Dermatography: A Review of 15 Years of Clinical Applications in Surgery

Abstract

Dermatography is the application of medical tattooing techniques. In the past, similar techniques were tried but none led to reproducible results. Dermatography has been developed over the last 15 years into a technique that is generally applicable and reproducible. It is a suitable treatment modality for a wide range of skin deformities and discolorations, and a valuable alternative for a number of existing techniques in plastic and cosmetic surgery, dermatology, and maxillo-facial surgery. In this article, a review is given of these techniques, comparing them to dermatography. In addition, some dermatography techniques are described for which there is no alternative as yet. The indications for dermatography are summarized in the enclosed table.