12 research outputs found
Aspects of skin cancer diagnosis in clinical practice
Skin cancer incidence is increasing in fair-skinned populations. The three most common skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and malignant melanoma (MM). A correct diagnosis is crucial for an efficient and tailored treatment for the skin cancer patient. The purpose of this thesis was to evaluate different aspects of the preoperative diagnosis of skin cancer. The studies making up this thesis were based on analysis of data from a register including all skin tumour excisions at the Department of Dermatology in Helsingborg, Sweden, from March 2008 to January 2015. The registered data included e.g. sex and age of the patient, tumour site and size, dermoscopic features of the tumour, the preliminary preoperative and final postoperative (histopathological) diagnosis as well as tumour cells at surgical margins. The preliminary preoperative clinical diagnosis was compared with the final histopathological diagnosis in 2,953 excised tumours, whereof 1,626 (55.1%) were malignant, showing high diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of malignant tumour and for the diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC). A total of 96.0% of all excisions had tumour-free margins. The number needed to excise (NNE) for melanoma (the number of pigmented lesions excised to find one melanoma) was calculated for 1,717 cases of excised skin tumours (252 melanomas, 1,395 naevi and 70 seborrhoeic keratoses (SK)). The overall NNE value during the study period was 6.5 (SKs not included). When SKs were included in the calculations the NNE was 6.8. The NNE value decreased with increasing age of the patient and varied for different body locations, with the highest values found for the trunk and the lowest for the arms. When the ABCD rule of dermoscopy was used preoperatively at the bedside in 309 cases (46 melanomas and 263 naevi), use of the algorithm achieved 83% sensitivity and 45% specificity for melanoma diagnosis. A sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 91% were seen for the clinical diagnosis. A considerable percentage (19.6%) of very early melanomas were preoperatively not expected to be melanomas by the dermatologist. The prediction of histopathological subtype of BCC is important for choosing optimal treatment in BCC patients and was assessed in 1,501 cases with pre- or postoperative diagnosis of BCC. The prediction of superficial BCC (sBCC) significantly improved after an educational update on dermoscopic criteria for sBCC in cases assessed by dermoscopy. In conclusion, these studies have shown high accuracy of the preoperative diagnosis of malignant tumour and BCC. With increasing age of the patient, a higher rate of excised pigmented skin lesions was melanomas. Bedside use of the ABCD rule of dermoscopy achieved high sensitivity but low specificity for melanoma diagnosis; however, clinical information seemed to add to specificity. Prediction of sBCC was enhanced after a dermoscopy training session and when dermoscopy was mandatory
Accuracy of Clinical Skin Tumour Diagnosis in a Dermatological Setting.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of skin tumours in a dermatological setting. Patients undergoing skin surgery at the Department of Dermatology without preoperative biopsy were prospectively enrolled. Preoperatively, a single clinical diagnosis was registered. The histopathological diagnosis, performed after excision, was registered as the correct diagnosis. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of the clinical diagnosis were calculated. A total of 2,953 tumours were included. Altogether, 55.1% of the excised lesions were malignant. Excision margins for malignant tumours were free from tumour cells in 96.0% of cases. The sensitivity for diagnosis of malignant tumour was 98.0% and the positive predictive value was 85.3%. In line with previous studies, the sensitivity and positive predictive value were highest for basal cell carcinoma, 95.4% and 85.9%, respectively. For squamous cell carcinoma, the corresponding values were 68.0% and 67.3%, and for melanoma, 70.6% and 51.3%
Diagnosis of Pigmented Skin Tumours in a Dermatological Setting: Different Aspects of the Number Needed to Excise as a Measure of Efficiency.
The increasing incidence of melanoma prompts a need for efficient management of this patient group. In this study, we use the number needed to excise (NNE), as a measurement of the efficiency of diagnosing melanoma. From January 2009 to December 2012, postoperative records from all patients were prospectively registered. All excised tumours with the histopathological diagnosis of naevus, melanoma or seborrhoeic keratosis were included. NNE values, both excluding and including seborrhoeic keratosis, changes over time, as well as patient- and tumour-related factors influencing NNE were determined. In total, 1,717 cases were included. The overall NNE value was 6.5, and the value fell significantly (r = 0.959, p = 0.041) during the 4-year study period from 8.2 to 4.8. NNE values decreased with increasing patient age to 1.8 in patients ≥ 80 years of age. The overall NNE value including seborrhoeic keratosis was 6.8
Gold trichloride and gold sodium thiosulfate as markers of contact allergy to gold.
The usefulness of a trivalent gold salt, gold trichloride (GTC), was evaluated as a marker of contact allergy to gold. Patients patch test-positive or patch test-negative to gold sodium thiosulfate (GSTS), 13 subjects of each, were patch tested with dilution series of GTC and equimolar concentrations of GSTS. In order to avoid false-positive and false-negative test reactions, the salts were buffered and placed on polypropene chambers. Allergic reactions were registered in 9/13 gold-allergic patients with GSTS and in 2/13 with GTC. The sum of positive reactions was 18 with GSTS and 5 with GTC. Irritant reactions were none with GSTS and 2 with GTC in the gold-allergic patients. It is concluded that GTC can elicit positive patch test reactions in patients with gold allergy but to a lesser degree when compared with GSTS. Thus, GTC cannot be recommended in patch testing, and GSTS is still the test agent of choice
Validity of ABCD Rule of Dermoscopy in Clinical Practice.
The ABCD rule of dermoscopy was developed to facilitate diagnosis in the dermoscopy of pigmented lesions. However, there is a lack of studies on its validity in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the algorithm used bedside, compared with the accuracy of the preliminary preoperative diagnosis, and to rate physicians' level of confidence in the diagnosis. Melanocytic tumours were preoperatively scored bedside, according to the ABCD algorithm; 309 cases (46 melanomas and 263 naevi) were included. A sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 45% were found for the ABCD algorithm. A comparable sensitivity (74%), but a significantly higher specificity (91%), was found for the preliminary diagnosis. Interestingly, there was a considerable percentage (19.6%) of early melanomas for which a malignant diagnosis was not preoperatively expected, indicating that it is important to maintain generous indications for excision or to practise short-term follow-up of ambiguous lesions in order to detect early melanomas
Incidence and trends of basal cell carcinoma in Sweden : A population-based registry study
BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer. Incidence is largely unknown because of incomplete, or lack of, registration in most countries.OBJECTIVES: To assess current incidence rates and recent trends for BCC in the Swedish population.METHODS: Patient- and tumour-related features of all histologically confirmed BCC tumours diagnosed in Sweden from 2004 to 2017 were extracted from the population-based Swedish BCC Registry. Incidence rates were standardized to the 2013 European Standard Population and trends were analysed using Poisson regression models.RESULTS: Age-standardized person-based incidence rate of BCC in Sweden in 2017 was 405/100 000, rising from 308/100 000 in 2004, corresponding to an annual relative increase of 1.8% (women, 2.1%; men, 1.4%). Incidence was highest in the elderly and the most common tumour site was the head and neck. In 2017, the most common BCC subtypes were nodular and micronodular/infiltrative BCC (each 31%). Incidence of aggressive BCC subtypes increased faster than other subtypes.CONCLUSIONS: BCC incidence rates in Sweden are relatively high and increasing. The increasing trends were more pronounced in women and for aggressive BCC subtypes
Pinch grafting in hospital and primary care: a cost analysis
The cost of treating venous leg ulcers with pinch grafting was evaluated for 58 consecutive patients: 29 in hospital care and 29 in primary care. The mean age was 76.8 and 74.3 years and the mean ulcer size 15.1 and 13.5 cm2, respectively. The operation technique, pinch grafting, was the same for all patients but primary care patients were not immobilised postoperatively. Healing rate within 12 weeks was the same for patients in hospital care and primary care (31%). Treatment costs for one week pre-operatively and three weeks postoperatively amounted to 5109 Pounds per patient in hospital care and 870 Pounds per patient in primary care (p < 0.001), and the costs for one week pre-operatively and 12 weeks postoperatively were 6738 Pounds and 1806 Pounds, respectively (p < 0.001). Costs for patients whose ulcers healed within 12 weeks were 5552 Pounds for those receiving hospital care and 1676 Pounds for those receiving primary care (p < 0.001). Pinch grafting in primary care was shown to cost 3.3 to 5.9 times less, with the same healing outcome, than pinch grafting in hospital care
Agreement between patients and surgeons on assessments of the cosmetic outcomes of Mohs micrographic surgery: : Results of a single-center blinded prospective study
Contact allergy to gold is correlated to dental gold.
Questionnaire studies have indicated that patients with dental gold will more frequently have contact allergy to gold. This study aimed at investigating the relationship between contact allergy to gold and the presence and amount of dental gold alloys. A total of 102 patients were referred for patch testing because of suspicion of contact allergy. Patch tests were performed with gold sodium thiosulphate 2% and 5%. The patients underwent an oral clinical and radiological examination. Contact allergy to gold was recorded in 30.4% of the patients, and of these 74.2% had dental gold (p=0.009). A significant correlation was found between the amount of gold surfaces and contact allergy to gold (p=0.008), but there was no statistical relationship to oral lesions. It is concluded that there is a positive relationship between contact allergy to gold and presence and amount of dental gold alloys