Emerging Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Dermatopathology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing health care – transforming how physicians evaluate, diagnose, and manage a wide range of diseases. Dermatopathology is particularly well suited for incorporating aspects of AI, given the predictability of histopathological slide preparation, the increasing use of slide digitization, and the text-based nature of diagnostic reporting. The purpose of this review is to describe emerging applications of AI in dermatopathology, including rapid diagnosis of common skin lesions (e.g. basal cell carcinoma, seborrheic keratoses, melanoma), identification of infectious pathogens (e.g. fungi, acid fast bacilli), and automation of quantification tasks (e.g. mitotic rates, immunohistochemical stains).

Future directions in AI-powered diagnostics, population-based research, and medical education and training are detailed, along with a discussion of barriers to AI implementation in dermatopathology, such as technical, financial, and ethical challenges.

Despite these challenges, the future of AI in dermatopathology remains promising and requires dermatopathologists to actively engage in the development and validation of AI-based technologies.