title: Linear discriminant analysis of dermoscopic parameters for the differentiation of early melanomas from Clark naevi.
abstract: As a first step to develop a screening system for pigmented skin lesions, we performed digital discriminant analyses between early melanomas and Clark naevi. A total of 59 cases of melanoma, including 23 melanoma in situ and 36 thin invasive melanomas (Breslow thickness < or =0.75 mm), and 188 clinically equivocal, histopathologically diagnosed Clark naevi were used in our study. After calculating 62 mathematical variables related to the colour, texture, asymmetry and circularity based on the dermoscopic findings of the pigmented skin lesions, we performed multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis using these variables to differentiate melanomas from naevi. The sensitivities and specificities of our model were 94.4 and 98.4%, respectively, for discriminating between melanomas (Breslow thickness < or =0.75 mm) and Clark naevi, and 73.9 and 85.6%, respectively, for discriminating between melanoma in situ and Clark naevi. Our algorithm accurately discriminated invasive melanomas from Clark naevi, but not melanomas in situ from Clark naevi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. okahiroshiderma@1996.jukuin.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Argenziano
authors.forename: H Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Soyer
authors.forename: Takeji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
mesh_terms: D003880:Dermatology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*