Clinical ABCDE rule for early melanoma detection

Autores da FMUP

• Bernardo Manuel De Sousa Pinto

  Autor

• Luís Filipe Ribeiro De Azevedo

  Autor

• Osvaldo Lucas Correia Sousa

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Duarte, AF
• Barros, AM
• Puig, S
• Malvehy, J
• Haneke, E

Unidades de investigação

• Laboratório Associado RISE- Rede de Investigação em Saúde

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

• Medicina da Comunidade, Informação e Decisão em Saúde

• Neurociências Clínicas e Saúde Mental

• RISE-Health

  

  Investigador

  Fernando Carlos De Landér Schmitt

Abstract

Background: The ABCDE rule systematizes warning signs for malignant melanoma (MM). Objectives: To evaluate whether the ABCDE signs are associated with early detection of MM. Materials & Methods: Based on a retrospective study over 11.5 years, we assessed whether ABCDE signs are associated with early diagnosis of MM. Results: In total, 144 MM were included; 52 (36.1%) in situ and 92 (63.9%) invasive lesions. For 23.6%, the MM were first suspected by an individual other than a dermatologist. The "E sign" was significantly less frequent among in situ lesions (32.7% versus 50.0%; p= 0.044). Based on adjusted analyses, the probability of MM being first suspected by a non-dermatologist consistently increased with the number of ABCDE signs of the lesion, ranging from 8% for a neoplasm with no ABCDE signs to 32% for a lesion with five signs (OR =1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.2; p = 0.004). Conclusion: A higher number of ABCDE signs were associated with a greater chance of MM being first suspected by a non-dermatologist, but not in situ MM diagnosis. Relying on the ABCDE rule alone might result in missing early MM lesions.

Keywords

• malignant melanoma (MM); ABCDE rule; early detection; non-dermatologist