ABPath Dermatopathology study guide
ABPath Dermatopathology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
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. All 270 questions are multiple-choice in one-best-answer format, and there are no glass slides - microscopy is delivered entirely through virtual images. The practical portion includes images of gross lesions and special technical material such as immunofluorescent, histochemical, microbiologic, and cytologic preparations. Topics on this exam: Diagnostic dermatopathology and related clinical and laboratory knowledge, Gross and microscopic diagnosis of skin disorders by direct visual inspection and light and fluorescence microscopy, Pertinent use of ancillary histochemical, immunohistochemical, and molecular tests, and Laboratory management, quality assessment and assurance, patient care decision making, and consultation. The ABPath Dermatopathology study guide has 4 sections and about 1,003 words.
01Diagnostic Dermatopathology and Related Clinical and Laboratory Knowledge
Every diagnosis is a synthesis of four inputs: the clinical history, the lesion's gross and microscopic pattern, the laboratory data, and the differential that the pattern generates. Candidates must know that most dermatopathology errors are errors of omission (missing a history) or of pattern recognition (calling a pattern before it is complete).
254 words, about 1 min02Gross and Microscopic Diagnosis by Direct Inspection and Light and Fluorescence Microscopy
Diagnosis depends on systematic inspection at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. At the gross level, evaluate color, border, symmetry, and surface change.
220 words, about 1 min03Ancillary Histochemical, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Tests
Ancillary tests should answer a specific question. Order tests to distinguish the leading differential, not as a reflex.
205 words, about 1 min04Laboratory Management, Quality Assessment and Assurance, and Patient Care Decision Making
A dermatopathology laboratory must be reliable, traceable, and safe. Quality assurance includes pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases.
324 words, about 2 min