Cutis verticis gyrata.

630 by a surgeon, 151 by a plastic surgeon, 190 by a dermatologist, and 26 by specialists in other disciplines. General and plastic surgeons performed partial biopsies only in a small percentage of the cases (1983, 3%; 1986,2%; 1988,1 %) whereas dermatologists performed many. Far fewer incisional and punch biopsies were performed by dermatologists in 1988 than in 1983 and 1986 (1983, 45%; 1986, 39%; 1988, 18%) (Table i). The number of partial biopsies dropped sharply after the consensus meeting. In both 1983 and 1986, II dermatologists had performed an incisional biopsy on a suspected case of melanoma; in 1988, there were only two. The comparison between dermatologists and non-dermatologists has only a limited value because the referral pattern is different. We conclude that the primary approach of the clinicians, especially the dermatologists, with respect to cutaneous melanoma has improved appreciably after the consensus meeting held in 1984.