Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measured with a noninvasive device (Nevisense) increases diagnostic confidence for students and dermatologists assessing lesions clinically suspicious for melanoma, according to a study published in the January issue of SKIN .

Avani Kolla, from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues conducted a pilot study to assess the impact of adding EIS measurement scores to clinical and dermoscopic images of lesions clinically suspicious for melanoma. Thirty-four melanocytic lesions suspicious for melanoma were evaluated by three pigmented lesions specialists and three fourth-year medical students via an online survey. Participants provided their diagnosis, biopsy recommendation, and confidence in diagnosis as benign or malignant based on history and clinical and dermoscopic images, before and after receiving an EIS score.

The researchers found that the mean biopsy sensitivity for melanoma/severely dysplastic nevi was increased from 70 to 84 percent with the addition of EIS scores, and mean diagnostic accuracy was increased from 74 to 86 percent. For all histopathologic categories, mean diagnostic confidence increased for both students and dermatologists.

"Despite the small sample sizes, we did find statistically significant improvements in diagnostic confidence and accuracy among the students and pigmented lesions specialist dermatologists," the authors write. "Additional larger studies in real-world clinical settings are needed to more fully examine the role of EIS in providing patients with greater reassurance when their clinically atypical nevi are being evaluated, and facilitating clinical decision-making."

Abstract/Full Text