Dermatopathology education in the era of modern technology

Abstract

Continuing technological advances are inevitably impacting the study and practice of dermatopathology (DP). We are seeing the transition from glass slide microscopy to virtual microscopy, which is serving both as an accessible educational medium for medical students, residents and fellows in the form of online databases and atlases, as well as a research tool to better inform us regarding the development of visual diagnostic expertise. Expansion in mobile technology is simplifying slide image attainment and providing greater opportunities for phone-and tabletbased microscopy, including teledermatopathology instruction and consultation in resourcepoor areas with lack of specialists. Easily accessible mobile and computer-based applications ("apps"), including myDermPath and Clearpath, are providing an interactive medium for DP instruction. The Internet and social networking sites are enabling rapid global communication of DP information and image-sharing, promoting collaborative diagnostic research and scholastic endeavors.dermatopathology, education, smartphone, tablet, technology, whole slide imaging | INTRODUCTIONThe study of dermatopathology (DP) is crucial to understanding cutaneous disease processes and determining the appropriate clinical management of various conditions. DP education is an essential component of training for dermatology and pathology residents as well as DP fellows. The total amount of time dedicated to the study of DP within dermatology residency programs is a testament to the importance of DP education and its valued impact on the development of well-trained clinicians. Previously, it was estimated that 25% of the dermatology residency curriculum was devoted to DP teaching. | FROM GLASS SLIDE MICROSCOPY TO VIRTUAL MICROSCOPYGlass slide microscopy (GSM) has historically been at the heart of DP and pathology for both diagnostic and teaching purposes. However, recent advances in digital image attainment are now resulting in the concurrent use of virtual microscopy (VM) for DP and pathology education.

Utility of international store-and-forward teledermatopathology among a cohort of mostly female patients at a tertiary referral center in Afghanistan

“…One example of SAF teledermatopathology is digital, whole-slide imaging (WSI) whereby a virtual slide system digitizes glass slides into high resolution images and the consulting pathologist can use relevant software to view any field at any magnification. Although WSI offers the advantage of a digital image of the entire glass slide, this is impractical in many developing countries because of the prohibitive cost that is associated with the acquisition of the necessary equipment, software, and storage capacity for large digital image files ( Gimbel et al, 2012 , Shahriari et al, 2017 ). Moreover, laboratories such as the one involved with the current study may be limited by internet bandwidth and daily limits on the size of transferable data.…”

Development of a remote online collaborative medical school pathology curriculum with clinical correlations, across several international sites, through the covid-19 pandemic

“…At that challenging time, the authors of this project believed that pathology teaching offered a superb solution for our institutional needs, based on the use of virtual microscopy and digital slides. These are ideally suited for delivering an undergraduate pathology curriculum [9], and many institutions in North America and Europe have already switched to this approach [10][11][12]. Indeed, WCM-Q has been using virtual slides for pathology and histology instruction throughout all basic science courses since 2005, and the American Board of Pathology certi cation exam began using virtual microscopy in 2003 [13].…”

Virtual dermatopathology: A potential educational tool during COVID ‐19 pandemic

“…Virtual dermatopathology uses whole slide imaging, wherein the glass slides are scanned at the highest magnification of ×40 and a composite whole slide image is formed, simulating a glass slide under standard optical microscope, as specific areas can be zoomed in and out at various magnifications and navigated from one field to another without compromising the image quality. 1 In cases where microorganisms need to be demonstrated, scanning can also be done using ×100 objective. These slides are then uploaded on the cloud server and a large collection of digital slides can be grouped in different folders according to the broad category of dermatoses.…”

“…Moreover, one can add a section of quiz slides for self-assessment by the residents and competency evaluation by the faculty. Many online resources of dermatopathology digital slides are available as learning tools 1. There are several advantages of using digital slides over glass slides for dermatopathology education.…”

“…This obviates the difficulty encountered in teaching a big batch of students exceeding the microscope heads available at a given institute. Even students in remote locations, where there is scarcity of trained dermatopathologists, can benefit from this virtual learning program 1. As the possibility of conducting dermatopathology workshops remains bleak in near future, digital slides will come handy in reaching out to a large number of enthusiastic residents.Furthermore, the slide quality is well maintained when stored digitally and this overcomes the problem of fainting or breaking of glass slides when archived for years.…”