RESULTS
142 lesions of 72 patients (9 males, 63 females) with a median age of 51 (age range 26-79) were included in the study. The number of patients with a single lesion was 42. The number of lesions was 2 in 17 patients, 3 in 2 patients, 4 in 7 patients, 5 in 1 patient, 8 in 1 patient, 9 in 1 patient and 10 in 1 patient. Lesion sizes varied between 2-10 mm.
Pigment network was detected in 57% of DFs. The most common subtype of the pigment network was irregular delicate / asymmetric pigment network with 31 lesions (21.8%). In addition, peripheral delicate in 17 (12%) lesions, total delicate in 25 (17.6%) lesions, peripheral prominent in 3 (2.1) lesions, total prominent in 1 (0.7%) lesion, irregular prominent in 2 (1.4%) lesions and atypical pigment network was observed in 2 (1.4%) lesions.
White scar-like patch was detected in 53 (37.3%) of DFs. The most common subtype of this dermoscopic structure was the central scar-like patch detected in 42 (29.6%) lesions. Multiple irregular type was seen in 11 (7.7) lesions, while the total type was not seen in any lesion.
White network was found in 44 (30.9%) of the lesions. As a subclassification, the central structure was detected in 23 (16.2%) lesions, a total in 3 (2.1%) lesions, crystalline-like (Star-like white patch) in 7 (4.9%) lesions, and white radial streaks in 8 (5.6%) lesions.
Homogeneous areas were seen in 95 (66.9%) of the lesions. Brown homogenous areas were seen in 36 (25.4%) lesions, yellowish homogeneous areas in 18 (12.6%) lesions, multiple colored homogeneous areas (usually red-bluish) in 7 (4.9%) lesions. There were hypopigmented areas in 29 (20.4%) of the lesions, and perifollicular hypopigmentation in 5 (3.5%).
Vascular structures were observed in 83 (58.4%) of DFs. Erythema, the most common structure, was present in 69 (48.5%) lesions. Dotted vessels were detected in 34 (23.9%) lesions, linear vessels in 13 (9.2%) lesions, hairpin vessels in 3 (2.1%) lesions, glomerular vessels in 2 (1.4%) lesions, comma vessels in 1 (0.7%) lesion, polymorph vessels in 6 (4.2%) lesions (Table 1 ).
All these structures were evaluated and DFs classified as dermoscopically by Zaballos et al. in 2008 were reclassified. Accordingly, a total of 15 patterns consisting of the following sub-patterns were created (Table 2 ).
Pattern 1a: Total delicate network extending the entire lesion.
Pattern 1b: Multiple hypopigmentation / perifollicular hypopigmentation scattered within the total network.
Pattern 2a: Peripheral delicate network surrounding the central white scar-like patch.
Pattern 2b: White network surrounding white scar-like patch in the center and peripheral delicate network outermost surrounding the entire lesion.
Pattern 3a: Peripheral delicate network surrounding the white network in the center.
Pattern 3b: Homogeneous pigmentation surrounding the white network in the center and the peripheral delicate network surrounding the entire lesion outermost.
Pattern 4: Peripheral delicate network surrounding the central homogeneous pigmentation.
Pattern 5: White network extending to the entire lesion.
Pattern 6: Homogeneous pigmentation extending to the entire lesion.
Pattern 7a: White scar-like patch extending to the entire lesion.
Pattern 7b: Multiple scar-like patch spreading over the entire lesion (there may be delicate network around or between the lesion).
Pattern 8a: Homogeneous pigmentation surrounding white scar-like patch in the center.
Pattern 8b : White network surrounding the white scar-like patch in the center and homogeneous pigmentation surrounding the entire lesion outermost.
Pattern 9a: Homogeneous pigmentation surrounding the white network in the center.
Pattern 9b: Homogeneous pigmentation surrounding the crystalline-like white network at the center (Star-like white patch).
Pattern 10: Atypical pigment network, atypical scar-like patch or white network, atypical homogeneous pigmentation, or atypical pattern consisting of irregular distribution of these structures.
The schematic drawing of the patterns of dermatofibromas is shown inFig. 1-2 . On the other hand, the pattern equivalents of the dermoscopic images of dermatofibromas are shown in Fig. 3-4 .