Quantitative sonography of basal cell carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Dermatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and actinic keratosis (AK) are common skin conditions.
• Accurate differentiation between cancerous, pre-cancerous, and healthy skin is crucial for effective treatment.
• Non-invasive diagnostic methods are needed to improve skin lesion characterization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of ultrasonic parameters, specifically attenuation coefficient and effective density of scatterers (EDS), for differentiating between BCC, AK, and healthy skin.
• To investigate the relationship between these ultrasonic parameters and the pathological state of the skin.

Main Methods:

• A 30-MHz ultrasonic scanner was employed to acquire B-scan images and radiofrequency echoes from skin lesions.
• Radiofrequency data were processed to calculate the attenuation coefficient and EDS.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare these parameters across different tissue groups (BCC, AK, healthy skin).

Main Results:

• The attenuation coefficient was significantly higher in both BCC and AK tissues compared to healthy skin.
• Averaged EDS values were significantly lower in cancerous lesions (BCC) than in pre-cancerous lesions (AK) and healthy skin.
• These findings indicate distinct ultrasonic signatures for different skin tissue types.

Conclusions:

• The attenuation coefficient and EDS show significant differences between BCC, AK, and healthy skin.
• These ultrasonic parameters hold potential value for non-invasive characterization and differentiation of skin carcinomas.
• Further research can explore the clinical utility of ultrasound-based biomarkers for dermatological diagnostics.