Preoperative skin tumours thickness determination by high-frequency ultrasound on head and neck region.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: High-frequency ultrasound is non-invasive imaging method for examination of skin tumours. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to examine validity of 20-MHz ultrasound in preoperative determination of skin tumour thickness localized on head and neck region as a potentially useful tool for planning of the surgical intervention. METHODS: Seventy-three different skin tumours were preoperatively examined using Dermascan C (Cortex Technology, Denmark) 20-MHz ultrasound equipment. Maximal vertical thickness of tumours was preoperatively determined by ultrasound, and after surgical excision of tumours, on pathohistological preparations using Nippon-Kogaku ocular micrometre. All patohistological specimens were controlled for presence of tumour cells on specimens' margins. RESULTS: Obtained correlation was very high, r = 0.82, without significant statistical difference (P < 0.01) between dimensions determined by 20-MHz ultrasound and histometry. There were no pathohistological specimens with tumours cells found on margins. CONCLUSION: Examination of skin tumours by 20-MHz ultrasound gives reliable additional information about tumour dimensions, sometimes important for therapeutic strategy.