Dr. Rosenbach considers skin cancer screenings to be an essential part of dermatology. He is one of a small number of dermatologists in the U.S. to offer video microscopic tracking of moles, which enhances skin cancer detection and can reduce unnecessary biopsies.

Tracking moles with microscopic images over time, using digital video dermoscopy, is a well researched method for evaluation of skin cancer. This is a screening technique that allows for microscopic analyses of numerous spots on the skin during a 15 minute screening examination.

Dermoscopy is well known to improve detection of skin cancers. What isn’t as well known is that unnecessary biopsies are reduced via tracking slightly unusual moles over time. Microscopic images are taken of any unusual spots using a technique called SDDI (Sequential Digital Dermoscopic Imaging). These images are compared to future images by lining them up side by side. If a microscopic image of a spot doesn’t change over time, it isn’t skin cancer. Thus, fewer biopsies are necessary. In contrast, the few spots that actually exhibit change are removed and tested to rule out skin cancer.

SDDI allows for tracking moles over long periods of time. If a spot changes even ten years in the future, annual screenings with SDDI allows for dermatologists to detect such change.

Dr. Rosenbach recommends annual full body video dermoscopic screenings for patients over the age of 35. With this screening, even moles that are unknown to the patient can be assessed over time.