Skin lesion classification using oblique-incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopic imaging.

We discuss the use of a noninvasive in vivo optical technique, diffuse reflectance spectroscopic imaging with oblique incidence, to distinguish between benign and cancer-prone skin lesions. Various image features were examined to classify the images from lesions into benign and cancerous categories. Two groups of lesions were processed separately: Group 1 includes keratoses, warts versus carcinomas; and group 2 includes common nevi versus dysplastic nevi. A region search algorithm was developed to extract both one- and two-dimensional spectral information. A bootstrap-based Bayes classifier was used for classification. A computer-assisted tool was then devised to act as an electronic second opinion to the dermatologist. Our approach generated only one false-positive misclassification out of 23 cases collected for group 1 and two misclassifications out of 34 cases collected for group 2 under the worst estimation condition.