Standard Dermatoscope Images vs an Autonomous Total Body Photography and Dermoscopic Imaging Device

Recent advancements in autonomous medical devices for skin imaging offer the potential to improve the efficiency and quality of total body photography (TBP) and dermatoscopic documentation, which are essential in treating patients with skin cancer, especially those with high-risk melanoma with atypical mole syndrome.

To compare the image quality and time efficiency of an autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device for TBP and dermoscopic imaging with traditional manual digital dermoscopic techniques.

A prospective cohort study was conducted from March 1, 2023, to October 30, 2023, comparing image quality and time efficiency between an autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device and manual dermoscopic documentation across 316 patients with atypical mole syndrome at 2 dermatology clinics in Spain. All analyses took place in June 2024.

The primary outcome was the acceptability of the images, assessed by 2 independent dermatologists. Secondary outcomes included diagnostic agreement between the 2 methods and time efficiency for image acquisition.

Overall, mean (SD) age of patients was 47.13 (3.31) years. The number of male patients was 105 (33%), while the number of female patients was 211 (66%). The autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device produced dermoscopic images with a mean (SD) quality score of 9.84 (0.72), compared with 9.44 (0.85) for manual digital dermoscopy, with no significant differences by body site or lesion type. Diagnostic classification agreement between the 2 methods was 91.60%, with most discrepancies related to small benign lesions. The mean (SD) imaging time for the autonomous device was 570 (169) seconds, compared with 606 (286) seconds for the manual method.

This cohort study found that the autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device produced images of comparable quality to standard dermoscopic techniques while operating with greater time efficiency. These findings suggest that the device may contribute to clinical workflow optimization in dermatology by supporting TBP and dermoscopic imaging.