Optical performance of handheld dermatoscopes in visualizing polarization-dependent structures - results of the polaris study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background Polarization reveals critical diagnostic clues embedded in a range of diagnostic algorithms aimed at early skin cancer detection, but device-dependent visualization differences raise safety concerns. Objectives The POLARIS study compared polarization-dependent structure visibility across seven commercial handheld dermatoscopes. Methods Twenty international dermatoscopists, informed of the target polarization-dependent structure(s) in each case and partially blinded to dermatoscope model, evaluated standardized cases imaged using seven devices (DL3, DL4, DL5, Handyscope, DELTA 20 T, DELTA 30, and DELTA 30 PRO). Feature visibility was scored on a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed with a cumulative link mixed model. Results Device type significantly impacted visibility (10,779 ratings by 20 raters of 61 lesions; p < 0.001). Against DELTA 30, every other device had higher odds of a better rating: the smallest odds ratio was 7.0 and the largest, for Handyscope, was 43.2. DELTA 30 received low-visibility ratings in 69.5% of assessments. Handyscope also was rated above every other device (odds ratios 2.3–43.2), and no device was estimated to outperform it for any structure. Those other devices formed a graded order. DELTA 30 PRO was rated markedly higher than DELTA 30 (odds ratio 10.1, Bonferroni-adjusted 95% CI 4.6–22.4). Conclusions Hybrid dermatoscopes differ significantly in their visualization of polarization-dependent structures which remain vital diagnostic clues. The suboptimal recognition of these features by underperforming devices, highlights the need to understand how these disparities impact diagnostic accuracy. Consequently, dermatoscopists should be aware of the performance of the devices they use.
Source: Frontiers in Medicine
Authors: Paweł Pietkiewicz, Marta Koper, Paweł Falkowski, Aleksandra Lesiak, Jacek Calik, Katarzyna Korecka, Piotr Giedziun, Bengü Nisa Akay, Ihor Kohut, Justin C. Chia, Verce Todorovska, Agnieszka Leszczyńska-Pietkiewicz, Cristián Navarrete-Dechent, Herman Mayisoğlu, Noureddine Litaiem, Norbert Kiss, Mehdi Boostani, Emmanouil Karampinis, Awatef Kelati, Marian Voloshynovych, Ružica Jurakić Tončić, Pille Konno, Julien Anriot, Iris Zalaudek, Jan Lapins, Ashfaq A. Marghoob, Giuseppe Argenziano, John Paoli, Cliff Rosendahl, Natalia Salwowska, Carmen Cantisani, Chin Whybrew, Dominiak Małgorzata, Christina Wlodek, Georgia Pappa, Houda Hammami, Helena Collgros, Angelika Bigaj, Mikołaj Łanocha, Marwan Al Nasiri, Michaela Starace, Natalia Gębka, Natalia Salwowska
Institutions: Medical University of Białystok, Medical University of Lodz, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw Medical University, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Ankara University, University of Calgary, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Tunis University, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, Hôpital Charles-Nicolle, Faculté de médecine de Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Semmelweis University, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Thessaly, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Hospital of Larissa, Université Mohammed VI des Sciences et de la Santé, Hôpital Universitaire International Cheikh Khalifa, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, University of Zagreb, Centre Léon Bérard, University of Trieste, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, The University of Queensland, Medical University of Silesia, Sapienza University of Rome
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7225381071