Portable dermoscope as a clinical tool in laser dermatology for Asian skin
Objectives: 1. Learning the basic of dermoscopic views of common non-melanocytic pigmented conditions.
2. Learning the tips and hints to avoid laser or light induced complications from treatment.
3. Learning the benefit to have dermoscopic laser treatment end-points to lessen the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
4. Learning the technique to assess benign melanocytic lesions at a glance by dermosocope before laser removal in Asian.
Introduction: Laser dermatology is an important topic in asethetic medicine. The clinical diagnosis and treatment response are mainly depend on clinical observation by physicians. The portable dermoscope can be an useful acommpanying tool to assist in many practical aspects while using your laser or light devices.
Materials / method: Retrospective observation of Asian patients who have undergone dermoscopic guided laser and light treatment for various pigmented and skin conditions or lesions in a laser clinic in Hong Kong.
Results: Dermoscopy can differentiate non-melanocytic superficial pigment from deep pigment so as to facilitate the selection of laser. It can also identify inconspicuous dermal vessels and prevent laser induced post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Moreover, portable dermoscope helps us to visualize laser treatment endpoints clearly and to monitor treatment progress. Finally, it can assure the benign natures of lesions before performing ablative laser removal and decrease the need of skin biopsy.
Conclusion: The portable dermoscope can help laser physicians to diagnose various types of skin pigment and lesion more precisely and to avoid iatrogenic post inflammatory pigmentation and to decrease the need for lesional biopsy.