[Sequential digital dermatoscopic imaging. How much time is required per patient?]

Melanoma screening is possible using the naked eye, a loupe, a dermatoscope or a sequential digital dermatoscopic imaging (SDDI) device. The latter provides photodocumentation and makes it possible to assess changes over time. One potential disadvantage of this method has been felt to be in the time expenditure per patient.

Objective was to prospectively assess the time required for routine melanoma screening, using a SDDI device.

All patients screened for melanoma using a SDDI system (Mole Max2) in a private dermatology practice during 1 year were included prospectively. The time needed per patient was measured. Suspicious lesions were excised and histologically evaluated. The number needed to treat (NNT) was calculated. Excisions performed exclusively due to cosmetic reasons were not included.

381 patients with 10,356 melanocytic lesions were documented using SDDI and clinically assessed (mean: 27.18 melanocytic lesions per patient; min:1, max:110). Mean time consumption per lesion was 15.4 s. (min:3, max:57) and per patient about 7 min. 98 suspicious lesions were excised, among them13 melanomas; yielding a NNT of 7.54.

SDDI can be easily integrated into the daily routine; a variety of systems are available. The time required is reasonable, about 7 min per patient and about 15 s per lesion. The quality of the evaluation is operator-dependent; it can be evaluated by determining the NNT. A major advantage of this diagnostic procedure is the photodocumentation which makes it possible to assess potential progression of a melanocytic lesion.