Comprehensive Summary
This letter, by Chen and Lee, discusses the progress of line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) to improve accuracy in diagnosing basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This technology was compared to dermoscopy and clinical examinations, with LC-OCT detecting 94.1% high-confidence diagnoses, versus only 25.7% for dermascopy and 5.6% for clinical examination. The authors note a key finding, the millefeuille pattern, which strongly indicates BCC. This helps to reduce unneeded biopsies and anxiety in patients. They also emphasize that there are limitations such as spectrum bias and issues with misclassifications.
Outcomes and Implications
LC-OCT increases diagnostic accuracy for BCC, which improves patient care by minimizing invasive biopsies, decreases patient anxiety, and improves treatment plans. The more precise diagnoses can help broaden the options for superficial BCC. However, ensuring its accuracy and accessibility is needed before more widespread implementation.