Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42714607›Full record

ArticleOral and maxillofacial surgery2026

Exploratory systematic characterization of vascular features in confocal laser endomicroscopy of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.

Flurin Müller-Diesing, Matti Sievert, Bharat Akhanda Panuganti, Marc Aubreville, Nils Porsche, Stephan Hackenberg, Agmal Scherzad, Philipp Winnand, Nils Vohl, Julia Brach and 2 more

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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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 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 HackenbergPlastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Agmal ScherzadPlastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany.
Philipp WinnandDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Nils VohlDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Julia BrachDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Markus WirthDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
Miguel GoncalvesPlastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Head and Neck Surgery, Würzburg University Hospital, Würzburg, Germany. Goncalves_M@ukw.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis exploratory study aimed to systematically evaluate vascular features in confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) for distinguishing cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) from healthy skin, assessing both the overall diagnostic value of these features using a composite vascular scoring system and the performance of individual criteria.

methodsCLE video sequences of tumor and corresponding healthy skin were retrospectively analyzed in nine patients, using histopathology as the reference standard. Six vascular criteria were defined from the literature, three associated with healthy tissue and three with tumor tissue. Three experienced investigators performed a blinded assessment, and a majority decision determined the presence of each criterion. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and interrater agreement were calculated. A composite vascular score (0-6) was derived, and ROC analysis was used to determine the optimal cutoff for discriminating tumor from healthy tissue.

resultsThe features with the highest diagnostic relevance were "honeycomb-like capillaries" and "round vascular structures" for healthy tissue, and "leaky capillaries" for tumor sequences. ROC analysis identified a cutoff of ≥ 3 (Youden index 0.905, AUC 0.96). Within the analyzed dataset, the composite vascular score achieved a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 90.48%, PPV of 91.3%, and NPV of 100%.

conclusionVascular features captured by CLE showed promising discriminatory potential for differentiating cSCC from healthy skin. Among the individual criteria, absence of "honeycomb-like pattern" of capillaries and "round vascular structures" are particularly suitable for inclusion in a CLE-based scoring system for cSCC.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, Squamous CellCutaneous Squamous Cell CarcinomaSkin NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleMicroscopy, ConfocalMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSensitivity and SpecificityConfocal laser endomicroscopyCutaneous squamous cell carcinomaOptical biopsyResection margins

Identifiers

PMID42714607

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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.