Dermatoscopy, Close-Up Imaging Provide Complementary Diagnostic Insight

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For malignant lesions, dermatoscopy yields higher sensitivity but lower specificity than clinical close-up imaging, with the addition of either modality increasing the odds of a correct diagnosis, according to a study published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.Christoph Müller, M.D., from the Medical University of Vienna, and colleagues quantified the standalone and complementary value of dematoscopy and clinical close-up imaging across lesion types and reader expertise in an online reader study. A total of 283 participants diagnosed 1,567 paired images (clinical close-up/dermatoscopic) of skin cancers and mimics, with randomized presentation order. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were compared. Using a generalized linear mixed model, the effects of modality, reader expertise, and presentation order were examined.The researchers found that sensitivity was higher, but specificity was lower with dermatoscopy alone compared with clinical close-up images alone (85.0 versus 74.2 percent and 66.8 versus 71.9 percent, respectively). Accuracy was improved for melanoma and basal cell carcinoma with dermatoscopy alone, but not for nevi. The odds of a correct diagnosis were increased by adding either modality, with odds ratios of 1.52 and 1.40 for the addition of dermatoscopy and clinical close-ups, respectively."Optimal performance is achieved through the combined use of two complementary visual perspectives, clinical close-up and dermatoscopic imaging, which together enhance diagnostic reasoning regardless of viewing order," the authors write.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Dermatoscopy, Close-Up Imaging Provide Complementary Diagnostic Insight

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