Background:Diagnosing cutaneous sarcoidosis and necrobiotic granulomas is challenging.Objective:Assessing the value of dermoscopy in differentiating cutaneous sarcoidosis from necrobiotic granulomas and evaluating whether their dermoscopic features will be altered after treatment.Methods:Nineteen cutaneous sarcoidosis and 11 necrobiotic granuloma patients (2 necrobiosis lipoidica, 4 granuloma annulare and 5 rheumatoid nodule) were included in this study. The diagnosis was confirmed by skin biopsy. The lesions were examined using non-contact polarized dermoscope (Dermlite 2 HR-Pro; 3Gen, San Juan Capistrano, CA).Results:Ten out of 19 cutaneous sarcoidosis patients and 7/11 necrobiotic cases group were receiving treatments (topical, intralesional or systemic steroids ± chloroquine) but still have cutaneous lesions. Treatment duration in the sarcoidosis group ranged from 2 months to 10 years (median 3 years) and in the necrobiotic cases group ranged from 3 months to 16 years (median 2 years). Pink homogenous background, translucent orange areas, white scar-like depigmentation and fine white scales were significantly associated with the cutaneous sarcoidosis compared to necrobiotic cases group. On the other hand mixed pink, white and yellowish background was significantly associated with the necrobiotic cases group. No significant difference in the dermoscopic findings was detected between treated and non-treated patients.Conclusion:Some dermoscopic findings are shared between the cutaneous sarcoidosis group and the necrobiotic cases group, yet dermoscopy could be a useful aid in differentiating them even after treatment.

Background Phototherapy is a traditional treatment for psoriasis and patients using it for a long time may be exposed to cumulative toxicity, so dermatologists need continuously diagnostic tools that help in monitoring the disease progression. Objectives To detect dermoscopic changes with the improvement of skin in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis on narrow‐band ultraviolet B phototherapy and evaluate the role of dermoscopy in monitoring the patients. Methods Narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy was prescribed to thirty (30) patients with chronic plaque psoriasis for three months according to their disease condition. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI score) were calculated, and dermoscopic evaluation was done at the first visit (W0), after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks of beginning the phototherapy. Results According to PASI score calculations, a significant correlation was found between changes in the vessel patterns and the improvement that occurred during the treatment sessions in psoriatic lesions, whereas the patients with globular blood vessels were significantly associated with weak clinical results. Conclusion Dermoscopy is a rapid, simple tool to predict the response of psoriatic patients to phototherapy using vascular pattern assessment.

Dermoscopy is a surface skin microscopy technique that rapidly grew during the past years enhancing the non invasive dermatological diagnostic techniques effectively. Its main applications include classic dermoscopy, trichoscopy, entomodermoscopy, inflammoscopy, capillaroscopy and dermoscopy for treatment decision and monitoring.

Clinical photography is the cornerstone of proper dermatological documentation whether in case reports, for monitoring patients or for clinical trials and research development. The most important factors to be considered for good clinical photography are clarity and consistency which are achieved via patient preparation, proper lighting and camera settings. Development of new software and sophisticated systems has led to advanced collection of qualitative as well as quantitative clinical data.

Surface skin imaging has long been the only non-invasive way for skin imaging reflecting only the image provided by the stratum corneum, however in the past few decades, thanks to the technological development, sub-surface skin imaging have been made possible providing non-invasive in depth cutaneous images by means of dermoscopy, optical coherence tomography, cutaneous ultra-sonography and Laser confocal microscopy. This review aims at providing insight into each of these modalities.