Role of high-frequency ultrasound in differentiating benign and malignant skin lesions: potential and limitations

This study examined the diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) features in differentiating between benign and malignant skin lesions.

A total of 1,392 patients with 1,422 skin lesions who underwent HFUS examinations were included in an initial dataset (cohort 1) to identify features indicative of malignancy. Qualitative clinical and HFUS characteristics were recorded for all lesions. To determine which HFUS and clinical features were suggestive of malignancy, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. The diagnostic performance of HFUS features combined with clinical information was evaluated. This assessment was validated using internal data (cohort 2) and multicenter external data (cohort 3).

Features significantly associated with malignancy included age above 60 years; lesion location in the head, face, and neck or genital regions; changes in macroscopic appearance; crawling or irregular growth pattern; convex or irregular base; punctate hyperechogenicity; blood flow signals; and feeding arteries. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of HFUS features combined with clinical information were 0.946, 92.5%, and 86.9% in cohort 1; 0.870, 93.1%, and 80.8% in cohort 2 (610 lesions); and 0.864, 86.2%, and 86.6% in cohort 3 (170 lesions), respectively. However, HFUS is not suitable for evaluating lesions less than 0.1 mm in thickness or lesions exhibiting surface hyperkeratosis.

In a clinical setting, the integration of HFUS with clinical information exhibited good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant and benign skin lesions. However, its utility was limited in evaluating extremely thin lesions and those exhibiting hyperkeratosis.