Review article
Noninvasive Imaging Techniques for the Diagnosis of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancers
Mirela Krišto
orcid.org/0000-0002-7945-1888
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Mirna Šitum
; Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
Romana Čeović
; Department of Dermatovenereology, Zagreb University Hospital Center, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSC), basal cell carcinoma
(BCC), and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) are the most common
neoplasms worldwide. Their incidence has been continually rising.
This is due to several risk factors such as chronic sun exposure, longer
life expectancy, sun-damaged skin, genetic predisposition, and immunosuppression.
NMSCs are curable cancers if detected early and treated
appropriately. Clinical examination is the first step towards their diagnosis,
with accuracy depending on clinician expertise. Dermoscopy has
become an irreplaceable diagnostic procedure for clinical examination
and improving diagnostic accuracy of skin cancers. However, skin biopsy
with histopathological analysis remains the gold standard in establishing
a definite diagnosis. Repeated biopsies, however, are not acceptable
in patients with multiple suspicious lesions and are often redundant in
cases of lesions that are challenging to identify, as they are often benign.
Several medical imaging technologies are available as additional tools
for noninvasive examination of NMSCs and include reflectance confocal
microscopy (RCM), high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS), optical coherence
tomography (OCT), Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence polarization, and
others. These methods enable clinicians to establish more rapid and accurate
diagnoses without the need for invasive biopsies and to achieve
optimal treatment for NMSC. RCM an HFUS are discussed along with
their clinical applications.
Keywords
noninvasive imaging, reflectance confocal microscopy, high-frequency ultrasound, skin cancer
Hrčak ID:
281292
URI
Publication date:
16.9.2020.
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