Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41618049›Full record

ArticleOral and maxillofacial surgery2026

Feasibility of confocal laser endomicroscopy as an optical biopsy method for SCC on the auricle : an exploratory study.

Flurin Müller-Diesing, Matti Sievert, Bharat Akhanda Panuganti, Marc Aubreville, Nils Porsche, Stephan Hackenberg, Manuel Stöth, Agmal Scherzad, Jasper Meyer, Markus Wirth and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Oral and maxillofacial surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Flurin Müller-DiesingDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Matti SievertDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander- Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany.
Bharat Akhanda PanugantiDepartment of Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Marc AubrevilleFlensburg University of Applied Sciences, Flensburg, Germany.
Nils PorscheFlensburg University of Applied Sciences, Flensburg, Germany.
Stephan HackenbergDepartment of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Manuel StöthDepartment of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Agmal ScherzadDepartment of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Jasper MeyerDepartment of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Markus WirthDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Miguel GoncalvesDepartment of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany. Goncalves_M@ukw.de.

Funding

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany Project: 545049923
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeIn the resection of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCC) of the auricle, the challenge lies in ensuring a safe excision with adequate surgical margins in an aesthetically and functionally sensitive area, while keeping the resulting defect as small as possible. To contribute to achieving this goal, the present study is the first to investigate the potential of confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) as a method of optical biopsy for cSCC.

methodsA total of 82 CLE sequences (from 7 patients) showing cSCC or healthy tissue were blinded and presented to four different investigators for evaluation; in addition, presence of individual malignancy criteria derived from the literature were assessed.

resultsThe distinction between healthy tissue and cSCC was achieved reliably. On average, the investigators reached a sensitivity of 96.95% and a specificity of 89.65%. A substantial interrater agreement was observed (Fleiss’ kappa 0.74). The malignancy criteria proved valid in this region, as all were significantly more frequent in sequences showing SCC (p < 0.001). The most sensitive single criterion was the “presence of large round cells with nuclear atypia”.

conclusionThe present study demonstrates the first feasibility of CLE as a tool for distinguishing between healthy tissue and tumor when defining tumor margins of cSCC on the auricle. Further studies are necessary to establish its clinical utility, including investigations into the application of evaluation scoring systems.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Squamous CellEar AuricleEar NeoplasmsSkin NeoplasmsAgedBiopsyCutaneous Squamous Cell CarcinomaFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMicroscopy, ConfocalMiddle AgedSensitivity and SpecificityConfocal laser endomicroscopyCutaneous squamous cell carcinomaOptical biopsyResection margins

Identifiers

PMID41618049

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.