Total body photography for skin cancer screening (original) (raw)

Background-Total body photography may aid in melanoma screening, but is not widely applied due to time and cost. We hypothesized that a near-simultaneous automated skin photoacquisition system would be acceptable to patients and could rapidly obtain total body photographic images that enable visualization of pigmented skin lesions. Methods-From 2/09-5/09, a study of 20 volunteers was performed at the University of Virginia to test a prototype 16-camera imaging booth built by the research team and to guide development of special purpose software. For each participant, images were obtained before and after marking ten lesions (5 "easy" and 5 "difficult"), and images were evaluated to estimate visualization rates. Imaging logistical challenges were scored by the operator, and participant opinion was assessed by questionnaire. Results-Average time for image capture was 3 minutes (range 2-5). All 55 "easy" lesions were visualized (sensitivity 100%, 90%CI 95-100%) and 54/55 "difficult" lesions were visualized (sensitivity 98%, 90%CI 92-100%). Operators and patients graded the imaging process favorably, with challenges identified regarding lighting and positioning. Conclusions-Rapid-acquisition automated skin photography is feasible with a low-cost system, with excellent lesion visualization and participant acceptance. These data provide a basis for employing this method in clinical melanoma screening.