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The use of a spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis device in the real‐time diagnosis of melanoma in the setting of a melanoma screening clinic
Author(s) -
Haniffa M.A.,
Lloyd J.J.,
Lawrence C.M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2007.07932.x
Subject(s) - medicine , melanoma , dermatology , receiver operating characteristic , diagnostic accuracy , melanoma diagnosis , significant difference , radiology , cancer research
Summary Background Skin imaging devices to aid melanoma diagnosis have been developed in recent years but few have been assessed clinically. Objectives To investigate if a spectrophotometric skin imaging device, the SIAscope, could increase a dermatologist's ability to distinguish melanoma from nonmelanoma in a melanoma screening clinic. Methods Eight hundred and eighty‐one pigmented lesions from 860 patients were prospectively assessed clinically and with the aid of the spectrophotometric device by a dermatologist. Assessment before and after spectrophotometric imaging was made and compared with histology, where available, or with the clinical diagnosis of a dermatologist with 20 years of experience. Results One hundred and seventy‐nine biopsies were performed, with 31 melanomas diagnosed. Sensitivity and specificity for melanoma diagnosis before and after spectrophotometry were 94% and 91% vs. 87% and 91%, respectively, with no significant difference in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (0·932 and 0·929). Conclusions Our study provides no evidence for the use of SIAscope by dermatologists to help distinguish melanoma from benign lesions.