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Long‐term evaluation of the efficacy of digital dermatoscopy monitoring at a tertiary referral center
Author(s) -
Rinner Christoph,
Tschandl Philipp,
Sinz Christoph,
Kittler Harald
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
jddg: journal der deutschen dermatologischen gesellschaft
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.463
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1610-0387
pISSN - 1610-0379
DOI - 10.1111/ddg.13237
Subject(s) - dermatoscopy , medicine , melanoma , retrospective cohort study , dermatology , referral , radiology , family medicine , cancer research
Summary Background and objectives We examined the value of monitoring patients with multiple nevi using sequential digital dermatoscopy imaging at a tertiary referral center. Patients and methods This is a retrospective cohort study including 2,824 patients and 23,241 monitored lesions. We calculated trends in key parameters such as the number of melanomas and nevi monitored and excised. Results During follow‐up, we excised 1,266 lesions in 709 patients, including 146 (11.5 %) melanomas. The percentage of in situ melanomas detected at follow‐up was significantly higher than at baseline (46.6 % versus 23.4 %, p ≤ 0.001). The risk of detecting a melanoma during follow‐up was higher for patients with a melanoma at baseline, compared to those without (relative risk: 3.59, 95 % CI: 2.15 to 6.00). The number of documented lesions showed a positive correlation with the benign/malignant ratio, and excisions at baseline decreased significantly over the course of the study period. Conclusion Digital dermatoscopy monitoring improves the detection of thin melanomas in patients with multiple nevi. Patients with a melanoma at baseline are at an increased risk of developing a melanoma during follow‐up and should therefore be a target group for sequential dermatoscopy imaging.