[High-resolution ultrasonography: utility in diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring dermatologic diseases]

Abstract

Although less precise than histological examination, high-resolution skin imaging is a noninvasive technique that provides complementary information to the clinical examination: the lesion's US structure as well as its lateral and depth extension. Ultrasonography helps in diagnosis and initial management by measuring melanoma thickness (so as to remove this lesion with safety margins) before destructive treatment (cryosurgery or radiotherapy), by showing tumor limits, or by detecting subclinical recurrence during the follow-up. In this paper, ultrasound images will be correlated with clinical and histological data in various clinical situations such as tumors, edema, cutaneous infiltration, sclerous tissues, hyperlaxity, and cutaneous aging.