DERMOSCOPIC DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA IN DIFFERENT MORPHOLOGICAL TYPES OF BASALIOMA

Abstract

Background: Basal cell carcinoma of the skin (BCC, basalioma) is one of the most common malignant skin tumors. Dermoscopy is the most available today method of non-invasive diagnosis of skin tumors. Though, its usability is limited due to absence of prognostic dermoscopic criteria associated with different morphological variants of basalioma. Aim: To define dermoscopic features of different histological types of BCC. Materials and methods: 35 biopsy specimens from BCC lesions were evaluated. After clinical examination, superficial basalioma was diagnosed in 18 patients and nodular form in 17 patients. Results: Vascular structures were detected in 100% of cases. In patients with superficial multicentric type of basalioma, presence of all vascular types was a significant prognostic factor; predictive values of point- and spike-shaped vessels were 100 and 71.4%, respectively. Absence of point-shaped vessels and presence of other vascular types were associated with the prognosis of nodular basalioma. In patients with infiltrative type of basalioma, dendriform, tortuous and linear vessels in combination with short tiny teleangiectases and absence of spike-, comma-, point- or glome-like vessels had positive prognostic value. In patients with superficial multicentric and nodular types of basalioma, homogenous white and rose zones were most prevalent: in 53.8 and 57.1% of cases, respectively. In infiltrative type, this feature was typically absent (р<0,04). Conclusion: Different morphological types of basaliomas are characterized by different dermoscopic features. Vascular structures are most strongly associated with the prognosis of the disease.

Keywords

• basal cell carcinoma
• dermoscopy
• dermoscopic features
• morphologic types
• superficial basal cell carcinoma
• nodular basal cell carcinoma
• infiltrative basal cell carcinoma