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

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.