Follow-up of melanocytic skin lesions with digital total-body photography and digital dermoscopy: a two-step method
Section snippets
D-ELM instrumentation
Different instruments for digital analysis of images of total-body photographs, as well as clinical and dermoscopic images of PSLs, have been developed in the last two decades. These systems are based on a personal computer, a digital video camera for capturing images from the patient, and specifically designed software that permits the management of the image database. Different systems are available on the market, and they have been designed to store an unlimited number of images that can
Digital follow-up of common melanocytic lesions
Some recent studies have evaluated the morphologic changes that are detectable in common benign nevi by using digital dermoscopy. In 1996, Stoltz and coworkers19 compared pairs of digitized images of 60 PSLs followed-up during a period of at least 11 months. They verified that 25 of 60 lesions were changing in both clinical size and dermoscopic appearance. Braun and coworkers20 evaluated the modifications of 113 pigmented skin lesions for 2 years using a digital dermoscopic system. The authors
The two-step method of digital follow-up: a standardized procedure for clinical surveillance of high-risk patients for melanoma by digital total-body photography and digital dermoscopy
At the Early Diagnosis Unit of Cutaneous Melanoma established at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, a surveillance program of follow-up of patients with atypical mole syndrome was designed for a cohort study with a recruitment period of 10 months.16 A total of 290 patients (mean age, 40.41 years; minimum, 13 years; maximum, 79 years; 52% female) with atypical mole syndrome were included in the study. Images from patients were obtained using a standardized digital system (MoleMax, Derma
Conclusions
The following are the main conclusions from this study:
- 1.
Atypical moles were mostly found to be stable in a short period of surveillance (6–17 months).
- 2.
Patients were unaware of any modification in the case of melanoma. This confirms the difficulty of self-examination procedures in the case of patients with a large number of lesions.
- 3.
Detection of changes by D-ELM allowed the early diagnosis of melanoma, even in the case of small lesions (<3 mm in diameter).
- 4.
Digital follow-up with both total-body
Acknowledgements
The Multidisciplinary Melanoma Group at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona participated in this study: D. Benı́tez, C. Badenas, A. Campoy, T. Castel, J. Castro, F. Cardellach, C. Conill, F. Cuellar, J. Estapé, L. Jimenez, A. Lafuente, A. Llambrich, M. Lecha, J. Malvehy, J. M. Mascaró, R. Martı́, B. Mellado, J. Milá, M. Milá, R. Molina, J. Palou, F. Pons, S. Puig, A. Ruiz, R. Rull, J. Segura, J. Soler, M. Vera, A. Vilalta, S. Vidal, R. Vilella, and E. Yachi.
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