Skin imaging: is it clinically useful?
Non-invasive skin imaging techniques have proliferated over the last decade. Whilst most have a research role, some are routinely used in dermatology clinics. Of these, the skin surface microscope (dermatoscope), a diagnostic aid for pigmented lesions, has had most clinical impact. Such devices, when linked to a videomicroscope for computer analysis, have been dubbed as 'mole scanners'. Mole scanners are increasingly available on a commercial basis even though computer diagnosis of pigmented lesions is currently no better than diagnosis by human experts. Meanwhile, other imaging techniques, such as high-resolution ultrasonography, spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography, may yet find a role in diagnosis and disease monitoring.
Rallan
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Department of Dermatology, St Helier's Hospital, South London, Surrey, UK. Deepak.Rallan@epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk
Harland
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CC
D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography