The diagnostic accuracy of dermoscopy for basal cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of skin lesions. Its accuracy for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has not been systematically studied.

We sought to systematically investigate the accuracy of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC compared with examination with the naked eye.

A systematic review of studies reporting the accuracy of naked eye examination and dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC was conducted. A meta-analysis for sensitivity and specificity was performed using a bivariate mixed-effects logistic regression modeling framework.

Seventeen studies were identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC were 91.2% and 95%, respectively. In studies comparing test performance, adding dermoscopy to naked eye examination improved sensitivity from 66.9% to 85% (P = .0001) and specificity from 97.2% to 98.2% (P = .006). The sensitivity and specificity of dermoscopy were higher for pigmented than nonpigmented BCC. Sensitivity increased when dermoscopy was performed by experts and when the diagnosis was based on in-person dermoscopy as opposed to dermoscopic photographs.

Significant heterogeneity among studies with a medium-to-high risk of bias.

Dermoscopy is a sensitive and specific add-on tool for the diagnosis of BCC. It is especially valuable for pigmented BCC.