HIGH-RESOLUTION OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF ACTINIC KERATOSIS

Actinic keratosis (AK) are considered precursors of invasive squamous cell carcinoma and for this reason early correct diagnosis and treatment is necessary. As these lesions often appear in sun exposed areas, mainly the upper body (head, neck, face), minimum or non-invasive diagnosis techniques are preferred, like optical coherence tomography (OCT). The aim of this study is to find typical morphological characteristics of AK using the OCT technique and to guide the clinician to distinguish between AK's and normal skin or from other cutaneous lesions. A total of 25 lesions from 15 patients that clinically and dermoscopically suggested AK were included in this study; OCT using Skintell was performed for all lesions. OCT examination offers morphological information that is helpful in differentiating AK from healthy skin and from its closest clinical imitators. This work brings information about the value of OCT in describing in vivo patterns of AK. These findings can relate and extend previous research on these types of lesions. Further studies on a larger samples of cases, correlated with histopathological results are warranted in this direction.