Publications by authors named "Zaeem Nazir"

Background: Differentiating melanoma (MM) from seborrheic keratosis (SK) containing a blue-white veil (BWV) remains challenging.

Objective: Identify dermoscopic features that can improve upon the differentiation between MMs and SKs exhibiting BWV.

Methods: Images from 110 MMs and 121 SKs containing BWV were aggregated, and 91 MMs and 62 SKs from this data set had complete agreement on the presence of BWV according to 3 expert dermoscopists.

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Importance: Somatic variants in the RAS/MAPK pathway genes are commonly associated with melanocytic nevi and melanoma, whereas germline variants in these genes are associated with RASopathies, syndromes involving multiple organs, including the skin. Nevi counts may be higher in some RASopathies, but studies on features observed through dermoscopy are limited.

Objective: To determine the distinguishing dermoscopic features of melanocytic nevi and how the RAS pathway influences them by comparing nevi in patients with cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC) and Costello syndrome (CS).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study validated the accuracy of an open-source AI algorithm for diagnosing melanoma, assessing its sensitivity and specificity based on skin lesion images from 435 participants.
  • The AI showed a sensitivity of 96.8% at a threshold of 95%, while dermatologists' accuracy in assessing melanoma risk improved after reviewing the AI's findings.
  • The results indicate the AI's potential to enhance decision-making in dermatology, though further larger trials are necessary to integrate it into clinical practice.
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Introduction: Epinephrine is commonly used in combination with local anesthetic (lidocaine/epinephrine) due to its beneficial vasoconstrictive properties. Typically, pallor is appreciated after injection as a sign of effect; however, we observed that some cutaneous malignancies paradoxically revealed increased redness and vascularity after injection of lidocaine/epinephrine. In this study, we investigate this phenomenon among a series of biopsied lesions to identify characteristics of lesions associated with increased redness and/or vascularity.

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Although the use of dermoscopy has markedly improved both the sensitivity and specificity for skin cancer detection, there is still opportunity for improvement. Ancillary techniques provide additional ways to assess a lesion with the aim of improving our diagnostic ability with little extra cost. Usage of these techniques can strengthen diagnosis and help reduce unnecessary biopsies of benign lesions.

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