Digital Pathology in Dermatology - Current Status, Applications and Perspectives

Digital pathology has become an increasingly established component of routine diagnostic practice in recent years. Whole-slide imaging enables the complete digitization of histological slides and allows for primary diagnosis using digital images. This development offers new opportunities for diagnostics, consultations, archiving, education, and quality assurance. In dermatology and dermatopathology, digital pathology is particularly relevant for the evaluation of inflammatory skin diseases, melanocytic lesions, epithelial skin tumors, and immunohistochemical analyses. This article provides an overview of the technical principles of digital pathology, describes workflow integration and implementation in clinical routine, and outlines requirements for quality assurance and validation. Key applications in dermatology as well as advantages and limitations of digital diagnosis are discussed. A dedicated section addresses the role of artificial intelligence as an assistive tool in dermatopathological diagnostics. The aim of this CME article is to provide dermatologists and pathologists with a comprehensive basis for evaluating and applying digital pathology systems in clinical practice and to place current developments into a realistic clinical context.