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A photo of a cancerous mole appears in the lens of a camera.

FDA Approves New Dermatology Camera

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By Editorial Team

2 min read

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new specialty dermatology camera, the Casio DZ-D100 Dermocamera and DZ-S50 Dermoscope. This camera uses a non-invasive technique to diagnose benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) skin diseases.1,2

What is dermoscopy?

Dermoscopy is also called dermatoscopy. Dermatologists use these medical devices to look more closely at a skin lesion. Closer inspection helps them diagnose whether you have a type of skin cancer or another skin disease.3 The device used in dermoscopy is a special type of camera that takes pictures of the skin. Your doctor may look at these pictures directly on your skin in standard or magnified size. Or, they may upload the images to a computer. This allows them to define and measure margins or magnify and analyze the appearance of skin cells.3,4 Skin cancer cells react differently to light compared to healthy cells, including how they reflect light. Cancer cells may also have different pigmentation. These differences may not be visible to the naked eye but may be seen using techniques like dermoscopy.3,4

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How do the Dermocamera and Dermoscope help diagnose skin cancer?

Casio’s DZ-D100 Dermocamera allows your doctor to look at a skin lesion by touching the lens to the skin. This creates an extreme close-up image. The Dermascope also takes polarized, non-polarized, and UV (ultraviolet) photos. These settings let your doctor study the skin’s color and structure and map out exact margins.1 The DZ-S50 Dermoscope pairs with the Dermocamera to let your doctor study larger areas of skin. It can take polarized and non-polarized photos at higher magnification.1 These photos are then uploaded to software that manages the images and records measurements.1

Things to know

Dermoscopy is a proven tool to help diagnose melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma. It is also useful to diagnose other skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma, actinic keratosis, and angiosarcoma. This is not a complete list of all the skin cancers that dermoscopy may help diagnose.4 Dermoscopy is non-invasive, meaning no surgical cuts or biopsies are needed. These devices do not use radiation, which helps limit your radiation exposure. DZ-D100 Dermocamera and DZ-S50 Dermoscope are already approved for use in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.2

Has your doctor ever used dermoscopy to examine your skin? What was your experience like? Tell us in the comments

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