Dynamic Optical Coherence Tomography of Blood Vessels in Cutaneous Melanoma—Correlation with Histology, Immunohistochemistry and Dermoscopy

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The formation of new blood vessels is crucial for tumor progression and worsens the prognosis of melanoma patients. Now the prediction of risk progression depends on histologic parameters assessed after surgery. Dermoscopy also assesses pieces of information such as the vascularization of melanomas. Due to the possible in vivo evaluation of blood vessels in melanomas with dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT), we wanted to examine atypical vessel patterns, density, shape and distribution as well as the presence/type of vessel branching in melanomas in three depths and to correlate the data with the same patterns with dermoscopic and histologic malignancy parameters (like ulceration, regression and inflammation) for the evaluation of risk for metastases. The aim is to show that tumor vasculature can be noninvasively assessed using D-OCT before surgery. ABSTRACT: Dermoscopy adds important information to the assessment of cutaneous melanoma, but the risk of progression is predicted by histologic parameters and therefore requires surgery and histopathologic preparation. Neo-vascularization is crucial for tumor progression and worsens prognosis. The aim of this study was the in vivo evaluation of blood vessel patterns in melanoma with dynamic optical coherence tomography (D-OCT) and the correlation with dermoscopic and histologic malignancy parameters for the risk assessment of melanoma. In D-OCT vessel patterns, shape, distribution and presence/type of branching of 49 melanomas were evaluated in vivo at three depths and correlated with the same patterns in dermoscopy and with histologic parameters after excision. In D-OCT, blood vessel density and atypical shapes (coils and serpiginous vessels) increased with higher tumor stage. The histologic parameters ulceration and Hmb45- and Ki67-positivity increased, whereas regression, inflammation and PD-L1-positivity decreased with risk. CD31, VEGF and Podoplanin correlated with D-OCT vasculature findings. B-RAF mutation status had no influence. Due to pigment overlay and the summation effect, the vessel evaluation in dermoscopy and D-OCT did not correlate well. In summary, atypical vessel patterns in melanoma correlate with histologic parameters for risk for metastases. Tumor vasculature can be noninvasively assessed using D-OCT before surgery.