Digital dermatoscopic follow-up of 1027 melanocytic lesions in 121 patients at risk of malignant melanoma
Abstract
We completed dermatoscopic monitoring of 1027 melanocytic lesions in 121 patients at risk of developing malignant melanoma. The average total follow-up interval was 21.0 months.
We noticed a substantial enlargement of minitored lesions in 4.5% of cases, and there was a change of shape in 1.3% and change of asymmetry in 2.0%. The appearance of new structures, frequently being associated with malignant melanoma, was observed in 10 lesions, and it was predictive for the histopathological confirmation of this diagnosis in all cases.
About 80% of monitored lesions remained inchanged. We excised 38 monitored lesions (seven melanomas in situ, four thin invasive melanomas and 27 melanocytis naevi).
There was no melanoma excised in the group of unchanged atypical melanocytic lesions.