Point of care cutaneous imaging technology in melanoma screening and mole mapping

Abstract

Melanoma is a malignancy of melanocytes or pigment-producing cells located predominantly in the skin. It is less common than other skin cancers but causes the greatest number of skin cancer-related deaths worldwide. The incidence of melanoma continues to increase and early detection is the most promising means of decreasing morbidity and mortality. Currently, physicians perform routine skin cancer screenings for melanoma without the benefit of imaging devices more advanced than handheld magnifiers or dermatoscopes. However, it is possible that the diagnosis of melanoma may be improved with technology that provides diagnostic discrimination beyond what is possible on routine inspection. This article reviews current and emerging technologies to aid in the diagnosis of melanoma. Ultimately, these advances may enhance the early diagnosis of melanoma.

Not Your Mother’s Melanoma: Causes and Effects of Early Melanoma Diagnosis

“…A baseline image for the whole body is also created, which can be used for comparison to help identify novel lesions [ 45 ]. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) exploits the inherent reflective property of subcutaneous structures like melanin granules and melanosomes to create high-resolution optical subsections that visualize the histological architecture of the epidermis and upper dermis [ 46 , 47 ]. Clinical benefits of this technique include its high positive predictive value, as the visualization of different layers of the skin occurs at resolutions comparable to standard pathological evaluation [ 47 ].…”

“…Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) exploits the inherent reflective property of subcutaneous structures like melanin granules and melanosomes to create high-resolution optical subsections that visualize the histological architecture of the epidermis and upper dermis [ 46 , 47 ]. Clinical benefits of this technique include its high positive predictive value, as the visualization of different layers of the skin occurs at resolutions comparable to standard pathological evaluation [ 47 ]. Pigmented lesion assay (PLA) utilizes an adhesive patch to harvest thin stratum corneum samples non-invasively and risk stratify tissue specimens based on their expression of two genes associated with CM.…”

“…CSLM suffers similar limitations as dermoscopy, as its efficacy is dependent on the experience of the physicians using it. Furthermore, CSLM devices can be costly and infeasible to use widely in clinical settings [ 47 ]. PLA does not suffer from similar barriers as the previous three modalities since it does not rely on visual characteristics to diagnose CM.…”