WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025 -- An autonomous total body photography (TBP) and dermoscopic device produces images of comparable quality to standard dermoscopic techniques, with shorter imaging time, according to a study published online April 9 in JAMA Dermatology.

Pau Rosés-Gibert, M.D., from the University of Barcelona in Spain, and colleagues conducted a prospective cohort study from March 1, 2023, to Oct. 30, 2023, to compare image quality and time efficiency of an autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device with traditional manual digital dermoscopic techniques among 316 patients (105 male and 211 female) with atypical mole syndrome.

The researchers found that the mean quality score for the autonomous TBP and dermoscopic device was 9.84 compared with 9.44 for manual digital dermoscopy; no significant difference was seen by body site or lesion type. The diagnostic classification agreement was 91.60 percent between the two methods; most discrepancies were related to small benign lesions. For the autonomous device, the mean imaging time was 570 seconds, compared with 606 seconds for the manual method.

"These findings suggest that this autonomous device may have potential value in improving workflow efficiency, especially in high-volume settings," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry; two authors hold related patents.