Greetings!
The Dermatopathology Institute analyzes the current stories making headlines in dermatology with a viewpoint from the microscope, helping you to truly understand all of the nuances of the disease.
We hope you are enjoying the Summer months. Make sure to apply sunblock and wear sun protective clothing!
Thank you!
The Dermatopathology Institute
|
|
How Can a Dermatopathologist Help Me?
|
How Does Smoking Affect the Skin?
These photos are from a famous article published in the Archives of Dermatology in 2007. These are identical twin sisters, aged 52 years, who spent their first two decades of their lives together and later worked in the same type of job in the same geographic lattitude with approximately equal sun exposure. The only difference in their lifestyles was Twin A (top) did not smoke and Twin B (bottom) smoked. In fact, Twin B had a 52.5 pack year history of smoking cigarettes. The photographs provide a stunning example of the ravages of smoking on the skin. Smoking may accelerate wrinkles but there are also other more serious health concerns that are associated with the skin including increasing the risk of oral cancer. Any suspicious lesion on the lip or oral cavity should be biopsied to rule out a pre-cancerous or cancerous. A dermatopathologist has the expertise to distinguish between these lesions which sometimes may show very subtle histopathologic differerences. If you would like to read the original article, click here.
|
|
Medical Terms You Should Know
|
Leukoplakia
Leukoplakia literally means white plaque. It is a clinical description and may be caused by numerous diseases ranging from infections to trauma to cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. Only a biopsy can unequivocally establish the diagnosis.
|
