Ultrasonic study of basal cell skin carcinoma in surgical treatment

Background. Malignant neoplasms of the skin are among the three most common human tumors; despite the low mortality rate, the problem of treatment remains relevant, since most often, malignant neoplasms of the skin occur in the head and neck area, and treatment of relapses is a more difficult task. Considering the socially significant localization, there is a need for one-stage radical removal of the tumor, with the minimum available margin, to preserve aesthetics. A modern non-invasive method for determining the boundaries of a skin tumor is ultrasound.
The aim. Comparison of ultrasound sizes of skin tumors, evaluation of treatment results with the inclusion of preoperative ultrasound diagnostics of basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
Materials and methods. The study included 17 patients who were treated at the Regional Oncology Dispensary in the department of surgical methods for the treatment of head and neck tumors from December 2021 to September 2022. Before the operation, they underwent an ultrasound of the skin tumor and marking of the boundaries of the pathological focus.
Results. Аll patients underwent surgical treatment and postoperative histological examination; no tumor was found at the resection margins; there was no recurrence at follow-up examinations. The average tumor thickness according to ultrasound was 2.55 ± 0.32 mm (95% CI 1.87–3.22). The average thickness determined on a microslide was 2.49 mm ± 0.3 mm (95% CI 1.82–3.15). The difference between the mean thickness determined histologically and the mean thickness determined by ultrasound was 0.06 mm. The correlation coefficient (r) was 0.993 (p < 0.01). The value of the coefficient was interpreted in accordance with the Chaddock scale: the relationship between tumor thickness on ultrasound and pathomorphological examination is direct and functional.
Conclusion. Ultrasound assessment of the tumor makes it possible to achieve radical tumor removal and minimize unnecessary distance from the tumor, which can affect the aesthetic result.

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