Dermoscopy of patients with multiple nevi: Improved management recommendations using a comparative diagnostic approach

Abstract

Objective: To assess the outcome on management recommendations of a comparative approach vs a morphologic approach in evaluating dermoscopic images of lesions from a series of patients with multiple nevi.

Design: In a 2-step study, 6 experienced dermoscopists were asked to provide management recommendations (excision or follow-up) for a series of lesions from patients with multiple nevi based on dermoscopic images of the lesions. In the first step, participating dermoscopists evaluated individual images of lesions based only on morphologic structure (morphologic approach). In the second step, the same lesions were grouped by patient, allowing the participants to evaluate the lesions in the context of other nevi from the same patient (comparative approach).

Setting: Academic referral center.

Patients: Seventeen patients with 190 lesions (184 monitored nevi, 4 excised nevi, and 2 excised melanomas).

Main outcome measure: Using pooled data from each step, excision recommendation rates for the comparative approach and the morphologic approach were calculated.

Results: Using the morphologic approach, 55.1% of overall recommendations favored excision; using the comparative approach, the rate decreased to 14.1%. The 2 melanomas included in the study were correctly judged to merit excision by all participants in step 1 and in step 2. Conclusion Among patients with multiple nevi, evaluation of equivocal lesions in the context of a patient's other nevi results in a lower rate of excision recommendations compared with evaluation of individual lesions based on morphologic structure alone.