Correlation of thickness of basal cell carcinoma by optical coherence tomography in vivo and routine histologic findings: A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Optical coherence tomography uses advanced photonics and fiber optics to obtain high-resolution cross-sectional images and tissue characterization in real time. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to correlate measurements of the depth of basal cell carcinomas obtained by optical coherence tomography and standard histopathologic examinations. METHODS: Twenty previously scanned optical coherence tomography images of histopathologically confirmed basal cell carcinoma were reviewed. A computer-generated depth scale was used to measure the depth of the neoplasm. These measurements were compared with direct measurements of tumor thickness of analogous tissue specimens made with a microscope micrometer. RESULTS: All 20 sites demonstrated excellent correlation of tissue thickness, to a depth of about 1 mm, estimated by optical coherence tomography or routine histopathologic tests. This depth correlation was consistent across several different types of basal cell carcinoma observed. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography, compared with routine histopathologic techniques, shows promise as a method for estimating the superficial thickness of basal cell carcinoma.