Proposed Technical Guidelines for the Acquisition of Clinical Images of Skin-Related Conditions

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Standardizing dermatological imaging is important to improve monitoring of skin lesions and skin conditions, ensure the availability of high-quality images for teledermatology, and contribute to the development of a robust archive of skin images to be used for research. OBJECTIVE To provide guidelines for the clinical application of the Standards for Dermatological Imaging set forward by the ISIC. EVIDENCE REVIEW The ISIC recommendations were developed through a hybrid Delphi methodology. Themethods for achieving consensus have been described previously. The practical application of these recommendations was evaluated by 2 clinical photographers with expertise in skin imaging. Images corresponding to each recommendation were taken by a clinical photographer and provided as visual examples of how these recommendations can be implemented in clinical practice. RESULTS The Standards for Dermatological Imaging developed by the ISIC members could be followed in the clinical setting. Images showing appropriate lighting, background color, field of view, image orientation, focus and depth of field, resolution, and scale and color calibration were obtained by the clinical photographer, by following the detailed recommendations for regional, close-up and dermoscopic images. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Adhering to the recommendationsis both feasible and achievable in practice. Adopting these Standards is the first step in achieving international standardization of skin imaging, with the potential to improve clinical outcomes and research activities.