Dermatoscopy: loupes for skin

3/4/2017

About Dermatoscopes

The last two decades have seen a rise in the incidence of malignant melanoma. Due to a lack of effective treatment (especially at advanced stages), early identification is key. The accuracy of clinical diagnosis with the unaided eye is only around 60%. Dermatoscopy is a simple, easy-to-use in vivo method that allows early detection of such lesions. Using a dermatoscope, the diagnostic accuracy can be improved to over 90%.

How does a dermatoscope work?

A dermatoscope has a magnifier (usually x10 magnification), a light source, and a transparent plate. Traditionally, a liquid such as oil is used between the instrument and the skin to remove reflected light and therefore allow accurate inspection of the skin. More modern dermatoscopes use polarised light to remove reflected light, therefore negating the need for oil.

Clinical Uses

Diagnosis of malignant melanoma
Close examination of many skin diseases including folliculitis, xeroderma pigmentosum, lentigo maligna, dermatofibroma, scar tissue, and a variety of naevi
Studying normal skin
Noninvasive monitoring of the skin during treatment
Subsurface examination
Hair research: images to hair captured by dermatoscopes can be processed using special software to count hair density, diameter, and hair growth rates

Dermatoscopes Reviewed

We present our top 3 dermatoscopes below:

1. DermEye by OriginalOptics

Source: www.original-optics.com

Price: £499

Advantages:

32 LEDs provide excellent illumination
Very affordable
Polarisation (no oil required)
Adjustable brightness
Connects to your phone to take photos
Larger viewing aperture

Disadvantages:

Only currently offers two type of dermatoscope

2. DermLite DL4 by 3Gen

Source: www.dermlite.com

Price: £1197

Advantages:

32 LEDs provide excellent illumination
Polarisation (no oil required)
Adjustable brightness
Connects to your phone to take photos

Disadvantages:

Price

3. Delta 20 Plus by Heine

Source: www.heine.com

Price: £1100

Advantages:

Polarisation (no oil required)
Laser engraving

Disadvantages:

Only 4 LEDs
Price
Small viewing aperture