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A new user-friendly software platform for systematic classification of skin lesions to aid in their diagnosis and prognosis

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Abstract

Background and aims: The field of much less invasive nonablative aesthetic surgery continues to grow, but consistent and truly objective evaluation of the sometimes comparatively small improvements in the treated skin remains a problem for both clinicians and patients. In this work, we present the development of a generic, modular and expandable platform to allow user-friendly image manipulation, sampling extraction and computer-assisted evaluation of tissue features in the dermatological/aesthetic field of clinical medicine. Materials and methods: The unique characteristic of the platform is the modular extension of the algorithm gallery by the use of extended value added services, which enables the easy incorporation of new image processing procedures to customise the gallery for specific concerns. A novel algorithm to evaluate skin wrinkles is also presented as a demonstration of this integration process. The software platform is designed to evaluate image-tissue indices and to identify individual or combined descriptors which will more accurately represent differences in skin quality. It is based on a set of indices correlating clinical expert and computer classifications, which build up a constantly expanding tissue catalogue. By means of this catalogue, the different tissue qualities of photographic samples can be assessed according to the different positions of the samples in the catalogue. Conclusions: This new platform can be used to generate sensitive and objective comparative measurement not only for diagnostic reports on the pre-treatment condition of samples but also for demonstrating the improvement and efficacy of the prescribed treatment to both the clinician and colleagues and the patient, thereby helping to increase the patient satisfaction index.

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Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the medical staff of the Instituto Médico Vilarfotuny for their inestimable help in building the test sets and sampling classification. This work has been partially supported by grant QLRT-2000-01473 under the “Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources” programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electronic Department, University of Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    Manuel J. Martín-Vázquez

  2. Instituto Médico Vilafortuny/FUNDACIÓN ANTONI DE GIMBERNAT, E-43850, Cambrils, Tarragona, Spain

    Mario A. Trelles & R. Glen Calderhead

  3. Computer Architecture Department, University of Málaga, Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Málaga, Spain

    Alejandro Sola & Oswaldo Trelles

Authors
  1. Manuel J. Martín-Vázquez
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  2. Mario A. Trelles
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  3. Alejandro Sola
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  4. R. Glen Calderhead
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  5. Oswaldo Trelles
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Oswaldo Trelles.

Additional information

Supplementary material is available at http://chirimoyo.ac.uma.es/bitlab/services/LtSkin/index.htm.

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Martín-Vázquez, M.J., Trelles, M.A., Sola, A. et al. A new user-friendly software platform for systematic classification of skin lesions to aid in their diagnosis and prognosis. Lasers Med Sci 21, 54–60 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-006-0370-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-006-0370-5

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