The papers in this special section focus on the use of image analysis to detect Melanoma. Melanoma is deadliest form of skin cancer, with roughly 91,000 new cases reported every year in the US and more than 9,000 deaths. Unlike many other cancer types, the incidence rate of melanoma has been steadily increasing in the past several decades. Early diagnosis is crucial since melanoma can be cured with a simple excision, if detected early. The goals of this special issue are to summarize the state-ofthe- art in the automated analysis of skin lesion images and to provide future directions for this exciting subfield of medical image analysis. The intended audience includes researchers and practicing clinicians, who are increasingly using digital analytic tools.