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Suspected skin malignancy: a comparison of diagnoses of family practitioners and dermatologists in 493 patients.

Abstract：

BACKGROUND:In the Irish health system, dermatology patients present to their family practitioner for diagnosis and treatment, and are referred to a dermatologist for a second opinion where diagnosis is in doubt or when there has been therapeutic failure. The level of expertise in dermatology amongst family practitioners varies considerably. AIM:To compare the diagnoses of general practitioners and dermatologists over a selected period in patients with a possible diagnosis of skin cancer. METHODS:Four hundred and ninety-three patients were seen by one of two dermatologists over a 1-year period at a rapid referral clinic for patients suspected by their family practitioners of having unstable or possibly malignant skin lesions; 213 of these patients had a diagnosis made on clinical examination by the dermatologist, while 264 had diagnostic or therapeutic biopsies performed; 16 patients defaulted on surgery. RESULTS:The diagnoses of the family practitioners agreed with the diagnoses of the dermatologists on patients diagnosed clinically in 54% of cases. Thirty-eight patients had histologically proven skin malignancy. These were diagnosed accurately by the referring family practitioner in 22% of patients, while the dermatologists made the correct diagnosis prior to biopsy in 87%. CONCLUSIONS:In over 50% of cases diagnosed clinically, the dermatologist and family practitioner agreed. Histologically proven skin cancers were diagnosed accurately in only 22% of cases by family practitioners, compared to 87% of cases by dermatologists. Specific areas of diagnostic difficulty for family practitioners include benign pigmented actinic and seborrheic keratoses, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Postgraduate education for family practitioners should be directed towards these areas of deficiency. Dermatologists had difficulty distinguishing pigmented actinic keratoses from melanoma.

journal_name

Int J Dermatol

journal_title

International journal of dermatology

authors

Morrison A,O'Loughlin S,Powell FC

doi

10.1046/j.1365-4362.2001.01159.x

subject

Has Abstract

pub_date

2001-02-01 00:00:00

pages

104-7

issue

eissn

0011-9059

issn

1365-4632

pii

ijd1159

journal_volume

pub_type

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Suspected skin malignancy: a comparison of diagnoses of family practitioners and dermatologists in 493 patients.