Automated melanoma diagnosis: where are we at?

BACKGROUND: It has been over a decade since the first mention was made of the computer as a tool for assisting clinicians in diagnosing skin lesions. This review tabulates and summarises the major research papers, and comments on the state of the field after a decade of research. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that epiluminescent microscopy has become the image-capture technique of choice in this field. However, the reporting of research to date has been less than exemplary, making "reinvention of the wheel" likely. It also appears that although the goal of a clinically useful diagnostic system is closer, the complexity and variation displayed by skin lesions, coupled with the ad hoc direction and reporting of research, may hinder the achievement of this goal for some time to come.