The User-Generated Web-Based Dermoscopy Image Archive of the International Dermoscopy Society: A Contribution to E-Learning and Exchange of Knowledge

4,000 members from over 110 countries who can take part in the online discussion forum on the website www. dermoscopy-ids.org. The members share cases of interest with each other by entering clinical data and images as well as dermoscopic images to an input mask and pose questions pertaining to diagnosis, treatment or dermoscopic features of the lesions. The consultants of the forum then respond to the queries, and in this way all members are able to profit from their knowledge and expertise. Figure 1 depicts a case which was posted on the discussion forum. Since the website’s establishment in 2006, a vast number of cases has been uploaded and discussed, and as such cases with finalized discussions are removed from the discussion forum for clearness of arrangement. Therefore we decided to create a dermoscopy image archive to enable members to locate previous cases based on both clinical and dermoscopic criteria which are entered into an input mask ( fig. 2 ). The arrangement was developed with the goal of offering an additional source of dermoscopic images and expanding the value of the forum as an educational tool in dermoscopy.