Clinical trials and experimental
Dermoscopic aspects in basal cell carcinomas
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, accounting for 80 per cent of all malignant lesions of the skin. The diagnosis of certainty is established by histopathology, but there are multiple non-invasive investigations that can be used for early diagnosis of these tumors, dermoscopy being an effective and easy option.

Objectives: 
To determine the incidence of characteristic dermoscopic features for basal cell carcinomas among the analyzed tumors.

Patients and methods: 
This retrospective study analyzes a group of 43 patients with basal cell carcinomas, confirmed by histopathology and registered using the Fotofinder system - polarized contact technique, during 2010-2011 in the Department of  Dermatology of Elias Emergency University Hospital.

Results:
Among the 35 (81.39%) non-pigmented basal cell carcinomas and 8 (18.6%) pigmented ones, ulceration was present in 32 cases (74.41%), branched vessels in 18 cases (41.86%), fine capillaries in 43 cases (93.02%), pink-red areas and pearly-white areas in 39 (90.7%), respectively 34 cases (79.07%), and fibrosis in 21 cases (48. 84%).

Conclusions:
Pink-red areas and fine capillaries, although not unique to basal cell carcinomas, are the most common dermoscopy features observed in the analyzed tumors. Signs of pigmentation (especially blue-gray globules) are more frequently observed using dermoscopy.