The use of dermatoscope as a diagnostic tool in melanocytic lesions: a literature review

Abstract

Dermatoscopy is a non-invasive in vivo technique for diagnosing skin lesions that has use in the evaluation of benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. Melanoma is a malignant and extremely aggressive tumor, whose prognosis and treatment depend on early diagnosis. This was a descriptive-analytical literature review about dermoscopy in melanomas, digital dermoscopy in clinical follow-up and metastatic melanomas from 2001 to 2021. Contributed as exclusion criteria papers referring to dermoscopy in non-neoplastic lesions, tumors not originating from melanocytes and primary non-cutaneous melanomas. The online databases ScienceDirect, LILACS, PubMed and SciELO were used. This paper aims to present a literature review on the use of the dermatoscope for the early diagnosis of melanoma and association with decreased metastasis. Dermatoscopy is a diagnostic tool that promotes the distinction of benign, suspicious or highly suspicious lesions. The device allows detailed visualization of structures of the epidermis and dermoepidermal junction, with sensitivity to diagnose 5 to 30% of fine and early tumors and 90% accuracy for melanoma diagnosis. Through digital dermatoscopy, melanocytic spots are identified and their images stored, allowing the identification of changes suggestive of malignant transformation. According to the literature, melanoma is a common neoplasm, of progressive incidence, dependent on genetic and environmental factors, with