Digital dermoscopy analysis for the differentiation of atypical nevi and early melanoma - A new quantitative semiology

Objectives: To use a digital dermoscopy analyzer with a series of "borderli ne" pigmentary skin lesions (ie, clinically atypical nevi and early melanom a) to find correlation between the studied variables and to determine their discriminating power with respect to histological diagnosis. Design: A total of 147 pigmentary skin lesions were histologically examined by 3 experienced dermatopathologists and identified as nevi (n = 90) and m elanomas (n = 57). The system evaluated 36 variables to be studied as possi ble discriminant variables, grouped into 4 categories: geometries, colors, textures, and islands of color. Setting: University medical department. Patients: A sample of patients with excised pigmentary skin lesions (nevi a nd melanomas). Main Outcome Measures: Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the model for evaluating "borderline" pigmentary skin lesions. Results: After multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis, only 13 variabl es were selected to compute the canonical discriminant function. Conclusion: The present method made it possible to determine which objectiv e variables are important for distinguishing atypical benign pigmentary ski n lesions and early melanoma.