Sign out nail, hair, urgent and melanocytic specimens with more confidence
The dermpath nail and alopecia course from USCAP walks pathologists through the specimens many find most daunting — nail clippings and biopsies, scalp punches for hair loss, emergency skin biopsies and ambiguous melanocytic tumours — starting from normal nail and folliculosebaceous microanatomy and building to case-based pitfalls, ancillary testing and medicolegal lessons.
-
10recorded presentations
-
14PDF documents
-
4faculty experts
-
Unlimitedcourse access
The programme
Alopecia biopsies, approached systematically
Eleanor Knopp first lays out a stepwise method for reading hair-loss biopsies, then returns with two case-driven presentations on alopecia pathology. The pairing moves from orientation of the specimen to confident classification of scarring and non-scarring patterns.
Nail unit histology in the dermpath nail and alopecia course
Beth Ruben opens with the normal anatomy and physiology of the nail apparatus before devoting two presentations to the inflammatory and neoplastic conditions found in nail specimens. Supporting documents accompany each section for later reference.
Urgent skin biopsies
May Chan focuses on dermatologic emergencies, where a fast and accurate report depends on combining clinical details with the histologic picture. The two presentations emphasise which findings should prompt immediate communication with the clinical team.
Melanocytic lesions & medicolegal cases
Steven Tahan examines difficult melanocytic neoplasms, how they are classified and when ancillary tests genuinely add value. Real examples of missed and nearly missed diagnoses show where interpretation commonly goes wrong.
Faculty panel & open questions
A closing panel discussion lets the four speakers answer practical sign-out questions across the topics. It ties together the diagnostic strategies presented in the individual sections.
Who it’s for
- Community pathologists handle infrequent nail and scalp specimens with a clear framework
- Dermatopathologists revisit melanocytic classification and medicolegal pitfalls
- Pathology residents and fellows learn normal anatomy before graded diagnostic cases
- Dermatologists who read their own slides sharpen clinicopathologic correlation
The consult
Who teaches each section?
Eleanor Knopp covers alopecia, Beth S. Ruben nail pathology, May P. Chan dermatologic emergencies and Steven R. Tahan melanocytic neoplasms with medicolegal cases.
Is the total running time or file size published?
Neither was released for this course. What is known is the structure: seven sections, ten presentations with VTT subtitle files and fourteen PDF documents.
Is this a clinical dermatology course?
No — it teaches histopathology at the microscope, so it suits pathologists and dermatologists with a strong interest in dermatopathology.
When was it released?
USCAP made the course available on 26 May 2026.
How fast is access after purchase?
The presentations and documents open straight after payment, with no limit on how long you keep them.
Do I get CME credit or a certificate?
No. Derma Academy provides the course files only — no CME or CE credits, MOC points or certificates of completion are included.
The spec label
| Format | Video presentations · VTT subtitles · PDF documents |
|---|---|
| Listed duration | 7 sections · 10 presentations · running time not published |
| Faculty | Eleanor Knopp · Beth S. Ruben · May P. Chan · Steven R. Tahan |
| Level | Practising pathologists and trainees |
| Techniques | Alopecia biopsy · nail pathology · urgent biopsies · melanocytic classification |
| Training models | Case-based lectures · panel discussion |
| Discipline | Dermatology · Dermatopathology |
| Delivery | Instant access · unlimited access in time |



