Dermatopathology: Contemporary Diagnostic Criteria and Strategies

Date: June 9-13, 2010
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Credits: 32.50 CME

Core Competencies: PC, MK, ICS, PBL, SBP
Intended Audience: Pathologists, Pathology Residents, Dermatopathologists, Dermatologists, Dermatology Residents, Pathologists’ Assistants

Stay on the cutting edge with new information about:

• Medicolegal implications of diagnosis and misdiagnosis
• New thinking in preneoplastic and neoplastic lymphoid infiltrates of the skin
• Molecular strategies for diagnosis of melanoma
• Anti-melanoma vaccination
• Direct immunofluorescence microscopy
• Pathology and pathophysiology of cutaneous drug eruptions

Special course features:

• Review virtual slide cases before the course
• Individual microscopes and glass slides for use throughout the course
• More than 100 glass slide cases available for review on-site
• Learner engagement using audience response system
• Expanded format, including two new lectures on alopecia, in response to participant feedback
• Course syllabus included
• SAM credits (on-line pre and post-test required)

Nowhere else will you have an opportunity like this – to benefit from the knowledge of a faculty with a combined experience of one million skin biopsy interpretations. You’ll increase your confidence in approaching pigmented lesions, nonmelanoma skin cancer, and inflammatory dermatoses. And you’ll be better able to provide clinicians with the critical information needed to address patient problems. Bring your challenging slides for discussion with the faculty and evaluate your knowledge with self-assessment options. You’ll start with an overview of problematic melanocytic and nonmelanocytic neoplasms and benefit from tips for avoiding errors in interpretation and reporting. Gain new understanding of mechanisms and patterns of inflammatory lesions of the skin and inflammatory dermatoses.

Following this course, you will be able to:

• Assess which criteria are most powerful for the diagnosis of inflammatory and neoplastic conditions in the skin.
• Discriminate between malignant neoplasms and their mimics.
• Distinguish benign from neoplastic lymphoid infiltrates and formulate algorithmic approaches to lymphoid infiltration to make these distinctions possible.
• Interpret subtle and complex findings in neoplastic and dysplastic melanocytic neoplasms of the skin in order to advise clinicians re patient management.
• Apply appropriate criteria to make specific treatment and diagnostic recommendations in the fields of connective tissue disease and neoplasia in the skin.
• Coordinate the clinical laboratory findings with anatomic pathology findings at the microscopic level in order to fashion constructions concerning specific diagnostic categories of connective tissue disease.
• Communicate results effectively and clearly to clinicians and utilize clinical clues to diagnosis when provided.

The ASCP designates these educational activities for a maximum of 32.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activities.

This activity meets MOC Part II Lifelong Learning requirements. A self-assessment option is available for pathologists attending this program to earn SAM credits for Maintenance of Certification, Part II Self-Assessment Modules (MOC-SAM) for part of the course.