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Diagnostics
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Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology
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Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology

A Special Issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418) belonging to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 2305

Editor

Dr. Federico Venturi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Interests: melanoma; non-melanoma skin cancers; non-invasive diagnostic techniques (dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy, LC-OCT); dermatologic surgery; mohs micrographic surgery; immunotherapy; target therapy; skin toxicity; microRNA; digital pathology and artificial intelligence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of dermatology is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by advances in diagnostic technologies, molecular profiling, and artificial intelligence. Early and accurate diagnosis of skin diseases (skin cancers and inflammatory disorders) remains essential for improving patient outcomes and enabling personalized therapeutic strategies. This Special Issue, “Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology,” aims to highlight cutting-edge developments in diagnostic approaches that are reshaping clinical practice and research in dermatology. We welcome contributions exploring emerging non-invasive imaging technologies such as dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography, Line-field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography (LC-OCT) and total-body photography, as well as digital dermatology and artificial intelligence-based diagnostic tools. In addition, this Special Issue will feature studies on molecular and immunological biomarkers, histopathological innovations, and translational research that improve diagnostic accuracy and risk stratification in dermatologic diseases. Original research articles, systematic reviews, and high-quality clinical studies addressing both oncologic and inflammatory skin disorders are encouraged. 

Through this collection, we aim to provide clinicians and researchers with an updated overview of innovative diagnostic strategies that support precision dermatology and improve patient care.

Dr. Federico Venturi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • artificial intelligence in dermatology
  • dermoscopy
  • reflectance confocal microscopy
  • optical coherence tomography
  • line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT)
  • skin cancer diagnosis
  • molecular biomarkers
  • digital dermatology
  • non-invasive imaging
  • precision dermatology

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 378 KB  
Article
Serum Asprosin Levels in Patients with Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Case–Control Study
by Murat Doğan, Elif Çetinkaya, Harbiye Dilek Canat, Ali Mert Gök, Burak Yıldız, Zafer Türkoğlu and İbrahim Halil Yavuz
Diagnostics 2026, 16(16), 2621; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16162621 - 18 Aug 2026
Viewed by 342
Abstract
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease involving complex interactions between inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Asprosin is a glucogenic adipokine involved in glucose homeostasis, which has been investigated in relation to obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory processes. This study aimed [...] Read more.
Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease involving complex interactions between inflammatory and metabolic pathways. Asprosin is a glucogenic adipokine involved in glucose homeostasis, which has been investigated in relation to obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammatory processes. This study aimed to evaluate serum asprosin levels in patients with HS and to investigate their associations with disease severity and selected metabolic and inflammatory characteristics. Methods: This single-center, case–control study included 44 patients with HS and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Sociodemographic, clinical, anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters were recorded. Serum asprosin levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while disease severity was assessed using Hurley staging and the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4). Multivariable regression analyses were performed using log-transformed asprosin concentrations to evaluate the independent association between HS status and serum asprosin after adjustment for relevant metabolic and lifestyle-related factors. Results: Serum asprosin levels were significantly lower in patients with HS than in healthy controls in the unadjusted analysis (30.07 ± 28.15 vs. 40.94 ± 33.11 ng/mL, respectively; p = 0.028). However, HS status was not independently associated with serum asprosin levels after adjustment for BMI, smoking status, metabolic syndrome, age, and sex or after adjustment for BMI, smoking status, fasting glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol. Additionally, BMI showed a consistent negative association with serum asprosin levels across all three models. Serum asprosin was not significantly associated with Hurley stage, IHS4 score, or metabolic syndrome, and ROC analysis demonstrated poor discriminatory performance of serum asprosin, with an area under the curve of 0.364, a sensitivity of 43.2%, and a specificity of 38.6%. Conclusions: Serum asprosin levels were lower in patients with HS than in healthy controls in the unadjusted analysis; however, this difference was not independently associated with HS after adjustment for relevant confounding factors. The absence of associations with disease severity and the poor discriminatory performance in ROC analysis do not support serum asprosin as a diagnostic or disease severity biomarker for HS. Thus, further prospective and mechanistic studies are required to clarify the biological significance of altered asprosin levels in HS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology)
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13 pages, 3329 KB  
Article
Surgical Outcomes of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Managed with Systematic Preoperative Reflectance Confocal Microscopy-Guided Margin Assessment: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing Wide Local Excision and Mohs Micrographic Surgery
by Federico Venturi, Elisabetta Mazzotti, Carlotta Baraldi, Biagio Scotti, Camilla Reggiani, Barbara Corti, Elisabetta Magnaterra, Daniela Tassone and Emi Dika
Diagnostics 2026, 16(12), 1916; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16121916 - 20 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Background: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) enables noninvasive, high-resolution visualization of skin tumors and may improve preoperative margin assessment in nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). However, its impact on surgical outcomes in routine clinical practice remains incompletely defined. Objective: To evaluate surgical outcomes of NMSC [...] Read more.
Background: Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) enables noninvasive, high-resolution visualization of skin tumors and may improve preoperative margin assessment in nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). However, its impact on surgical outcomes in routine clinical practice remains incompletely defined. Objective: To evaluate surgical outcomes of NMSC managed with systematic preoperative RCM-guided margin assessment, comparing wide local excision (WLE) and Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 71 consecutive NMSC treated at a tertiary dermatologic oncology center. All tumors underwent RCM evaluation for diagnosis and preoperative margin mapping. Outcomes included positive margins after WLE, local recurrence, recurrence-free survival, and the number of Mohs stages. Associations were analyzed using Fisher’s exact tests and Firth penalized logistic regression. Results: Among 47 tumors treated with WLE, positive margins occurred in 10.6%. Among 24 MMS cases, 70.8% were cleared in a single stage. Local recurrence occurred in 14.9% of WLE-treated tumors and in none of the MMS-treated tumors (p = 0.087). All recurrences occurred in tumors initially demonstrated positive margins after WLE, despite subsequent re-excision and histologic clearance. In multivariable Firth regression, MMS was associated with a lower risk of recurrence (OR 0.13; 95% CI, 0.008–2.10). Conclusions: In this RCM-guided cohort, low margin positivity after WLE and high single-stage clearance in MMS suggest improved surgical accuracy and efficiency. Recurrence was confined to margin-positive tumors, supporting a margin-driven model of tumor control and highlighting RCM as a potential preoperative margin-control strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology)
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11 pages, 1148 KB  
Article
Serum Immunometabolic Biomarkers Reveal Distinct Phenotypes in Chronic Urticaria
by Nilay Duman, Can Muftuoglu, Begüm Tahhan, Tolga Coşkun, Deniz Ece, Ufuk Mert, Sıla Özkal and Ayse Caner
Diagnostics 2026, 16(8), 1148; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16081148 - 13 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1057
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder generally attributed to mast cell activation. However, emerging evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming and systemic immune dysregulation also contribute to the disease pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate the interplay between epithelial barrier [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder generally attributed to mast cell activation. However, emerging evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming and systemic immune dysregulation also contribute to the disease pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate the interplay between epithelial barrier integrity, innate immune regulation, metabolic activity, and mast cell effector mechanisms in CU. Methods: Forty CU patients and 40 healthy controls were evaluated. Clinical parameters included disease severity, disease subtype, antihistamine response, IgE levels, anti-TPO status, gastrointestinal symptoms, and angioedema. Serum levels of histamine, intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (IFABP), soluble CD14 (sCD14), diamine oxidase (DAO), D-lactic acid, endotoxin, zonulin, calprotectin, and related ratios were measured. Disease activity and control were assessed using the UAS7 and UCT scores. Results: CU patients exhibited significantly higher DAO (p = 0.003) and lactic acid (p = 0.004) levels compared to controls, whereas other markers showed no significant differences. In anti-TPO-positive patients, sCD14 levels were reduced (p = 0.024), while histamine/sCD14 (p = 0.005), lactic acid/sCD14 (p = 0.014), IFABP/sCD14 (p = 0.008), and zonulin/sCD14 (p = 0.027) were significantly elevated, suggesting relative amplification of metabolic and barrier-related signals under impaired innate immune regulation. Severe anti-TPO-positive patients exhibited lower sCD14 (p = 0.022) and NLR (p = 0.013) but higher UAS7 (p = 0.032), histamine (p = 0.011), calprotectin (p = 0.041), and CD14-normalized ratios, including histamine (p = 0.003), IFABP (p = 0.028), lactic acid (p = 0.019), zonulin (p = 0.029), and calprotectin (p = 0.011) compared with severe anti-TPO-negative patients, indicating a mast cell-dominant and metabolically active inflammatory phenotype. The lactic acid/DAO ratio was significantly lower in controlled versus uncontrolled CU (p = 0.013) and showed discriminatory potential for disease control. Patients with angioedema had higher CRP (p = 0.038) and UAS7 scores (p < 0.001). Conclusions: CU exhibits marked immunometabolic heterogeneity. Elevated DAO and lactic acid indicate increased histamine turnover and metabolic activation, whereas altered sCD14-normalized biomarker profiles reveal immune dysregulation in anti-TPO-positive patients. Severe CU with features suggestive of thyroid autoimmunity manifests as a mast cell-dominant, metabolically active phenotype with relative suppression of innate immune modulators, contrasting with alternative pathways in other CU phenotypes. The lactic acid/DAO ratio may serve as a candidate biomarker of disease control. These results underscore the importance of phenotype-tailored therapeutic strategies in CU. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Advances in the Diagnosis of Dermatology)
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