[Histological verification of autofluorescence borders of periorbital skin tumors]

Tumor borders are one of the most significant characteristics of any tumor, including that of the skin.

To compare histological borders of periorbital skin tumors with their autofluorescence borders built from the analysis of non-induced protoporphyrin IX autofluorescence.

The study group included 8 patients with skin tumors of the eyelids, periorbital region, eyebrow and zygomatic regions aged 54-88 years. The tumors varied in size from 2 to 8 mm and all displayed signs of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). At admission, all the patients underwent non-induced autofluorescence diagnosis. The images were processed with the «CancerPlot» program. During radio excision, the autofluorescent border of each neoplasm was marked with a surgical incision of about 5 mm long and 2 mm deep.

Upon pathomorphological examination, solid BCC was identified in 7 cases. The remaining case was senile keratosis. All reference incisions were located in healthy tissues not farther than 1 mm from the tumor (or keratosis locus, correspondingly).

By the example of facial BCC, an evident correlation was established between histological borders of the tumor and its native (non-induced) protoporphyrin IX autofluorescence.