Molecular diagnosis of cutaneous diseases.

OBJECTIVES To provide an update on the molecular procedures used increasingly in the study and diagnosis of a variety of dermatologic malignancies and inflammatory disorders and to explore the potential use of these techniques in clinical dermatology. Herein, we review assays such as G-banding, fluorescence in situ hybridization, comparative genomic hybridization, and spectral karyotyping in conjunction with the polymerase chain reaction and DNA microarrays. DATA SOURCES PubMed was searched for published articles on molecular diagnosis and dermatologic diseases. STUDY SELECTION All English-language studies were selected if they provided useful methodologic information or highlighted the usefulness of molecular techniques. DATA EXTRACTION Only methodologic and qualitative information was extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS The information was synthesized into 2 sections: one describing the principles of different molecular diagnostic techniques, and the other highlighting the contributions of molecular diagnostic techniques to the understanding and diagnosis of several dermatologic diseases. CONCLUSIONS A basic understanding of the principles of molecular diagnostic techniques is crucial for the practicing dermatologist to benefit from the increasing number of molecular diagnostic articles appearing in the literature and potentially to apply these methods in clinical practice.