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Comparative Study
. 2011 Sep;165(3):576-80.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.2011.10461.x. Epub 2011 Jul 28.

Comparison of ex vivo optical coherence tomography with conventional frozen-section histology for visualizing basal cell carcinoma during Mohs micrographic surgery

D Cunha  1 , T Richardson, N Sheth, G Orchard, A Coleman, R Mallipeddi
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparison of ex vivo optical coherence tomography with conventional frozen-section histology for visualizing basal cell carcinoma during Mohs micrographic surgery

D Cunha et al. Br J Dermatol. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

Background: Mohs micrographic surgery offers high cure rates of nonmelanoma skin cancers with optimal sparing of normal tissue. However, it is generally more time-consuming and labour-intensive than traditional surgery. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emergent technology that has the potential to diagnose basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in vivo.

Objective: To compare the efficiency and accuracy of ex vivo OCT with frozen-section histology for identifying BCC in Mohs surgery.

Methods: Thirty-eight patients were enrolled. After the stages were taken, images were captured with an OCT microscope and subsequently processed for standard frozen sections.

Results: In total, 75 sections were scanned and the mean time to produce one OCT image was 7 min. In four of 26 positive haematoxylin-eosin sections and 23 of 49 negative sections, there was a good correlation with OCT images. The sensitivity and specificity were 19% and 56%, respectively.

Conclusions: It is possible to identify BCC with ex vivo OCT and this is more rapidly obtained than with haematoxylin-eosin frozen sections. However, tumour visualization in OCT was disappointing. Practical benefit may be obtained by optimizing this technology and combining it with other new diagnostic tools.

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