscopy
• differential diagnosis
• general dermatology
• inflammoscopy