Dermoscopy of skin lesions: Age-driven diagnosis

Two skin lesions can look almost identical under dermoscopy yet carry very different implications depending on the patient’s age.

In this final instalment of our series on skin tumours by age and body location, Dr Gabriella Brancaccio explores how patient age can significantly influence the interpretation of dermoscopic findings, particularly when lesions appear clinically and dermoscopically similar.

Using real cases, Dr Brancaccio demonstrates how features that may raise concern for melanoma in an adult can represent a benign Spitz naevus in a child. She highlights the importance of integrating age into diagnostic reasoning, rather than relying on morphology alone.

For GPs working in skin cancer medicine, this is a valuable reminder that dermoscopy is not just about identifying structures and colours. It is about understanding how those features behave across different patient groups and clinical settings.

The session also reinforces subtle clues that can help clinicians recognise when two lesions that appear almost identical may warrant very different levels of concern.

Watch the full video below to see how age-driven diagnosis can sharpen diagnostic accuracy and support more confident decision-making in everyday practice.

Watch the full video

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Dr Gabriella Brancaccio

Dr Gabriella Brancaccio is a doctor of medicine at Dermatology Unit, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” (University of Campania) in Naples, Italy. She is on the Executive Board of the International Dermoscopy Society as part of the Scientific Project Committee.

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