{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T03:28:24Z","timestamp":1793330904099,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,25]],"date-time":"2024-11-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1732492800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dermatopathology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The dermoscopic rainbow pattern (RP), also known as polychromatic pattern, is characterized by a multicolored appearance, resulting from the dispersion of polarized light as it penetrates various tissue components. Its separation into different wavelengths occurs according to the physics principles of scattering, absorption, and interference of light, creating the optical effect of RP. Even though the RP is regarded as a highly specific dermoscopic indicator of Kaposi\u2019s sarcoma, in the medical literature, it has also been documented as an atypical dermoscopic finding of other non-Kaposi skin entities. We aim to present two distinct cases\u2014a pigmented basal cell carcinoma (pBCC) and an aneurysmatic dermatofibroma\u2014that exhibited RP in dermoscopy and to conduct a thorough review of skin conditions that display RP, revealing any predisposing factors that could increase the likelihood of its occurrence in certain lesions. We identified 33 case reports and large-scale studies with diverse entities characterized by the presence of RP, including skin cancers (Merkel cell carcinoma, BCC, melanoma, etc.), adnexal tumors, special types of nevi (blue, deep penetrating), vascular lesions (acroangiodermatitis, strawberry angioma, angiokeratoma, aneurismatic dermatofibromas, etc.), granulation tissue, hypertrophic scars and fibrous lesions, skin infections (sporotrichosis and cutaneous leishmaniasis), and inflammatory dermatoses (lichen simplex and stasis dermatitis). According to our results, the majority of the lesions exhibiting the RP were located on the extremities. Identified precipitating factors included the nodular shape, lesion composition and vascularization, skin pigmentation, and lesions\u2019 depth and thickness. These parameters lead to increased scattering and interference of light, producing a spectrum of colors that resemble a rainbow.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dermatopathology11040035","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,25]],"date-time":"2024-11-25T11:25:33Z","timestamp":1732533933000},"page":"333-341","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["\u201cChasing Rainbows\u201d Beyond Kaposi Sarcoma\u2019s Dermoscopy: A Mini-Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-4130-3306","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emmanouil","family":"Karampinis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Dermatology Department, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"},{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University General Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-4278-4025","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Olga","family":"Toli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Oncoderm Center One Day Clinic, 45332 Ioannina, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6932-1441","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgia","family":"Pappa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, \u201cAttikon\u201d General University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Vardiampasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Agioi Anargyroi General and Oncologic Hospital of Kifisia, 14564 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Melpomeni","family":"Theofili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, \u201cAttikon\u201d General University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 12462 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6594-7292","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Efterpi","family":"Zafiriou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University General Hospital of Larissa, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5662-9201","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mattheos","family":"Bobos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microdiagnostics Pathology Laboratory, 54622 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7193-0964","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aimilios","family":"Lallas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"First Dermatology Department, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4072-3591","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Lazaridou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Dermatology Department, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5115-5622","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Biswanath","family":"Behera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology and Venereology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar 751019, Odisha, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zoe","family":"Apalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Second Dermatology Department, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"494","article-title":"Dermoscopic Rainbow Pattern: A Strong Clue to Malignancy or Just a Light Show?","volume":"7","author":"Elmas","year":"2020","journal-title":"North Clin. 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