Direct skin microscopy as an aid in the early diagnosis of precancer and cancer of the skin in the elderly.

As part of the routine physical examination of the elderly, the skin, especially on the commonly exposed areas of the face, neck, hands and forearms, should be examined for early signs of precancer and cancer. Various lesions are describaed. The early signs of precancerous actinic keratoses usually are missed without a special examination which includes the use of magnifiers or the new skin microscope. This microscope is a long focal-lens stereobinocular instrument that can scan large areas of skin for the early detection of precancer and cancer. As part of the routine examination of elderly patients, it is a valuable aid in the practice of preventive geriatric medicine.