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Margin assessment of selected basal cell carcinomas utilizing laser Doppler velocimetry
R S Kirsner1, M Haiken, L D Garland
1Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136.
Background:
Basal cell carcinomas (BCC) have increased vasculature, therefore, blood flow within the tumor may be greater than normal surrounding skin. We attempted to detect the difference in blood flow between the tumor and uninvolved surrounding skin utilizing laser doppler velocimetry (LDV).
Methods:
Ten patients with 14 BCC were studied. Using LDV, we calculated the size of the tumor based on margin assessment as predicted by the measured difference in blood flow and compared this size with the clinically predicted size and the size of the defect after Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS).
Results:
Clinical evaluation of tumor size prior to MMS did not correlate with the size of the surgical defect after MMS; however, correlation was found between the predicted size of the tumor as determined by LDV and the defect after MMS.
Conclusions:
Tumor size of BCC as predicted by measured differences in blood flow using LDV correlated with the size of the surgical defect after MMS. This suggests that LDV was able to detect the difference in blood flow between the tumor and uninvolved surrounding skin.