Pathology and Pathological Disorders

Dermatopathology

Dermatopathology is a specialized branch of pathology and dermatology that focuses on diagnosing cutaneous (skin) diseases at both the microscopic and molecular levels. It bridges clinical dermatology with histopathology, enabling deeper insights into skin disorders by examining tissue samples through biopsies. While dermatologists can typically diagnose many skin conditions through clinical evaluation based on appearance, distribution, and behavior, certain cases require tissue examination to confirm or clarify the diagnosis. This involves analysing the histological architecture of skin biopsies and may include advanced diagnostic tools such as immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, flow cytometry, and molecular pathology techniques. Dermatopathologists are often dermatologists with additional training in pathology, allowing them to combine clinical insights with microscopic evaluation for more accurate and comprehensive diagnoses of complex or ambiguous skin conditions.