Abstract
Background: Dermoscopy is a noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of skin lesions. Its accuracy for basal cell carcinoma (BCC) has not been systematically studied. Objective: We sought to systematically investigate the accuracy of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC compared with examination with the naked eye. Methods: A systematic review of studies reporting the accuracy of naked eye examination and dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC was conducted. A meta-analysis for sensitivity and specificity was performed using a bivariate mixed-effects logistic regression modeling framework. Results: Seventeen studies were identified. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of dermoscopy for the diagnosis of BCC were 91.2% and 95%, respectively. In studies comparing test performance, adding dermoscopy to naked eye examination improved sensitivity from 66.9% to 85% (P =.0001) and specificity from 97.2% to 98.2% (P =.006). The sensitivity and specificity of dermoscopy were higher for pigmented than nonpigmented BCC. Sensitivity increased when dermoscopy was performed by experts and when the diagnosis was based on in-person dermoscopy as opposed to dermoscopic photographs. Limitations: Significant heterogeneity among studies with a medium-to-high risk of bias. Conclusion: Dermoscopy is a sensitive and specific add-on tool for the diagnosis of BCC. It is especially valuable for pigmented BCC.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1380-1388 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology |
Volume | 80 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 May 2019 |
Keywords
- basal cell carcinoma
- dermatoscopy
- dermoscopy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Dermatology