Total-body photographs of dysplastic nevi.

A method of taking total-body photographs to document dysplastic nevi is described. A set of 24 views is taken. These 35-mm color slide transparencies are projected onto a rearview screen at the time of subsequent follow-up examinations. A comparison between the baseline photographs and the current clinical findings allows the physician to detect thin malignant melanomas in a curable stage.

Dental curettes: useful tools for obtaining nail material for mycologic examination.

Obtaining material, especially subungually, from suspected onychomycotic nails can be difficult and/or traumatic with instrumentation frequently utilized by dermatologists. Use of scalpel blades and standard dermal curettes is often awkward and/or traumatic to the nail bed. Large clippings require micronization with a nail mill or tedious processing with less specialized instruments prior to microscopic examination (potassium hydroxide preparation) and fungal culture. A mycologist at our institution has efficaciously utilized dental curettes to obtain powdery subungual material suitable for immediate mycological assessment. This nontraumatic technique is becoming increasingly popular among clinicians.

Better dermatologic office photography: taking the photograph.

In a previous article we reviewed the questions every medical photographer must ask when looking through the viewfinder, as well as the difference between plastic surgical and dermatologic photography. We conclude by offering a mnemonic for the three views necessary in dermatologic photography: Location, Scan, and Detail, and by suggesting a technique for preadjusting the camera, lens setting, and flash that will guarantee consistent, high-quality clinical photos.

Better dermatologic office photography: getting started.

In an earlier paper, we defined a medical photograph as one that accurately maximizes clinical information while minimizing irrelevant data. This paper expands on this concept, providing specific hints to assist the practitioner in obtaining consistent high-quality clinical photos. We review the important question every medical photographer must ask when looking through the viewfinder as well as the difference between photography for practitioners of plastic surgery and dermatology.

Snapshots versus medical photographs: understanding the difference is your key to better dermatologic office photography.

A medical photograph in contradistinction to a snapshot accurately reproduces and maximizes clinically significant information while minimizing extraneous or irrelevant factors. Obtaining a top-notch medical photograph requires not only proper equipment but also rapid, sophisticated analysis of the clinical situation. Only then can major features including lesional size and distribution and more subtle details such as borders, color, and topography be selectively highlighted. First-rate medical photographs not only enhance the accuracy of diagnosis but also facilitate subsequent assessment of therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, instruction of students and residents and continuing medical education of practicing clinicians depend on our photographic acumen.