You're told you need to send your labs to a dermatapa-what?
Dermatopathology is a subspecialty of pathology.
For example, a pathologist is a doctor who interprets pathological specimens to arrive at a specific finding or diagnosis.
Therefore, a dermatopathologist is a highly trained physician who specializes in diagnosing disorders of the skin under a microscope.
They are a dermatologist or pathologist with an additional board certification in evaluating skin, hair, and nail diseases. In simpler terms, the dermatopathologist is a “Private Eye” using microscopic observations and information from your dermatologist to further explain your skin issues.
Reading pigmented lesions, such as atypical moles or early melanomas can be very difficult for general pathologists without additional training. That's why we rely on these experts!
