ABD Dermatopathology case studies
ABD Dermatopathology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Dermatopathology Subspecialty Certification Exam is administered by the American Board of Dermatology, which describes itself as one of the 24 medical specialty boards making up the American Board of Medical Specialties. Founded in 1932 and based in Newton, Massachusetts, the ABD states its mission as serving the public and the profession by setting high standards for dermatologists to earn and maintain board certification. The ABD Dermatopathology case studies are 5 cases and about 3,185 words.
1Photodistributed interface dermatitis on a checkpoint inhibitor
A 61-year-old man with metastatic melanoma has received nivolumab for 14 weeks. He develops symmetric, violaceous, scaly plaques over the dorsal hands, forearms, anterior chest, and V of the neck, together with Gottron-like papules over the metacarpophalangeal joints and periungual erythema.
691 words, about 3 min2Enlarging pigmented macule on the sole at the site of a prior 'benign' biopsy
A 54-year-old man presents with a 9-mm asymmetric, irregularly pigmented macule on the right sole that has enlarged over 18 months. Three years earlier, a shave biopsy from the same site was reported as a benign acral nevus with a nested junctional pattern, and no further treatment was given.
689 words, about 3 min3Sclerosing basaloid proliferation on the nasolabial fold with an unvisualized deep margin
A 67-year-old woman has an 8-mm firm, ill-defined plaque on the left nasolabial fold that has slowly enlarged over 3 years. A 3-mm punch biopsy shows narrow strands and small nests of cytologically bland basaloid cells embedded in dense sclerotic collagen, with several small keratin-filled cysts and a tadpole configuration; the deep margin is not visualized.
597 words, about 3 min4A solitary clonal T-cell infiltrate on the thigh
A 44-year-old woman has a solitary 3-cm violaceous, indurated plaque on the left thigh that has persisted for 8 months. She has no other skin lesions, no lymphadenopathy, and no B symptoms; blood counts and LDH are normal.
594 words, about 3 min5Vascular papules in a previously irradiated breast
A 68-year-old woman was treated with breast-conserving surgery and whole-breast radiation 6 years ago. She now has three violaceous papules, each 2 to 4 mm, clustered in the irradiated skin of the upper inner quadrant.
614 words, about 3 min