Digital pathology has been in use for several decades. However, its use in the clinical field is quite new. Dermatologists, in their clinics, perform numerous skin biopsies and surgical procedures and review the biopsy specimen often for their reference despite their existence in pathology departments. Utilizing digital pathology will save resources like slides and additional materials, as the data would be digitally stored and shared via a computer and visualized.

Mohs micrographic surgery is a surgical procedure for skin cancer that assesses the complete tumor margin by analyzing the frozen section results of the outermost shell of margin tissue during surgery. Utilizing a digital pathology system here will help to share the slides between dermatologists and pathologists who will plan the further treatment accordingly.

The digital pathology system will also skip scanning the slide each time and thus save time. Additionally, the digital pathology system is also reproducible, where pathologists can freely mark or attach notes on the slide file, thus assisting clinicians to quickly locate the concerned cells by checking the marked area only.

Further, in other surgeries also, surgeons usually check only the result if the tumor cell is positive. With digital pathology, surgeons will be able to easily and accurately check tumor cell characteristics and locations via a computer screen.

Additionally, the patient also can be explained the frozen slides even after the surgery. If the patient is referred to another hospital after the surgery, he/she can digitally carry pathology test results, including frozen slides, thereby minimizing physical and economic costs and efforts.

Although there are some limitations which would be overcome in coming years, digital pathology should be used in Mohs surgery, as it would be advantageous for both surgeons and pathologists, and give the benefit of shortened operation time to the patient.

Source: Oh Y, Kim HM, Hong SW, et al. Digital dermatopathology and its application to Mohs micrographic surgery. Yonsei Med J. 2022;63(Suppl):S112-4.