title: Dermoscopic features of basal cell carcinomas: differences in appearance under non-polarized and polarized light.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) can be diagnosed using different dermoscopic modalities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate dermoscopic features of BCCs using nonpolarized and polarized dermoscopy to highlight similarities and differences between dermoscopic modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of 149 BCCs under nonpolarized dermoscopy (NPD), polarized contact dermoscopy (PCD), and polarized noncontact dermoscopy (PNCD). Images were evaluated for a range of dermoscopic colors, structures, and vessels. Features were compared according to histopathologic subtype.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common dermoscopic structures in BCCs across all modalities included globules (50.3-51.0%), dots (49.7-50.3%), white structureless areas (63.1-74.5%), structureless gray-brown areas (24.2-24.8%), and ulcerations (28.2%). The most frequently observed vasculature included arborizing vessels (18.8-38.3%), short fine telangiectasias (SFTs) (73.8-82.6%), and vascular blush (41.6-83.2%). Structures with higher levels of agreement across modalities included pigmented structures and ulcerations. Lower levels of agreement existed between contact and noncontact modalities for certain vascular features. White shiny structures, which include shiny white lines (chrysalis and crystalline structures) (0-69.1%), shiny white areas (0-25.5%), and rosettes (0-11.4%), exhibited no agreement between NPD and polarized modalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights differences in dermoscopic features of BCCs under three dermoscopic modalities. Shiny white lines (chrysalis and crystalline structures) and shiny white areas may be used as additional criteria to diagnose BCCs.
authors.affiliation: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10022, USA.
authors.forename: Tracey N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Liebman
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaimes-Lopez
authors.forename: Yevgeniy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Balagula
authors.forename: Harold S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Rabinovitz
authors.forename: Steven Q
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Dusza
authors.forename: Ashfaq A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Marghoob
mesh_terms: D002280:Basal Cell Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D046169:Dermoscopy; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*