Dermatology: Practical and Conceptual


Review  |  Dermatol Pract Concept 2018;8(3):16 231

DERMATOLOGY PRACTICAL & CONCEPTUAL
www.derm101.com

Sequential digital dermatoscopic imaging of 
patients with multiple atypical nevi

Philipp Tschandl1

1 ViDIR Group, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Key words: dermatoscopy, monitoring, melanoma, nevi, digital, screening

Citation: Tschandl P. Sequential digital dermatoscopic imaging of patients with multiple atypical nevi. Dermatol Pract Concept. 
2018;8(3):231-237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5826/dpc.0803a16

Received: December 29, 2017; Accepted: March 3, 2018; Published: July 31, 2018

Copyright: ©2018 Tschandl. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which 
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding: None.

Competing interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

All authors have contributed significantly to this publication.

Corresponding author: Priv. Doz. Philipp Tschandl, MD, PhD, ViDIR Group, Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna, 
Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Email: philipp.tschandl@meduniwien.ac.at.

Introduction

Dermatoscopy has progressed to a state-of-the art technique 

not only to distinguish melanoma from nevi [1,2], but also 

to diagnose all kinds of pigmented and nonpigmented skin 

tumors [3]. This is due to its proven increase in diagnostic 

accuracy compared to the unaided eye [4], an improve-

ment that recently has also been shown to be present in 

nonpigmented lesions that are inherently more difficult to 

diagnose [5].

But there is a specific aspect of pigmented and nonpig-

mented skin lesion diagnosis with dermatoscopy that stands 

apart, namely, screening high-risk patients. Why is this dif-

ferent? Not only are these patients much more likely to be 

diagnosed with melanoma [6,7], they are also more difficult 

to diagnose [8]. This is partially because early melanoma can 

be featureless, but also because nevi on those patients can 

have a worrisome morphology. Some approaches have been 

proposed to tackle these problems.

The morphologic differentiability can be overcome partly 

by comparing nevi clusters of the same pattern in a patient 

[9,10], which has become well known as the comparative 

approach set forth by Argenziano [11]. This comparative 

approach has its limitations though; for example, in an 

experimental setting, dermatologists were not able to dis-

tinguish melanomas and nevi well in lesions of high-risk 

patients [8,12].

Total-body imaging is widely used for screening high-risk 

patients, but because pigmented skin lesions can change or 

occur, especially in young patients [13-15], it is most com-

monly not applied solely but in combination with other 

diagnostic methods [16,17].

Patients with multiple atypical nevi are at higher risk of developing melanoma. Among different tech-
niques, sequential digital dermatoscopic imaging (SDDI) is a state-of-the art method to enhance diag-
nostic accuracy in evaluating pigmented skin lesions. It relies on analyzing digital dermatoscopic im-
ages of a lesion over time to find specific dynamic criteria inferring biologic behavior. SDDI can reduce 
the number of necessary excisions and finds melanomas in an early—and potentially curable—stage, 
but precautions in selecting patients and lesions have to be met to reach those goals.

ABSTRACT



232 Review  |  Dermatol Pract Concept 2018;8(3):16

most likely will not benefit from it at all; instead, it may even 

do harm, as recent literature shows a positive association of 

false positive findings with a number of monitored lesions 

in a patient [30].

Compliance

An often-underestimated drawback is lack of patient compli-

ance [29,31]; that is, patients do not show up for the follow-

up appointments. The reason this is an issue is changed 

sensitivity at the baseline visit [32]. One basic mechanism of 

the increased diagnostic accuracy of digital dermatoscopic 

monitoring is that one increases specificity by leaving a lesion 

untouched in good faith, the lesion—on the patient—will 

come back after a specified interval. This increased specific-

ity comes at the price of lower sensitivity, which can only be 

overcome by finding missed melanomas at a second examina-

tion. Thus, the physician has to ensure the patient returns to 

the office. While the lack of compliance is not without dispute 

[33], an Italian group [28] found compliance was higher 

for shorter intervals and that long-term monitoring may be 

started with shorter periods.

Lesions

Previous studies have shown that in high-risk patients one 

cannot estimate at baseline which of the lesions on the patient 

is more prone to become a melanoma [8,12]. While other 

authors argue that only lesions with some sign of atypia 

should be followed over time [34], those results suggest a 

possible benefit in integrating inconspicuous lesions. One 

should not follow, though, that all lesions on a patient have 

to be monitored at every visit. Taking photographs of all 

lesions at every visit is not only impossible to do in a rea-

sonable amount of time, but it may also decrease diagnostic 

accuracy as more monitored lesions per patient are positively 

correlated with false positive findings [30]. A survey showed 

that the majority of experts in the field in fact do not perform 

dermatoscopic monitoring of every single lesion on a patient 

[35], and indirect evidence indicates this is truly not neces-

sary. In a retrospective analysis of our own high-risk center, 

where only a random subset of lesions is monitored at every 

visit with monitoring being stopped after no change has been 

seen for 2 (or 3) years, almost half of melanomas were in situ 

and mean invasion depth was well below 1 mm for 10 years 

[30]. Therefore, because we cannot estimate which pigmented 

skin lesion turns out to be a melanoma, selection of lesion 

monitoring has to be random and can be incremental to save 

resources (incremental SDDI, Figure 1).

One cannot choose which lesions specifically should be 

monitored, but there are rules as to which lesions should 

not be. Important exclusion criteria are: (1) nodular (black, 

brown, gray, red or blue) lesions, as thick melanomas would 

progress to higher invasion depths more quickly [36,37]; 

A German group presented a rather innovative method in 

which they removed the skin of the entire back of a patient 

to reduce his melanoma risk [18]. Though seemingly promis-

ing, this approach may not be a solution for usual high-risk 

patients: The removed nevi are most likely not the precursors 

of a potential melanoma [19], and possible melanoma risks 

due to germline mutations [20] would still be present. Finally, 

such an overwhelming surgical procedure defeats the purpose 

of a screening method, namely reducing invasive procedures. 

Rather, a noninvasive and more specific method has to be 

chosen for that purpose. One technique that fulfills those 

requirements, and overcomes some drawbacks mentioned 

previously, is digital dermatoscopic follow-up, or sequential 

digital dermatoscopic imaging (SDDI) [21,22].

By comparing 2 images of a lesion taken at different time 

points, additional information about the dynamics, and thus 

biologic behavior, can be obtained. This additional informa-

tion has gained interest when being added as an additional 

“E” criterion to the classic “ABCDs” [23]. In a study of 

patients with a high risk of melanoma [24], about 20% 

to 50% of melanomas could only be detected with the help 

of digital follow-up, but not with a single dermatoscopic 

examination. In addition to monitoring multiple nevi, digital 

dermatoscopy is also used to enhance specificity on individual 

suspicious lesions. Here, a shorter interval (2-3 months [25]; 

short-term follow-up) is usually chosen [26] for single lesions 

and even small dermatoscopic changes are regarded as suspi-

cious, whereas in the screening of patients with many nevi 

an interval of 6-12 months (long-term follow-up) is more 

common. In the following sections, general rules for practical 

application of SDDI are discussed.

Selection

Risk Factors

The first consideration in applying digital dermatoscopic 

monitoring is the patient collective, as it has to meet certain 

criteria [27]. A previous report [24] has shown that digital 

dermatoscopy is particularly useful for patients with a 

familial atypical mole and multiple melanoma (FAMMM) 

syndrome and an atypical mole syndrome (AMS; >50 nevi 

and >3 atypical nevi) in a strict sense. Conversely, con-

ventional dermatoscopy was sufficient for the detection 

of melanomas in patients with solely a large number of 

(inconspicuous) nevi: in this patient group, more than 80% 

of melanomas were diagnosed over a period of 10 years by 

means of a single dermatoscopic examination or other clini-

cal information. In 2 additional studies with a shorter period 

of time, no melanoma was found in patients with low risk 

among the dermatoscopically monitored lesions [28,29]. 

Thus, there is no compelling evidence for applying digital 

dermatoscopic monitoring to low-risk patient groups. They 



Review  |  Dermatol Pract Concept 2018;8(3):16 233

for 2-3 years because a diagnosed single melanocytic nevus is 

at very low risk of transforming into a melanoma at 0.0005% 

to 0.003% per year [42].

Evaluation

Melanocytic nevi generally grow symmetrically and fol-

low 1 of 3 variants: a reticular pattern (slow growth), a 

surrounding rim of clods (moderate to fast growth), or 

peripheral pseudopodia and radial lines (fast growth) [43]. 

The following changes (summarized in Table 1 and Fig-

ures 2-4 and adapted from Kittler et al [44]) have been associ-

ated with melanoma in previous studies [45,46] and should 

lead to the removal of a lesion: (1) changed architecture; (2) 

asymmetric increase in size; (3) new colors, depigmentation, 

and focal color change; and (4) the appearance of melanoma 

criteria such as black dots or regression.

(2) blue lesions [38], as monitoring cannot reliably evaluate 

changes in the dermis; (3) regressive lesions, as a potential 

melanoma may be completely regressed at follow-up; (4) 

lesions with a dermatoscopic clod pattern, as they show a 

faster growth [39]; and (5) spitzoid lesions [40], not includ-

ing Reed nevi [41], as the latter can show fairly symmetric 

growth and stabilization. Lesions with these characteristics 

should be removed immediately, unless they are clearly benign 

at the baseline visit.

Finally, what should lesions selected for SDDI look like? 

Ideally, they are medium-sized, flat, and show a dermato-

scopic reticular pattern. But, as with any recommendation, 

the preceding recommendations are due to change with new 

findings, specifically in the advent of automated full-body 

imaging, where monitoring of every single lesion of a patient 

seems feasible in the future. Until then, it is justifiable to 

discard monitoring a single lesion if no change has occurred 

TABLE 1. Differentiation of Nevus and Melanoma with Follow-Up Images*

 Change Nevus Melanoma

Change in size None or symmetrical growth Asymmetrical growth

Change in color No change or even lighter/darker 
brown or erythema

New colors, especially focally and 
depigmentation

Change in structure No or subtle changes such as 
accentuation of existing structures

Architecture changes and the appearance of new 
structures including classical melanoma criteria 
and regression and signs of regression

*Adapted from Kittler et al [50].

Figure 1. Incremental SDDI. Because with current methods it is not feasible to image every lesion at every visit, we selected a random sample 

of new lesions at every visit (gray), which were imaged in subsequent visits (yellow), but were discarded from follow-up after showing no 

change for 2 years (green). With this method, we were able to map all lesions eventually, to suggest if one lesion has occurred in the last 

interval even without TBP (red). [Copyright: ©2018 Tschandl.]



234 Review  |  Dermatol Pract Concept 2018;8(3):16

and (4) age. First, with shorter intervals 

between 2 images, less change indicates 

a probable melanoma [26,48], whereas 

nevi generally change more slowly and 

in a limited fashion [39,49,50]. In con-

trast, recurrence of a benign nevus may 

occur earlier than recurring melanoma 

[51]. Second, new checkpoint inhibitors 

such as dabrafenib [52] or vemurafenib 

[53] may lead to drastic changes in nevi. 

Notably, all criteria rely heavily on 

asymmetry (chaos), which is one of the 

most (interrater) reliable features in der-

matoscopy [47], but evaluation of the 

necessary extent of change still relies on 

the subjective judgment of the exam-

ining physician. Additionally, many 

additional factors have to be taken 

into account and these are (1) time, 

(2) medication, (3) anatomic location, 

Figure  2. A compound nevus (A) with peripheral clods showing (B) symmetrical growth 

after 1 year. Nevi with peripheral clods very commonly show symmetric enlargement over 

time [70]. [Copyright: ©2018 Tschandl.]

Figure 3. This histopathologically verified lentigo maligna initially presented with only struc-

tureless brown areas (A) at the baseline visit. (B) After 14 months of follow-up, the pigment 

has become darker, grown asymmetrically, and an additional pink structureless area can be 

seen. [Copyright: ©2018 Tschandl.]

Figure  4. While this lesion (A) initially appears inconspicuous, after (B) 6  months it 

shows additional black dots and asymmetric growth. Histopathological evaluation re-

vealed a superficially spreading melanoma with an invasion depth of 0.4 mm. [Copyright: 

©2018 Tschandl.]

Third, congenital nevi of the nail appa-

ratus may show growth and involution 

[54]. Fourth, growing lesions raise more 

suspicion in older patients, as nevi are 

expected to change in younger patients 

to some extent [14,15].

General Considerations
Effectiveness

Regarding diagnostic accuracy, a meta-

analysis has shown that by using SDDI, 

54.6% of melanomas can be excised in 

situ. The number of lesions needed to 

monitor differs significantly between 

studies (31-1 008), most possibly 

reflecting different methods of execut-

ing SDDI. Undeniably, this number is 

the lowest for short-term SDDI [21,48] 

because it is mainly used for increasing 

specificity (ie, avoiding excision of single 

suspicious lesions rather than scanning 

all lesions on a patient). It therefore does 

not have the identical purpose as long-

term SDDI and is commonly combined 

with other screening methods such as 

total-body photography, conventional 

skin examination, and dermatoscopy 

[16,17]. The number of needed excisions 

(NNE) to find a melanoma under long-

term SDDI is low (1:12; melanoma: 

benign nevi as diagnosed by histopa-

thology), but here also short-term SDDI 

is lower (1:5) [21], as it includes only 

suspicious lesions, decreasing the pretest 

probability of false positive findings. 

The low NNE for any kind of SDDI is 

thought to be one of the main reasons 

the NNE has decreased in recent years 

in specialized centers [55].

For every screening method, not 

only diagnostic accuracy, but also 

immediate and follow-up costs have to 

be taken into account. Literature sug-

gesting that even skin cancer awareness 

interventions can increase costs along-

side even lower quality-adjusted life 

years [56] show the importance of being 

careful and constantly critical of popu-

lation-wide decisions about any kind of 

screening method [57]. When limiting 

interventions to high-risk patients, there 



Review  |  Dermatol Pract Concept 2018;8(3):16 235

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digital total-body photography and digital dermoscopy: a two-

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tography and digital dermatoscopy (“two-step method of digital 

follow-up”) in the early diagnosis of melanoma in patients at high 

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is repeated evidence for cost-effectiveness of screening in 

general [58,59], and SDDI specifically [60].

Combinations

SDDI is never applied alone, but is at a minimum combined 

with a total-body exam from a physician with or without a 

handheld dermatoscope. Combinations with other examina-

tion techniques have been shown to be effective in skin cancer 

screening of high-risk patients.

Total-body photography (TBP): By comparing clinical 

images of 2 time points, TBP itself may reduce the number of 

excised lesions in pigmented lesion clinics [61,62] by detect-

ing clinically new or changing lesions. Especially with the 

advent of high-resolution photography and automated detec-

tion of new lesions [63], TBP has the ability to become even 

more important in screening a large number of patients. The 

evidence and use of TBP for screening are promising, but an 

in-depth review is beyond the scope of this review. Regarding 

digital dermatoscopy, TBP performs very well when combined 

with SDDI in screening programs, as both possibly detect 

distinct subsets of melanoma [16,17].

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM): To further 

reduce the number of unnecessary excisions, RCM has been 

applied as a “second-level” exam for doubtful lesions found 

by digital dermatoscopy [64]. Though repeatedly found help-

ful in further studies [65-67], application is currently limited 

to highly specialized centers with access to this technique.

Limitations

At the time of publication, this review may be outdated. It 

gives a current review of state-of-the art knowledge about 

digital dermatoscopic monitoring, but screening and moni-

toring high-risk melanoma patients may change in the future. 

New methods such as automated skin lesion tracking [63,68] 

as well as classifications by artificial intelligence [69] will 

most likely fundamentally rearrange perspective in the next 

years.

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