Current Trends and Future Directions of Digital Pathology and Artificial Intelligence in Dermatopathology: A...

Background: Digital Pathology (DP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have strongly developed in recent years, especially in pathology, with a high interest in dermatopathology. Accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, DP and AI are now integrated in pathology, research and education, bringing value to histopathological diagnoses, telepathology and personalized medicine. This narrative review presents a comprehensive literature review by defining three research directions, using scientometric analysis, of the current state of DP and AI in pathology and dermatopathology. Methods: The research was conducted through the Pubmed and Web of Science databases, within the research period of January 2019-July 2025: a two-phase methodology. Four independent pathologists selected the articles in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the synthesis of the articles was based on three research directions. Results: The research shows that CNN (Convolutional Neural Network), AI powered diagnostic platforms and telepathology strongly contribute to increasing the speed and accuracy of diagnostics, especially on cutaneous malignant skin tumors. There are still several challenges and limitations in terms of validation, interoperability, initial high implementation costs, ethics and transparency in AI and equity in healthcare. Conclusions: DP and AI are essential pillars of modern dermatopathology, with a high necessity of standardization, regulation and a multidisciplinary approach.