title: Impact of mole mapping in the Italian health system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze routine clinical management of atypical melanocytic lesions through monitoring or surgery in Italian hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide survey of clinical practices was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Digital monitoring is performed in most Italian hospitals and is preferred over excision for single atypical melanocytic lesions in 82% of hospitals. For multiple atypical lesions, 60% of high-volume hospitals prefer digital monitoring to surgical excision (40%). There is a statistically significant difference between high- and low-volume hospitals (60 vs. 39%; p = 0.003). Digital monitoring is performed at mean intervals of 4/5 months for both types of lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We show an asymmetric relation between application of the method and practical impact based on available clinical evidence. Although digital monitoring provides better characterization of the evolution of melanocytic lesions, our results indicate that the advantages and limitations of this method require further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, IRCCS IRST, Meldola, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stanganelli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ascierto
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bono
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Giorgi
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pimpinelli
authors.forename: Vanna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chiarion-Sileni
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pizzichetta
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Testori
mesh_terms: D046169:Dermoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D061847:Hospitals, High-Volume; D061846:Hospitals, Low-Volume; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery