Efficacy of dermoscopy in the diagnosis of different basal cell carcinoma subtypes

Abstract

Background Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) accounts for nearly 80% of all nonmelanoma skin cancers and dermoscopy is an important, noninvasive technique that aids in the diagnosis of BCC. Objectives To evaluate the role of dermoscopy as a tool for diagnosis of BCC and prediction of its histopathological types. Patients and methods Dermoscopic features of 30 clinically diagnosed BCCs were analyzed before the histopathological findings were evaluated. Results Dermoscopy was 100% accurate in the diagnosis of BCC and types of BCC predicted by dermoscopy were identical to the results of histopathological examination, both yielding 27 nodular BCCs (90%), one superficial, one morpheaform, and one lesion of the infiltrative type, each representing 3.3% of lesions, but we did not detect any specific dermoscopic findings in the aggressive micronodular subtype. Conclusions Dermoscopy is accurate in predicting the main histopathological types, but not the aggressive subtypes of BCC, thus it should be considered a routine but not a sole investigation for BCC.