The use of a spectrophotometric intracutaneous analysis device in the real-time diagnosis of melanoma in the setting of a melanoma screening clinic.

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.