Dermatoscopy of Facial Non-Pigmented Actinic Keratosis and Intraepidermal Carcinoma

Abstract

Dermatoscopy improves the diagnostic accuracy of non-pigmented facial lesions, including actinic keratosis (AK) and intraepidermal carcinoma (IEC) and helps to differentiate them from common invasive malignancies such as basal cell carcinoma and invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The most common dermatoscopic features characterizing AK are background erythema/erythematous pseudonetwork, white follicular openings/targetoid hair follicles, surface scales, rosettes, fine, linear, wavy vessels, microerosions and sun-damaged surrounding skin. In comparison, the most common dermatoscopic features of IEC are background erythema, red starburst pattern, surface scale, dotted/glomerular vessels, hairpin vessels, microerosions/ulcerations and targetoid hair follicles. The practice of recognizing these features in dermatoscopic images is a useful tool in the armamentarium of a clinician examining skin lesions.