ABPath Dermatopathology case studies
ABPath Dermatopathology · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Dermatopathology is an American Board of Pathology (ABPath) subspecialty certification for physicians who have completed pathology training and wish to demonstrate subspecialty competence in skin disease diagnosis. According to ABPath, the examination is a one-day, computer-based test composed of two parts: a written/practical section of 160 questions allotted 3 hours 13 minutes, and a Virtual Microscopy section of 110 questions allotted 4 hours 9 minutes. The ABPath Dermatopathology case studies are 5 cases and about 1,707 words.
1Pigmented Nodule on the Sole With Ambiguous Immunohistochemistry
A 62-year-old man has a 1.4 cm asymmetric, irregularly pigmented nodule on the plantar arch present for 8 months; he reports recent enlargement and bleeding. Shave biopsy shows a dermal proliferation of epithelioid cells with melanin, 6 mitoses/mm2, and no clear maturation.
415 words, about 2 min2Erythematous Plaques in a Patient on Dialysis: Direct Immunofluorescence Timing
A 54-year-old woman with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis for 3 years presents with pruritic, violaceous, sharply demarcated plaques on the shins and forearms for 6 weeks. She takes a calcium-containing phosphate binder and an ACE inhibitor.
375 words, about 2 min3Nodular Lesion on the Ear: When to Use Ancillary Testing
A 70-year-old man has a 0.9 cm pearly nodule on the helical rim with telangiectasia. Punch biopsy shows basaloid islands with peripheral palisading and clefting, consistent with nodular basal cell carcinoma.
301 words, about 2 min4Laboratory Quality Failure: Discordant Melanoma FISH Results
A dermatopathology laboratory performs a 4-probe FISH assay for ambiguous melanocytic tumors. Over 3 months, 18 cases are run; 4 show signal patterns that the technologist calls positive, but the pathologist notes that 2 of these had weak signals and 1 had high background.
308 words, about 2 min5Consultation: A Difficult Adnexal Tumor With Divergent Differentiation
A 45-year-old woman has a 2.2 cm deep dermal nodule on the cheek. The outside pathologist diagnosed "benign adnexal tumor" but noted mitoses and a pushing border.
308 words, about 2 min