Illuminating diagnostic pathways: study protocol for a prospective observational study comparing inflammoscopy and ultraviolet-induced fluorescence dermoscopy with histopathology in cutaneous lichen planus.

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Abstract
Introduction Lichen planus (LP) is an inflammatory dermatosis that is often diagnosed clinically but may require histopathological confirmation in equivocal cases. Dermoscopy enhances the visualisation of subsurface morphologic features and may improve non-invasive diagnosis. Ultraviolet-induced fluorescence dermoscopy (UVFD) is an emerging modality that may reveal additional diagnostic clues through the interaction of ultraviolet light with cutaneous structures. This study aims to investigate the dermoscopic and UVFD features of cutaneous LP, correlate them with histopathological findings, and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopy using histopathology as the reference standard. Methods This is a two-year prospective observational study to be conducted in the Dermatology outpatient department of Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Wardha, India. Adults with clinically suspected cutaneous LP who are willing to undergo biopsy will be enrolled after written informed consent. Dermoscopic and UVFD findings from selected lesions will be documented before punch biopsy. Histopathological examination will serve as the reference standard. Dermoscopic, UVFD, and histopathological findings will be correlated using imaging alignment methods and image analysis software, including ImageJ and QuPath. Diagnostic accuracy measures, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, agreement statistics, and receiver operating characteristic analysis, will be calculated. Ethics and dissemination The study has received approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee of Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Wardha, India ( study approval number: DMIHER (DU)/IEC/2024/141 ; IEC registration/re-registration number: ECR/440/Inst/MH/2013/RR-2019 ). Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to enrolment. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and academic presentation. Trial registration: Clinical Trials Registry–India (CTRI): CTRI/2025/05/086296; Reference No. REF/2024/03/080873.
Funding Information
  • The author(s) declared that no grants were involved in supporting this work.

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