Dermoscopy of skin parasitoses, bites and stings: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Besides classic applications, dermoscopy has gained significant appreciation also for non‐tumoral dermatoses (general dermatology). In this field, skin parasitoses (infestations), bites and stings have been reported among the conditions that may benefit most from dermoscopic examination. However, published data on this topic are sparse and often lack a standardized analytical approach. In this systematic review of the literature, we sought to summarize available data on dermoscopy of cutaneous parasitoses, bites and stings, analysing dermoscopic features and used setting (polarization or not/magnification), pathological correlation and level of evidence of published studies as well as trying to align dermoscopic terminology of reported findings following a standardized methodology. A total of 150 publications addressing 29 different dermatoses and reporting 96 different dermoscopic findings were included in the analysis. Most of them displayed a level of evidence of V (113 single case reports and 36 case series), with only one study featuring a level of evidence of IV (case–control study). Additionally, our analysis also displayed poor uniformity in the terminology used in published articles (even for the same dermatosis). Therefore, albeit promising, dermoscopy of cutaneous parasitoses, bites and stings needs future systematized studies for a better characterization.

Dermoscopy of Bacterial, Viral, and Fungal Skin Infections: A Systematic Review of the Literature

“…The present systematic review highlights that there is a large body of literature when it comes to dermoscopy of nonparasitic skin infections, with a higher number of bacterial and fungal dermatoses having at least one description compared with viral diseases. Of note, while articles published on dermoscopy of skin parasitoses, bites, and stings are mainly single case reports or small case series [ 166 ], several larger studies are available in the field of nonparasitic infectious dermatoses, likely because they are more common than the former group of conditions. However, level of evidence analysis showed that most of the published articles are of poor quality with a lack of comparative cohort, gold-standard diagnostic reference, blinding, and/or consecutive recruitment.…”

“…However, level of evidence analysis showed that most of the published articles are of poor quality with a lack of comparative cohort, gold-standard diagnostic reference, blinding, and/or consecutive recruitment. Additionally, as previously reported for skin parasitoses, bites, and stings [ 166 ], dermoscopic terminology used in published articles on bacterial, viral, and fungal dermatoses is highly variable (even for the same condition), thus generating confusion for use in clinical practice.…”

Sharpen your sight: Trombiculosis under the dermatoscope with LC‐OCT new insights

“…2,3 During larval stage, the mite may infest humans as accidental hosts, with a greater activity from May to October. 3 Chiggers pierce the host's skin and feed on tissue fluid and bloods, through the formation of a stylostom (a small feeding hollow tube penetrating the epidermis) that causes epidermal enzymatic lysis with a consequent local skin inflammatory response. 1 LC-OCT allowed to identify microscopic details indicative of the stylostome as a hyperreflective round structure overlying a hyporeflective cone-shaped shadow, corresponding to epidermal destruction (Figure 2B).…”

“…scopy has demonstrated to be a helpful method for diagnosis and treatment monitoring of parasitic and infectious disorders (hence the term entomodermoscopy was coined). 2,3 Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is a newly introduced in-vivo technique for the study of skin changes in neoplastic and inflammatory diseases, recently applied also for the identification of Sarcoptes scabiei infestation. 4,5 Herein we describe a case of 32-year-old pregnant woman referred to our attention for an intensely itchy skin eruption appeared after participation in a countryside picnic the day before.…”

Dermoscopic Features of Different Forms of Cutaneous Mastocytosis: A Systematic Review

“…The following supporting information can be downloaded at: , Table S1: Dermoscopic features of the entities that may clinically resemble cutaneous mastocytosis. References [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ] are cited in the supplementary materials.…”