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Wednesday 16 April 2008

Hairpin blood vessels

A 52-year-old man consulted for this inguinal exophytic pigmented tumour.


Dermoscopy revealed fissures and ridges (black rectangle) and a vascular pattern with many hairpin blood vessels (red rectangle).



Pictures taken with Fotofinder dermoscope

Hairpin blood vessels and fissures and ridges were in favor of a seborrheic keratosis.

Hairpin blood vessels are quite typical of seborrheic keratoses (particularly if there is a white halo surrounding them) but are non specific and can be found also in:
  • melanocytic nevi
  • keratoacanthomas
  • basal cell carcinomas
  • melanomas (often thick and irregular)