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Teledermoscopy accepted by patients, effective in monitoring atypical nevi

Patients were receptive to the use of teledermoscopy, which was effective for short-term monitoring of clinically atypical nevi, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a prospective cohort study between February 2013 and February 2014 including 34 patients ages 18 years and older with at least one atypical nevi suitable for short-term monitoring by a dermatologist and accessible by a mobile-imaging device. A dermatologist obtained dermoscopic images in the office, and patients obtained images using a commercially available mobile dermatoscope with an iPhone at baseline and follow-up of 3 to 4 months.

Twenty-nine patients completed follow-up. A survey including questions about skincare awareness and attitudes about teledermoscopy was also completed by patients.

An office-based dermatologist examined standard dermoscopic images, and a teledermatologtst examined image quality and the presence of significant clinical lesion change of mobile dermoscopic images that were sent through the Internet. Comparisons were made between the decisions of the office-based dermatologist and the teledermatologist.

Twenty-eight of the 29 patients (97%) acquired baseline and follow-up images that the teledermatologist was able to evaluate.

There was a diagnostic concordance of 0.87 (SE, 0.13; k statistic) between office-based visits and teledermoscopy encounters. Additionally, in short-term monitoring of nevi, patients reported high receptivity to teledermoscopy, according to the researchers.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.