JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The VISIA camera is a novel device that captures images of the skin using a rotating camera with both UV and polarized light to assess the condition of the skin by imaging the surface and beneath it. It provides patients with an easy-to-understand analysis helping them understand their skin’s problem areas to target further treatment. Actinic Keratoses (AKs) are precancerous lesions that are diagnosed by use of the naked eye and the dermatoscope. We believe it would be beneficial to use the VISIA camera for AK patients to get an indepth look at the effects of sun exposure on their skin, providing motivation to undergo field treatment of AKs using 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) for patients with hesitancy. We are conducting an observational study with results reported here on a male patient diagnosed with diffuse AKs who was prescribed and had consented to go through 5-FU treatment on the scalp. An initial photo was taken on the VISIA prior to treatment, 5-FU was applied twice daily to the scalp for 4 weeks and a follow up photo was obtained 1 week and 3-months post-treatment. Results using the UV spot filter, feature count decreased from 706 to 631 and percentile reduced from 83% to 39%. Spot filter produced the same percentile of 9% for all photos affirming the VISIA’s efficacy in detecting UV damage-related areas. This study enhances patients’ understanding of 5-FU’s effectiveness on their AKs and provides a positive example of treatment success for future patient education and treatment adherence.