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Prognostic value of angiogenesis evaluated with high-frequency and colour Doppler sonography for preoperative assessment of primary cutaneous melanomas: correlation with recurrence after a 5 year follow-up period.

Lassau N, Lamuraglia M, Koscielny S, Spatz A, Roche A, Leclere J, Avril MF

Department of Medical Imaging, Institut Gustave Roussy, 39 rue Camille Desmoulins, 94805 Villejuif, France.

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of high-frequency sonography (HFS) and colour Doppler sonography (CDS) in evaluating the 5 year metastatic potential of primary cutaneous melanomas (CM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 111 CM were studied before surgical resection and 107 were depicted on HFS. The maximal HFS thickness was measured and compared with the Breslow thickness. A CDS study was performed in each tumour. RESULTS: HFS thickness ranged from 0.26 to 8.0 mm and Breslow thickness from 0.15 to 8.0 mm. HFS and Breslow thickness correlated strongly (r > 0.93). Intratumour vessels were depicted in 43 of the 107 CM, of which 40 were thicker than 2 mm. The median follow-up was 61 months and 27 patients developed relapses. In the univariate analyses, neovascularization visualized with CDS, sonographic thickness and the Breslow thickness were significantly linked to relapses (p < 0.0001), as were lymph node status and ulceration (p = 0.007 and 0.004). CONCLUSION: Vascularization was observed mainly in thick primary melanoma. A median follow-up of 5 years showed the prognostic value of angiogenesis evaluated by CDS.

Published 28 April 2006 in Cancer Imaging, 6: 24-9.
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