Pattern Analysis for Histopathologic Diagnosis of Melanocytic Lesions: A Guide to Practical Dermatopathology

Pattern analysis is a powerful method that changed dermatopathology, nowadays an indispensable tool in the diagnostic workup of inflammatory and neoplastic lesions. The diagnosis of melanocytic lesions can also be mastered by pattern analysis, which is the link between pathology, dermatoscopy, and clinical dermatology and supports the integration of all views. The  histopathologic diagnosis of melanocytic lesions can be challenging for novices and experts alike. While classifications of melanocytic lesions come and go, pattern analysis is timeless; it can be assigned to any classification, current or future, and provides a framework that allows to address complex and uncertain cases in a repeatable manner. While uncertainty cannot be totally eliminated, pattern analysis helps to express this uncertainty in a meaningful way. Written by expert dermatopathologists with experience in dermatoscopy, this book is dedicated to young colleagues and to those who have not yet settled on one of the competing schools of thought; it is intended as a practical guide to help making correct observations, to describe them with a well-defined terminology, and to yield critical decisions in the face of incomplete or conflicting information. The illustrations contained in the volume are all original pictures in high-quality and full-color: reproductions of histopatological cuts in low and high magnification will assist pathologists, dermatologists, and dermatopathologists in interpreting histological slides of melanocytic skin lesions.

Table of Contents:
Introduction.- Historical perspective.- Classifications.- Pattern analysis.- Integration of patterns.- Integration of context.- Pattern analysis in practice.- Bias, Noise, and Error.

About the Author :

Almut Böer-Auer is Dermatopathologist and Director of Academics at the Dermatologikum Hamburg, Germany and Associate Professor in Dermatology at Münster University in Germany. She has been interested in histopathologic pattern diagnosis of skin diseases for almost two decades. One of her research focuses is identification and validation of diagnostic patterns by correlation with ancillary methods like molecular diagnostics. She has authored and coauthored many scientific articles and textbook chapters and is devoted to teaching dermatopathology nationally and internationally.

Harald Kittler is Associate Professor of Dermatology at the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, in Vienna/Austria with a subspecialisation in dermatopathology. His special clinical interest resides in the diagnosis of melanocytic skin lesions. His main research interest is digital dermoscopy, follow-up of pigmented skin lesions, computer assisted digital dermoscopy., and dermatopathology. Dr. Kittler has been working for over 20 years in the field of dermoscopy and dermatopathology and has been lecturing and publishing a large number of scientific articles.

Philipp Tschandl is Assistant Professor of Dermatology with a subspecialization in dermatopathology, and managing director of the dermatopathology laboratory at the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna in Austria. He has published research on growth dynamics of melanoma, melanoma association with pre-existing nevi, as well as early detection of melanoma with dermatoscopy. Recent work of his also includes the application of artificial intelligence alone and in collaboration with physicians for improving medical diagnoses and decision-making.