Improvement of monitoring of melanocytic skin lesions with the use of a computerized acquisition and surveillance unit with a skin surface microscopic television camera.

Background: Photographic documentation of melanocytic skin lesions is important. Storage and retrieval of slides, however, take much time and space.
Objective: Our purpose was to develop and clinically test a computerized acquisition and surveillance (CAS) unit with a television camera for monitoring including measurements of lesional areas.
Methods: A CAS unit connected with a skin surface microscopic television camera was used for monitoring of melanocytic nevi (MN). The lesional area and the skin surface microscopic appearance (SMA) were analyzed after 10 to 21 months in 54 of 1355 MN.
Results: In 19 MN (35.2%), changes were found. In eight cases, changes in size of more or less than 15% were detected; in five cases only the SMA changed. In six cases both characteristics changed.
Conclusion: In approximately 25% of MN, changes were only detectable in the SMA but not with area measurements. This favors the use of systems such as CAS because only they allow a time-saving comparison of actual and previous images.