Klinik (Symptomatologie, klinische Diagnose und Differentialdiagnose)

Aid to diagnosis of melanoma in primary medical care

“…Doctors in the city randomised to receive the intervention were offered a protocol to assist in the management of any melanocytic lesion for which a diagnosis of malignancy was entertained. The protocol consisted of an algorithm (figure 1) which was a modified and simplified summary of “best clinical practice,”10 and incorporated the discretionary use of a camera. This was a Polaroid instant developing camera and came attached to a plastic enclosure which fixed the lens distance from the skin, thus requiring no adjustment by the user for either focus or the flash exposure.…”

“…The similar clinical appearance of benign naevi and early melanomas, however, means that it is often impossible to exclude malignancy at one visit 9. In these instances, recommended management is to record the appearance of the lesion and review it after an interval of time to determine if any of the changes associated with malignancy have occurred 10. Behaviour of a pigmented lesion over time is believed to be more important than its immediate appearance at time of presentation 11…”