RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The necessity of excising melanomas characterized by a slight thickness at an early stage, leads dermatologists to remove pigmented lesions which do not correspond to melanomas. The aims of this study were: a) to prospectively assess the accuracy of melanoma diagnosis, b) to quantify the number of excisions performed according to the degree of melanoma suspicion, c) to determine the specific clinical sign or signs of relevant diagnostic value. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted prospectively from January 1996 to August 1997 by dermatologists in private practice and dermatologists from a University Hospital staff. When it was decided to excise a pigmented lesion, a form was filled out choosing the most appropriate clinical diagnosis, the degree of melanoma suspicion, and clinical signs which lead to surgery. Based on histological findings as the reference, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of melanoma diagnosis and the kappa test that evaluates the concordance between clinical and histological diagnosis, were performed. The diagnostic value of clinical signs was assessed by variance analysis. RESULTS: Of the 353 excised lesions, 38 (10.7 p. 100) were identified as melanoma on histologic examination. The sensitivity, the specificity and diagnostic accuracy were: 79 p. 100, 94 p. 100 and 53 p. 100 respectively. The kappa test concordance between clinical and histological diagnosis was 0.66. Two hundred and two lesions (57 p. 100) were excised even though the clinical suspicion of melanoma was poorly considered. Only one of these 202 lesions was identified histologically as a true melanoma. Thirty seven (24.5 p. 100) of the 151 remaining excised lesions with an "average" or "strong" suspicion were true melanomas. The clinical signs considered, alone or associated, had a poor predictive positive value (< 38 p. 100). An analytical approach performed with a logistic model permitted the identification of two associated signs suggesting a best diagnostic value. DISCUSSION: This is the only study, to our knowledge, reported in the literature which prospectively assesses the sensitivity, specificity and concordance between clinical and histological diagnosis of melanoma. Results were considered from average to good. The originality of this study was to assess the number of pigmented lesions excised according to the degree of melanoma suspicion, suggesting the possibility of reducing the number of nevi removed when the melanoma risk was considered clinically poor. Finally, this study emphasizes the limits of clinical semiology and the need for future diagnostic methods in the assessment of melanoma.
