The visual nature of dermatology has always lent itself perfectly to the plethora of available imaging techniques. And the rapid expansion of information & communication  technology (ICT) has provided further impact into the subtleties of our specialization. In this presentation on “Emerging Technologies” the broad scope of imaging techniques used within the field and their application in both clinical and research settings has been collated.

This presentation begins with the art of dermatoscopy and the relevance of its application in early detection of melanoma. A relatively new application following dermatoscopy for the clinical use in dermatology is reflectance confocal  microscopy, a non-invasive instrument capable of generating horizontal planar sections of the epidermis and dermis in vivo. This tool, offering high-contrast cellular resolution images, will impact greatly on the current methods of clinical diagnosis of melanocytic lesions and nonmelanocytic skin cancers. The research and clinical applications of this exciting method will be detailed.

Perhaps one of the more recently conspicuous advances in skin cancer detection has been the rise of teledermatology. This technological advancement is perhaps most evident in regard to the imaging capacity of new generation cellular phones, which have quickly become almost ubiquitous among all societies worldwide. Without a doubt, the potential feasibility of such teledermoscopy applications is worth due consideration and an overview of its potential is provided.

To make a long story short, “Melanoma Diagnosis by one Click” will become reality.