About

Scott R. Florell, MD, is a professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Utah. He is one of four dermatopathologists in the department who analyze skin biopsies, utilizing his clinical and dermatopathology skills to assist clinicians in diagnosing skin diseases. His main clinical focus is diagnosing and treating patients with skin cancer. Dr. Florell is board certified in anatomic and clinical pathology, dermatology, and dermatopathology, and he has a comprehensive educational background including a B.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, an M.D. from the University of Nebraska - Omaha, and residency training in pathology, internal medicine, and dermatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. His research contributions include numerous publications in the field of dermatology and skin cancer, emphasizing the assessment of salivary gland biopsy in Sjögren disease, recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, classification of melanoma and nevi with microRNA ratios, and the presentation of calcinosis cutis in adult dermatomyositis, among others. Dr. Florell's work is characterized by a focus on improving diagnostic accuracy and understanding of skin cancers and related skin conditions.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Dermatology
• Internal medicine
• Cancer research
• Immunology
• Pathology
• Biology
• Pharmacology
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Geology
• Library science
• Virology

Selected publications

• Multiple basal cell carcinomas within a Blaschkoid basaloid follicular hamartoma: A case report

  JAAD Case Reports · 2025-07-28

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• A novel presentation of calcinosis cutis of the scalp in adult dermatomyositis

  Dermatology Online Journal · 2025-03-04

  articleOpen access

  Dystrophic calcinosis cutis is the aberrant deposition of insoluble calcium in cutaneous tissue generally secondary to inflammatory connective tissue disease. Although calcinosis cutis is commonly seen in juvenile dermatomyositis, it is a relatively rare occurrence in adult disease. Herein, we discuss an 82-year-old woman with extensive history of dermatomyositis of the scalp who presented with new-onset calcinosis cutis of the scalp.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ with follicular involvement

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025-03-29 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Clinical, Morphologic, and Molecular Comparison of Bonafide Spitz Melanomas and Atypical Spitz Tumors in the Pediatric Population

  The American Journal of Surgical Pathology · 2025-03-12 · 5 citations

  article

  Pediatric Spitz melanoma (SM) with bonafide metastatic disease is rare. In this study, we assembled the largest cohort to date of pediatric SM with a verified Spitz-associated genomic driver and clinical follow-up demonstrating bonafide metastasis. We compared the clinical, morphologic, and molecular features of these SMs to a control cohort of 57 pediatric atypical Spitz tumors (ASTs). Pediatric SM patients were significantly older than AST patients (12 vs 8 years of age). While not statistically significant, SMs were more likely to be heavily pigmented (5/7 SMs vs 11/57 ASTs), to have a sheet-like growth pattern (3/7 SMs vs 8/57 ASTs), and have severe nuclear atypia (6/7 SMs vs 20/57 ASTs). SMs had significantly greater mitotic activity (avg of 4.3/mm 2 in SMs and 2.7/mm 2 in ASTs, P =0.008) and more frequent larger cell size ( P =0.006). However, none of these features were specific and could also be seen in ASTs. The presence of homozygous deletions of 9p21 in conjunction with TERT promoter hot spot mutations or PTEN deletions (n=2), as well as MYC overexpression or amplification (n=2) were only seen in the SMs and none of the ASTs. These findings were mutually exclusive in the SM group and mutually exclusive with the presence of complex chromosomal copy number aberrations, which were seen in the remaining 3 pediatric SMs. This study demonstrates that there are multiple pathways to malignancy for pediatric SMs and none of our commonly used biomarkers have a particularly high sensitivity. Hence, the optimal distinction of pediatric SM from ASTs will continue to require the integration of clinical, histologic, and molecular data.

  PublisherDOI

• Mastocytosis in the Skin: Approach to Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Management in Adult and Pediatric Patients

  American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · 2025-05-20 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• 0101 Skin cancer diagnosis with electrical impedance dermography

  Journal of Investigative Dermatology · 2025-07-21

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Primary Cutaneous Gamma–Delta T‐Cell Lymphoma Presenting With Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in a Young Polynesian Male

  Case Reports in Hematology · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Primary cutaneous gamma-delta T-cell lymphoma (PCGD-TCL) is a very rare subtype of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. We report the case of a young Polynesian male who presented with fever and an abdominal wall rash and highlight the workup leading to the diagnosis of PCGD-TCL. As PCGD-TCL is rare and mimics other medical conditions, its diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and can be challenging. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) occurs with PCGD-TCL and can be a marker of more invasive disease. There are no well-defined treatment guidelines, but the most common treatment approach is anthracycline-based multiagent chemotherapy followed by allogeneic stem cell transplant. Targeted therapies are being increasingly used as well. Prognosis remains poor and 5-year survival is < 20%, particularly in more invasive disease. We highlight how this patient's demographic varies from the published literature and discuss some unique particulars of the diagnostic evaluation and treatment, especially in the presence of concurrent HLH.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Assessing Real-World Utilization/Performance of Salivary Gland Biopsy in Diagnosis of Sjögren Disease: Impact of Overweighting Without Objective Glandular Testing

  JCR Journal of Clinical Rheumatology · 2025-11-03

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVE: Retrospective cohort study assessing real-world use patterns and test properties of labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGBx) for diagnosing Sjögren's disease (SjD). METHODS: We retrieved 89 LSGBx samples from our dermatopathology archive and obtained 23 cadaveric LSGBx samples without known autoimmune diseases for control. SjD cases included 15 seropositive Sjögren's disease (spSjD), 34 seronegative Sjögren's disease (snSjD), and 40 not SjD. All slides were de-identified and presented in random order to a blinded dermatopathologist and oral pathologist to review and score all samples according to established criteria. Patient demographics and clinical information were obtained via chart review. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of LSGBx were calculated, and odds of a SjD diagnosis after a positive LSGBx was assessed with logistic regression. RESULTS: LSGBx supported SjD in 73.3% of spSjD, 73.5% of snSjD, and 55.0% of notSjD cases, and 21.7% of cadaveric specimens. Sensitivity for SjD (spSjD + snSjD) was 73.5%, specificity was 45.0%, PPV was 62.1%, and NPV was 58.1%. A positive LSGBx increased the odds of SjD (OR=2.27, 95% CI: 0.93-5.51). The odds were similar and non-significant for spSjD and snSjD. Cadaveric specimens had lower LSGBx positivity rates compared to notSjD cases (OR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.07-0.77). Objective measures of eye dryness (14/89 cases) or oral dryness (0/89) were infrequently assessed. CONCLUSION: The predictive value of LSGBx for SjD is limited. The lack of objective clinical data in this cohort suggests that LSGBx is often heavily weighted for diagnosis, but these data question that approach.

  PublisherDOI

• 63716 Recurrence of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in situ with follicular involvement

  Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · 2025-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Correction to: Mastocytosis in the Skin: Approach to Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Management in Adult and Pediatric Patients

  American Journal of Clinical Dermatology · 2025-07-23

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K23RR017525

  NIH · $674k · 2009

Frequent coauthors

• Douglas Grossman

  University of Utah

  95 shared

• Sancy A. Leachman

  Oregon Health & Science University

  55 shared

• Kenneth M. Boucher

  53 shared

• Anneli R. Bowen

  University of Utah

  37 shared

• Glen M. Bowen

  University of Utah

  26 shared

• Pamela B. Cassidy

  Oregon Health & Science University

  25 shared

• John J. Zone

  24 shared

• David A. Wada

  23 shared