Electrical Impedance Scanning for Melanoma Diagnosis: A Validation Study

Background: A multicenter study was conducted to test the ability of electrical impedance scanning to differentiate between benign and malignant skin lesions. The performance of a dual electrical impedance scanning/image analysis device was also assessed. Methods: Electrical impedance scanning measurements of 449 preoperative lesions found on 382 patients and including 53 melanomas from the trunk and extremities were performed. Results were correlated with histopathologic findings. In addition, ABCD parameters for the lesions were automatically calculated by the system. Results: Electrical impedance scanning detected melanomas of the trunk and extremities with 91 percent sensitivity and 64 percent specificity. Moreover, sensitivity of electrical impedance scanning was increased to 100 percent for in situ and thin melanomas of smaller size (n = 27). Visual examination identified as malignant only 67 percent of these early tumors (p = 0.002). Clinical examination detected 96 percent of the larger or thicker melanomas (n = 26), whereas electrical impedance scanning detected only 81 percent of them. Combined electrical impedance scanning and image analysis detected 100 percent of the melanomas, independent of their thickness, and with no significant decrease of specificity. Because of electrical differences between the head/neck and the rest of the body, the assessed electrical impedance scanning parameters were not adequate for the diagnosis of melanomas from the head and neck. Conclusions: A validation study proved the value of electrical impedance scanning as a noninvasive technique for detection of melanoma lesions of the trunk and extremities, specifically, of in situ and thin type. In addition, image analysis was shown to be a valuable, complementary procedure. New parameters should be designed to optimize the performance of electrical impedance scanning for melanomas of the head and neck.

[1]  Frederick C Beddingfield.  The melanoma epidemic: res ipsa loquitur. , 2003, The oncologist.

[2]  J. Naeyaert,et al.  Inter‐observer variation in the histopathological diagnosis of clinically suspicious pigmented skin lesions , 2002, The Journal of pathology.

[3]  P. Geladi,et al.  Assessment of skin lesions and skin cancer using simple electrical impedance indices , 2003, Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging.

[4]  D. Ruiter,et al.  The possible role of angiogenesis in the metastatic potential of human melanoma. Clinicopathological aspects. , 1993, Melanoma research.

[5]  Orna Filo,et al.  Electrical impedance scanning: a new approach to skin cancer diagnosis , 2003, Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging.

[6]  Y. Har-Shai,et al.  Sensitivity and Positive Predictive Values of Presurgical Clinical Diagnosis of Excised Benign and Malignant Skin Tumors: A Prospective Study of 835 Lesions in 778 Patients , 2001, Plastic and reconstructive surgery.

[7]  B. Hagberg,et al.  CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS , 1972 .

[8]  K. Zou,et al.  Comparison of correlated receiver operating characteristic curves derived from repeated diagnostic test data. , 2001, Academic radiology.

[9]  C. Miracco,et al.  Different patterns of cell proliferation and death and oncogene expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma , 1998, Journal of cutaneous pathology.

[10]  H I Maibach,et al.  Frictional properties of human skin: relation to age, sex and anatomical region, stratum corneum hydration and transepidermal water loss , 1990, The British journal of dermatology.

[11]  R. Barnhill,et al.  Regressing thin cutaneous malignant melanomas (< or = 1.0 mm) are associated with angiogenesis. , 1993, The American journal of pathology.

[12]  Stig Ollmar,et al.  Baseline electrical impedance measurements at various skin sites – related to age and sex , 1997, Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging.

[13]  H I Maibach,et al.  Skin surface lipid and skin friction: relation to age, sex and anatomical region. , 1995, Skin pharmacology : the official journal of the Skin Pharmacology Society.

[14]  S. Ollmar,et al.  Electrical Impedance of Nodular Basal Cell Carcinoma: A Pilot Study , 1998, Dermatology.

[15]  T. K. Das Gupta,et al.  Thin malignant melanomas with regression and metastases. , 1987, Archives of dermatology.

[16]  J Jossinet,et al.  The impedivity of freshly excised human breast tissue , 1998, Physiological measurement.

[17]  Stephen K. Jones,et al.  Cutaneous malignant melanoma of the head and neck , 1993, Cancer.

[18]  H. Fricke,et al.  The Electric Capacity of Tumors of the Breast , 1926 .

[19]  D. Malonek,et al.  The T-SCANTM technology: electrical impedance as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer detection , 2001 .

[20]  D. Malonek,et al.  The T-SCAN technology: electrical impedance as a diagnostic tool for breast cancer detection. , 2001, Physiological measurement.

[21]  M C Mihm,et al.  Angiogenesis and tumor progression of melanoma. Quantification of vascularity in melanocytic nevi and cutaneous malignant melanoma. , 1992, Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology.

[22]  H. Maibach,et al.  Cutaneous sodium lauryl sulphate irritation potential: age and regional variability , 1990, The British journal of dermatology.

[23]  J. Rosell,et al.  Skin impedance from 1 Hz to 1 MHz , 1988, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.