Pre-operative high-frequency ultrasound: a reliable management tool in auricular and nasal non-melanoma skin cancer.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The knowledge of depth infiltration in non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) using pre-operative ultrasound could enable clinicians to choose the most adequate therapeutic approach, avoiding unnecessary surgeries and expensive imaging methods, delaying diagnosis and treatment. Our single-center retrospective study determined the usefulness of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) for depth infiltration assessment in auricular and nasal NMSC and assessed the subsequent change in therapeutic approach. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 60 NMSC cases, we assessed the accuracy of HFUS in cartilaginous/bone infiltration detection as well as the correlation of sonographic and histological parameters. RESULTS: In 16.6% of cases, a deep cartilaginous/bone involvement or locoregional disease was identified pre-operatively, resulting in a changed therapeutical scheme of radio-immunological treatment rather than surgery. In two cases, pre-operative HFUS identified local cartilage infiltration, reducing the number of surgical procedures. Forty-eight remaining lesions with no depth infiltration were excised; a correlation of > 99% between the histologic and sonographic tumor depth (p<0.001) was found. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-surgical HFUS influences the therapeutic management in NMSC by detecting subclinical involvement of deeper structures, avoiding more extensive diagnostics, reducing costs, and improving healthcare quality. High-frequency ultrasound should be implemented in dermatosurgery before tumor excision for optimized therapy and improved patient counseling.

Ultrasound Features of Nail Lichen Planus.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the ultrasonographic features of nail lichen planus (NLP), which, so far, have not been reported in the literature. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study of NLP patients' color Doppler ultrasound examinations was performed between March 2014 and January 2023. Inclusion criteria were patients ≥15 years with a confirmed clinical diagnosis of NLP in sequential order. Exclusion criteria included concomitant systemic or local cutaneous or nail diseases and systemic or local nail treatments before the ultrasound examination. The ultrasound protocol included the examination of all fingernails or toenails following the reported protocol for dermatologic ultrasound examinations at high and ultra-high frequencies. Patient demographics and ultrasound features of the nail bed, periungual region, nail plate, and regional vascularity were registered and analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients met the criteria. All cases presented thickened and decreased echogenicity of the nail bed. A hypoechoic halo surrounding the origin of the nail plate was present in 78% of cases. Exactly 58% of patients presented decreased echogenicity of the proximal periungual dermis, and 86% showed thickening of the periungual dermis. Hypervascularity of the nail bed was seen in 94% of cases. The mean maximum thickness of vessels, the peak systolic velocity of the arterial vessels, and other blood flow findings are provided. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography can support the diagnosis of NLP, which benefits the non-invasive discrimination of nail conditions and can avoid the potential permanent scars derived from nail biopsies. Furthermore, ultrasound may be a powerful tool to monitor this disease's treatment.

Ultrasound Pattern of Cutis Verticis Gyrata.

Cutis verticis gyrata (CVG) is a cutaneous benign condition that usually presents symmetric or asymmetric convoluted folds and deep furrows in the scalp, which mimic the disposition of the cerebral sulci and gyri. This scalp deformation may be a worrying situation for the patients and their families. Clinically, its diagnosis may be challenging because it can mimic other cutaneous conditions. So far, the ultrasonographic pattern of CVG has not been reported. Thus, we aim to review the ultrasound findings of this entity. All patients (n = 14) presented zones with dermal and hypodermal thickening that corresponded with the elevated clinical zones, followed by folds with normal cutaneous thicknesses. There was undulation of the cutaneous layers in all cases. The scalp areas involved the frontal, parietal, and occipital regions bilaterally. The mean maximum dermal and hypodermal thicknesses and echogenicities and the color Doppler characteristics are provided. No significant dilation of the hair follicles was detected. In conclusion, CVG presents an ultrasonographic pattern that can support its diagnosis and follow-up. This can help its differential diagnosis with other scalp dermatologic conditions.

Update on Ultrasound Diagnostic Criteria and New Ultrasound Severity and Activity Scorings of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Modified SOS-HS and US-HSA.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a devasting autoimmune cutaneous disease that affects the hair follicles and can clinically present palpable nodules, abscesses, and tunnels (fistulas), usually in the intertriginous regions. It has been widely reported that color Doppler ultrasound can detect subclinical abnormalities and stage the severity of the disease more accurately. Nevertheless, the ultrasound diagnostic criteria were reported with 15 MHz 10 years ago, and now it is possible to detect early anatomical abnormalities in HS using 70 MHz. Thus, an update of the ultrasonographic diagnostic criteria is needed. The most widely used sonographic staging of severity of HS (SOS-HS) includes the number of affected regions, besides counting the number of key lesions like pseudocysts, fluid collections, and tunnels; however, the total number of affected regions may fit better in an activity scoring. Furthermore, a high number of tunnels or communicated tunnels can complicate the management and may indicate an even more urgent treatment, which should be considered in the severity classification. To date, no hidradenitis scoring of activity has been reported in the literature, making it difficult to track the degree of inflammation under treatment objectively. Therefore, two new scorings are proposed. The first is an updated sonographic scoring of severity called modified SOS-HS (mSOS-HS), and the second is an activity ultrasound scoring of HS called US-HSA. Both staging systems can provide better anatomical information for discriminating the categories and, therefore, selecting more appropriate treatments and supporting research and clinical trials by giving more objective anatomical tools in real-world settings.

Ultrasound Features of Onychopapilloma at High-Frequency and Ultra-High Frequency.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the sonographic features of pathologically confirmed onychopapilloma cases. METHODS: High-frequency up to 24 MHz and ultra-high frequency-ultrasound up to 71 MHz examinations were performed and correlated with their clinical and pathologic presentations. RESULTS: Twenty-two cases met the criteria. Clinical presentations revealed longitudinal erythronychia in 63.3% of cases. The ultrasound examinations identified a hypoechoic band in the nail bed (86.3%), nail plate abnormalities including upward displacement (68.2%) and thickening (68.1%), focal hyperechoic focal spots on the nail plate (50%) and irregularities of the ventral plate (33.3%). Color Doppler imaging showed no hypervascularity of the nail bed in all studies. These findings correlate with histological characteristics of onychopapilloma, including nail bed acanthosis, papillomatosis, and layered hyperkeratosis. Recurrence occurred in two cases after surgery, with tumors showing proximal extension in the matrix region on ultrasound not evident during clinical examination. CONCLUSION: High-frequency and ultra-high-frequency can provide anatomical information in onychopapilloma that could enhance understanding and management.

Role of Color Doppler Ultrasound in Cutaneous Inflammatory Conditions.

Inflammatory cutaneous diseases can be challenging to diagnose and manage. Nowadays, the anatomical information provided by ultrasound is critical for detecting subclinical alterations and assessing the severity and activity of these conditions. Many of these entities can be clinically observed in dermatology and other specialties, such as rheumatology, plastic surgery, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology, among others. We review the ultrasonographic patterns of the most common inflammatory cutaneous conditions. In several cases, such as hidradenitis suppurativa, acne, and morphea, there are ultrasonographic staging systems of severity or activity that are pivotal in the management of these diseases. The early ultrasonographic diagnosis of these entities implies a proper management of the patients and, therefore, improve their quality of life. Thus, knowledge of the current use of ultrasound in this field seems essential.

How to Start on Dermatologic Ultrasound: Basic Anatomical Concepts, Guidelines, Technical Considerations, and Best Tips.

Dermatologic ultrasound has grown exponentially during the last decades and has passed from the experimental phase to the routine daily practice in multiple countries. The performance of this imaging technique requires color Doppler ultrasound devices working with high-frequency probes, a trained operator on imaging and dermatologic conditions, and the performance of standardized protocols for obtaining the anatomical data properly. In this review, we analyze the ultrasonographic anatomy of the skin, hair, and nails, the technical requirements and considerations, the guidelines, and the recommended protocols, and provide the best tips for practicing this type of examination confidently.

Ultrasound of nails: why, how, when.

Nail disorders are frequently a challenge to diagnose correctly only based on clinical findings. Moreover, biopsies may leave scars due to damage to the nail matrix. Currently, high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) with probes >15 MHz is the first-choice imaging technique to study the nail. Compared with other imaging tests such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, HFUS has the advantage of high-resolution imaging of the nail apparatus without exposure to radiation, contrast media, and the risk of claustrophobia of these other expensive imaging methods. Notably, the axial spatial resolution of HFUS is higher than computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging; therefore, it can better discriminate the anatomical alterations. Our objective is to review the main applications of HFUS of the nail through literature analysis and illustration of cases of the most frequent pathologies found in our experience, exemplifying why, how, and when HFUS could help diagnose nail diseases.

ULTRASOUND OF BENIGN CUTANEOUS TUMORS AND PSEUDOTUMORS: THE KEY LESIONS.

Benign cutaneous tumors are commonly seen in daily practice. Most of these lesions are diagnosed based on clinical appearance, but in some cases, clinical findings are nonspecific. A diagnostic imaging exam is indicated to provide additional information, and the first choice for studying dermatologic lesions is a high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound, a noninvasive technique that can play a relevant role in all cases and give important anatomical information for final diagnosis and proper clinical management. This article aims to show the most common benign skin lesions emphasizing clinical-sonographic correlation and familiarizing radiologists with the sonographic appearance of the key benign cutaneous tumors.

Ultrasound in Aesthetics: Filler and Non-Filler Applications.

Ultrasound in aesthetics presents multiple applications in several areas, including diagnosing fillers and non-fillers complications, the performance of ultrasound-guided injections in real-time, and identifying the most common types of cosmetic fillers. Furthermore, this application of ultrasound in aesthetics has become a must for managing aesthetic patients because, to date, this modality is the one that provides the higher resolution among imaging techniques, detailed anatomical information, and blood flow detection, besides showing worldwide availability. This paper aims to review the current applications of ultrasound in aesthetics based on publications from scientific literature and the authors' experience.

Color Doppler Ultrasound Assessment of Subclinical Activity With Scoring of Morphea.

BACKGROUND: Detection of activity in morphea is paramount for adequately managing the disease. Subclinical ultrasound involvement on inactive lesions or healthy skin areas adjacent to morphea has not been described to date. OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to detect morphea's subclinical activity by Color Doppler ultrasound not identified with the clinical scorings. MATERIALS & METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study was done from January 2014 to July 2019 in patients with a clinicopathological diagnosis of morphea. The modified Localized Scleroderma Skin Severity Index (mLoSSI) and The Ultrasound Morphea Activity Score (US-MAS) were used to correlate clinical and subclinical activity. RESULTS: A total of 36 patients met the inclusion criteria. 54% of cases presented subclinical activity in areas adjacent to the clinically active lesion, 23% in nonadjacent regions, and 23% demonstrated activity at a clinically inactive lesion site.100% of patients with morphea "en coup de sabre" involving the frontal region of the face concomitantly presented both subclinical activities of morphea on the frontal facial region and the scalp following the same axis.A positive relationship was observed between the degree of clinical activity measured by mLoSSI and US-MAS scoring.The main limitations of our study were the low number of patients and the inability to detect alterations < 0.1 mm. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical activity is frequent in morphea, can extend beyond the lesional areas, including apparently noninvolved adjacent and distant corporal regions, and can be detected by color Doppler ultrasound.

Ultrasound Morphea Activity Scoring (US-MAS): Modified US-MAS.

Morphea, an autoimmune connective tissue disease that affects the skin, can be supported by color Doppler ultrasound in its diagnosis and assessment of activity. To date, there are no reliable laboratory parameters to track activity, and ultrasound presents a higher axial spatial resolution than magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography, which is critical for studying the superficial layers. The quality of the ultrasonographic assessment of activity in morphea depends on the standardization and features of the acquisition of the anatomical data. We propose a detailed ultrasound morphea activity scoring called modified US-MAS (mUS-MAS) that could allow us to systematically register the cutaneous abnormalities in the corporal regions and their subregions. The selection of the scanning sites will depend on the corporal regions of involvement and their adjacent segments. Through systematic and sequential ultrasound data analysis, we propose that this scoring system can better support description and activity tracking accuracy.

Ultrasound Assessment of Skin Tumors Local Recurrence.

Skin cancer may recur at or around the surgical site despite wide excisions. Prompt clinical and sonographic detection of local recurrence is important since subjects with relapsing melanomas or nonmelanoma malignancies can be managed efficaciously, with a relevant impact on morbidity and survival. Ultrasound is being employed with increasing frequency in the assessment of skin tumors, but most of the published articles relate to initial pretherapeutic diagnosis and staging. This review aims to offer an illustrated guide to the sonographic evaluation of locally recurring skin cancer. We introduce the topic, then we provide some sonographic tips for patient follow-up, then we describe the ultrasound findings in case of local recurrence, illustrating the main mimickers, and finally, we mention the role of ultrasound in guiding diagnostic and therapeutic percutaneous procedures.