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Dermoscopy is very useful for the diagnosis of pigmented lesions.
This quiz requires knowledge of conventional dermoscopic pattern analysis. It was originally in the form of a column written by Dr Amanda Oakley and published by New Zealand Doctor in February 2010. It was revised and prepared for DermNet by Niket Shah, final year medical student, University of Otago, in May 2020.
For each of the twelve cases, study the image(s) and then answer the questions. You can click on the image to view a larger version if required. Each case should take approximately 2 minutes to complete.
Name the dermoscopic pattern.
This lesion has a starburst pattern. There are radiating lines around the entire periphery of this lesion.
What is the diagnosis?
Melanocytic naevus.
This pattern is often seen in small dark moles and is characteristic of the pigmented spindle cell naevus of Reed (a pigmented Spitz naevus).