Early detection of melanoma is crucial to improving the detection of thin curable melanomas. Non-invasive, computer-assisted methods have been developed to use at the bedside to aid in diagnoses but have not been compared directly in a clinical setting.
We conducted a prospective diagnostic accuracy study comparing a dermatologist’s clinical examination at the bedside, teledermatology, and non-invasive imaging techniques (FotoFinder®, Melafind®, Verisante Aura).
184 patients were recruited prospectively from an outpatient dermatology clinic, with lesions imaged, assessed and excised. Skin specimens were assessed by 2 blinded pathologists, providing the gold standard comparison.
59 lesions from 56 patients had a histopathological diagnosis of melanoma, while 150 lesions from 128 patients were diagnosed as benign. Sensitivities and specificities were, respectively: MelaFind® (82.5%, 52.4%), Verisante Aura (21.4%, 86.2%), FotoFinder® Moleanalyzer Pro (88.1%, 78.8%). The sensitivity and specificity of the teledermoscopist (84.5%, 82.6%) and local dermatologist (96.6%, 32.2%) were also compared.
There are inherent limitations in using pathology as the gold standard to compare sensitivities and specificities.
This study demonstrates that the highest sensitivity and specificity of the instruments was established with the FotoFinder® Moleanalyzer Pro, which could be a valuable tool to assist with, but not replace clinical decision making.
Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
The Use of Non-Invasive Imaging Techniques in the Diagnosis of Melanoma: A Prospective Diagnostic Accuracy Study.
