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.